Why Sunderland’s pre-play-off form is becoming a concern

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales and Phil Smith discuss Sunderland’s form going into the Championship play-offs.

Transcript

00:00Now, despite what has been a successful campaign in the Championship for Sunderland this season,

00:06they are perhaps stumbling towards the playoffs and have lost their last few in a row.

00:12Regis Labrise has employed a policy of rest and rotation, trying to get freshness into his players

00:17so that they can attack their playoff campaign with full fitness throughout their squad.

00:23But this has had the added-on effect of Sunderland losing momentum,

00:26as they've changed the line-up on a lot of occasions and players have not really found a rhythm at all in recent times.

00:32Many fans are starting to get worried as to which direction the club will go when it comes to the playoffs,

00:37with only now one game left of the regular season before that playoff campaign begins with the semi-final first leg,

00:44which will be away from home.

00:46In fact, is it possible that Sunderland are mirroring a little bit how they were at the end of last season,

00:52when, of course, they fell down the league after what had been a relatively promising start to the campaign.

00:58So let's go now to Phil Smith of the Sunderland Echo.

01:01Phil, could you perhaps agree with the fact that Sunderland are mirroring the way they ended last season

01:08in really poor form?

01:09Of course, this time they've already qualified for the playoffs,

01:11whereas last year they were slipping down the table and then ended up finishing in 16th place.

01:15But are there similarities there in terms of the lack of goals being scored defensively?

01:20Sunderland have still been OK of late.

01:22Of course, maybe not the last few because they've still conceded quite a few goals.

01:26But for the most part, they've been relatively all right.

01:28But certainly in an attacking sense, are you starting to see a little bit of worry amongst the staff,

01:35the supporters and indeed the players as to what they'll be like when the playoffs roll around?

01:40Yeah, I agree with you in terms of there are some similarities in that certainly the attack and play

01:47compared to the end of last season in terms of at times Sunderland look like they can absorb pressure.

01:53Their defensive structure is pretty good.

01:54I know that sounds silly to say when they've just conceded two goals from set pieces,

01:58but I think since the international break that we've talked about,

02:01it's very rare that Sunderland have been opened up by the opposition.

02:03They're not leaking loads and loads of chances,

02:05certainly not from open play over and over again.

02:07The structure and the organisation of the side, there's clearly still a lot of good stuff in place.

02:11But I agree with you just in terms of going forward, there is so little at the moment.

02:15As I say, really hard to work out what the attacking game plan was on Saturday

02:18other than those long balls over the top.

02:20And that's something that definitely concerns me going forward.

02:23So I agree with you, Davey, in terms of I do expect Sunderland to be better in the playoffs.

02:27I expect the intensity to be better.

02:29I expect the physicality to be better.

02:31I don't necessarily think Sunderland will lack the physicality to compete in midfield.

02:35If, for example, I think that once you get to those high-pressure games,

02:38I think you'll see a huge lift in some of the off-the-ball stuff.

02:41I do think it's a little bit of human nature to maybe not be 100%

02:44when you've got those playoff games coming up

02:47and there's nothing riding on these games for you.

02:49Maybe that will make you a bit more tentative.

02:51But I definitely think that there are some question marks over the final third.

02:54And, yeah, I've always been confident that Sunderland will produce much better performances

02:58when those games come around.

03:00The other thing I would say is that I think the style of games will suit them more.

03:03They're going to be a lot more open.

03:04The pitchers are going to be a much better nick.

03:06There's going to be a lot more space for that counter-attack in play.

03:09We're still in good shape squad-wise for the playoffs.

03:11I think if we're going to take one positive from Saturday,

03:13we're seeing Dennis Serkin on the pitch for half an hour.

03:15I really, really think that's massive for Sunderland's playoff prospects

03:18because I think we're talking about the lack of attack and threat.

03:21We've talked a lot about that through this video and in previous weeks.

03:24I don't think there's any doubt in my mind

03:25that the full-back has been a big issue in that.

03:28I think that Leo Hiel there joins us in the game against Blackburn.

03:31Then Trey Keane when he's gone across to left-back

03:33and Alan Brown's dropped into right-back.

03:34I think those players who have been playing out of position

03:36have deputised really well.

03:39Defensively, they've looked grand.

03:41Joe Anderson does handle the ball nicely, passes it nicely.

03:44But I think there's a real lack of drive into the final third.

03:47I think that's particularly a problem

03:48if you have someone like Enzo Lafayre on the left wing.

03:50He's not a natural left-winger.

03:52So he always wants to come inside and join in with those attacks.

03:55I think that's naturally what he's always going to do.

03:57I think you really need that overlapping threat

03:59and that's been a big miss.

04:00Fingers crossed, Sirkin can get 90 minutes on Saturday

04:03and be in a position where he's ready to start

04:05those two legs in the semi-finals.

04:07I think that's going to be really important

04:08to the balance of the team.

04:11Yeah, so I think you're right.

04:12I think squad-wise, when hopefully, touch wood,

04:15everything is going to be a lot stronger

04:19in terms of the shape of the squad

04:21and players in their best positions

04:24than it was for the Luton game two years ago.

04:25But clearly, the squad isn't performing

04:29at anywhere near that level

04:30and there is that big question mark

04:31that we're all talking about.

04:33Can you switch it on?

04:34Can you quickly recover those performance levels?

04:36In terms of the squad, there are some positives.

04:37I do expect something to be better in the playoffs,

04:39but I was quite alarmed by what I saw on Saturday.

04:42There's no doubt about that.

04:43Can you switch it on?

04:48Do not belong to that.

04:49So, am I going to pull up

04:53and push it on.

04:56All right.

04:58All right.

04:59I'm going to let it break.

05:00Just push it on.

05:01I will say my Lenovo team

05:03to play it on Tuesday.

05:03Go ahead questions.

05:05Go ahead.

05:06Go ahead.

05:07Go ahead.

05:08Go ahead.

05:09Go ahead.

05:10Click the squad

05:11and go ahead.

05:12Go ahead.

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