Sunderland appear to be heading for the play-offs this season, barring any disaster, but can the Black Cats really go all the way and seal promotion to the Premier League via that route?
After an incredible start to the season which saw Sunderland sitting at the top of the Championship table, a dip in form — plus the relentless march of Leeds United, Sheffield United, and Burnley — has seen the Mackems slip to fourth place.
They are still comfortably placed to secure a play-off spot as things stand, but inconsistent results have seen Regis Le Bris’ side needing a miracle to have any hope of automatic promotion now.
With 11 games to go, Sunderland have a lot to fight for, and lots of preparation to put in place for that likely play-off adventure at the end of the season.
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Sunderland currently sit 12 points clear of fifth-placed Coventry City, and eight points behind third-placed Sheffield United. Essentially, the Black Cats are a little bit stranded in fourth place now.
So, the hosts of the Second Tier podcast have been discussing what Le Bris needs to do between now and the Championship play-off dates, and suggested the Sunderland manager could be the man to beat if he gets a few things right in time for the crunch clashes.
Justin Peach said: “It’s building good habits, getting back to what they were really good at in those first ten games. It’s a big statement, but if Regis Le Bris can find the formula that was working before, I think Sunderland are the team to beat in the play-offs.
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“I think a lot of teams in and around the top six, if they come up against that version of Sunderland, I see Sunderland getting promotion. They were sensational defensively, they were brilliant on the counter attack, they were clinical.”
Reflecting on where things have gone wrong for Sunderland of late, Peach suggested they have fallen into ‘bad habits’ and need to find an extra layer of resilience from here on out.
He added: “Complacencies have set in, as it has for a lot of teams… it’s just ironing out those bad habits, getting back into what they were very good at, becoming difficult to beat, and reducing the amount of chances and goals they concede, because that has crept up since the turn of the year.”
Sunderland have certainly stuttered in 2025, dropping points at home to the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Watford, and most recently, Hull City.
But, with key players like Tommy Watson and Romaine Mundle now back from injury, there is hope the Mackems can get back on track quickly and build momentum on the back of that win over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Can Sunderland really beat Burnley or Sheffield United in the play-offs?
Let’s assume Leeds United are, at the very least, going up automatically. They will probably win the title at the rate they’re going.
That leaves either Sheffield United or Burnley to join them. Two very different teams, and there’s definitely one that Sunderland would rather come up against in the play-offs.
Burnley are relentless, well-drilled, and incredibly hard to beat. Sheffield United, on the other hand, have shown signs of weakness and Sunderland have already managed to get a win over the Blades this season.
There’s also the fact that United have never won at Wembley and historically struggle with the play-offs. You’d have to fancy Sunderland to emerge victorious from that hypothetical tie, but Burnley will definitely be the ones they will fear.
Either way, Sunderland are an impressive outfit, and they’ll relish the home crowd cheering them on at the Stadium of Light in the semi-finals. We expect Le Bris to get Sunderland to the final, and there, anything can happen.