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Sunderland’s possible Championship play-off opponents have had plenty to say about the Black Cats and the race for the Premier League this season.
The race for the Championship play-offs will resume this weekend as Sunderland look to take another step closer to securing a top six place.
With the final international break of the season now complete, the Black Cats will return to league action with a home clash against a Millwall side managed by former Sunderland boss Alex Neil. A win, coupled with positive results elsewhere, could mean Regis Le Bris’ side could hold a 15-point advantage over Bristol City, who sit narrowly outside of the play-off spots ahead of their trip to third placed Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Elsewhere this weekend, Coventry City, who sit in fifth place in the table after their win against Sunderland earlier this month, head to title contenders Sheffield United on Friday night. West Bromwich Albion face a tricky looking trip to Norwich City on Saturday for a meeting of Sunderland’s next two away opponents and Middlesbrough take on an Oxford United side sat looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation zone. Blackburn Rovers, who are sat in ninth place, visit Portsmouth and Watford entertain relegation threatened Plymouth Argyle in Saturday’s early kick-off.
One of the play-off spots will go to either Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley and Sunderland also look set to land a top six place given their sizeable points advantage over their rivals. As many as six other clubs will fancy their chances of keeping alive their Premier League dreams by landing a play-off spot - but what have they said about Sunderland during the season so far?
What have Sunderland’s play-off rivals said about the Black Cats this season?
Frank Lampard - Coventry City
Speaking after his side inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Black Cats earlier this month, Lampard said: “I don’t want to eulogise about the performance because it will make people think we think we have cracked it. We haven’t but in terms of negating the good stuff I have seen Sunderland do – and I am a big admirer of how they play – it felt like a bit of a match up to me today in terms of how they’ll play against how we play, and can we be better than them. So I think the players took on board all of those things and we stopped their high level players getting on the ball in high areas and put pressure on them to not be able to relax and have control of the game, and the players did that, I think.”
Tony Mowbray - West Bromwich Albion
West Brom are aiming to secure a place in the play-offs.West Brom are aiming to secure a place in the play-offs.
West Brom are aiming to secure a place in the play-offs. | Getty Images
Assessing the play-off race, the former Black Cats boss did not specifically mention his old club - but it’s safe to suggest they are in the mix when it comes to his comments. Speaking ahead of the international break, Mowbray said: “The crux of it, as it always has been, is to still be in it on the last day when the wheel stops turning. It looks like there might be four or five teams within three points of each other. We've something to play for going into the final stretch and you've got to look forward confidently to the challenge. What will be will be, but we at least want to get to Wembley and give ourselves a chance."
Liam Manning - Bristol City
Speaking after his side conceded a late equaliser against Sunderland in December, Manning said: “The first half I felt we allowed them too much territory, we were too deep and that's why we made the change of shape. It allowed us to press a little higher. We went with a back four first half and we basically found it difficult to apply pressure higher up the pitch. We switched to a back five at half time which made it 3-v-3 in our last line instead of 3-v-4. We committed that extra body higher and wider, which helped us stop them progressing it into wide areas so easily. I thought the lads did a good job of it, forced a few mistakes and got us higher up the pitch. I think the change did help us.”
Michael Carrick - Middlesbrough
Speaking after the Black Cats claimed all three points at the Riverside Stadium last month, Carrick said: “Without a doubt, it’s disappointing. I feel for the boys because they put a lot into the game and showed a lot of quality, especially second half, to control it fully. To not come away with the win is a disappointing one. Both ends of the pitch make the difference in the end, but I thought in between that, as well as the movement and the chances we created, it was really pleasing. We looked dangerous and felt there was more in it for us, but of course, when we’re on top and so in control, the second goal would have been the one. It didn’t quite come and a sucker punch really, is the difference."
Blackburn Rovers
Although current boss Valerian Ismael has not commented on Sunderland, his predecessor John Eustace did praise the Black Cats after a draw between the two sides earlier this season. He said: "In the first half, I thought we were outstanding. We could've come in two or three goals up. We played some fantastic football. It could've been more and maybe should have been. We need to try and be more clinical in those moments. We did come out a little bit slow in the second half but we are against a top team in Sunderland, they have fantastic players and they're very well coached. We were against a very good team and I think that's what changed in the second half, simple as that. They are fourth for a reason. We were very good first half, second half if we'd weathered the storm, we might have got through it but two quick goals affected us a bit.”
Tom Cleverley - Watford
THUMBS UP: For Leeds United from Watford boss Tom Cleverley, above.THUMBS UP: For Leeds United from Watford boss Tom Cleverley, above.
THUMBS UP: For Leeds United from Watford boss Tom Cleverley, above. | Getty Images
Speaking ahead of his side’s 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light last month, the Hornets boss said of Sunderland: “The recruitment's been outstanding, their manager seems very calm and calculated, and I like watching them play football. They're a team who, like I said, in all the leagues across the world, I enjoy watching Sunderland play football. I like how they've developed Academy players into a really important part of their club and I respect a lot what they're doing and it's going to be a tough test. But you've seen all season, the tougher tests have brought the best out of us. It’s a club I have a lot of respect for but let's not forget it's also a team we've beaten twice in the last 10 months, so we go there with belief.”
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