Former loan signing tells Sunderland what they must do to beat Coventry in Championship play-off semi-final

Sunderland have been told they are not in a great situation ahead of their Championship play-off semi-final showdown with Coventry City - but have been backed to ‘turn it on’ in their bid to end their eight-year absence from the Premier League.

The Black Cats officially sealed their place in the play-off spots with a goalless draw at Norwich City last month - but that stalemate at Carrow Road has kickstarted a run of six game without a win in which Sunderland have failed to find the net on five occasions. In fact, Regis Le Bris have not scored more than one goal in a game since they earned a 2-1 home win against Cardiff City on the second weekend of March.

Their record against Coventry also offers little room for positivity after Frank Lampard’s side claimed a win and a draw in their two league meetings with Sunderland to ensure the Black Cats have not beaten the Sky Blues in any competition since Dwight Yorke and Stern John found the net in a 2-0 home victory in February 2007.

However, former Sunderland loan signing Alan Hutton believes the Black Cats will be ‘fearless’ going into the game and believes their young players can thrive in the high-pressure environment of the play-offs.

He told Boyle Sports: “It's not ideal for Sunderland, they've lost their last four. I think when you go into the playoffs, it's all about building momentum. The year that we went up, we were nowhere near it and then we won 10 games in a row and then we went on to go up. I think that's key, if you're like Sunderland and you've been in those kind of playoff positions for a number of weeks and you know you're relatively safe, your foot kind of comes off the gas a little bit, it's not ideal. Form drops ever so slightly.

“I don't think it's a great situation to be in. That being said, I still think they've got the players to go and turn it on and make it happen. It's going to be difficult, of course, I've been there. It's really difficult and there's a lot of pressure within it. But they're a young team and I think they're probably fearless as well. So it's something that they'll be able to deal with.”

“They'll be desperate for it again, especially in the Premier League”

Sunderland securing their spot in the play-off places also means the prospect of facing Wear-Tyne derby rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League remains very much alive. Although the two sides have met in the FA Cup over the last 18 months, they have not gone head-to-head in the Premier League since the two sides battled to a 1-1 draw at St James Park in March 2016. Hutton believes fans on both sides of the Wear-Tyne divide ‘would love to see’ a resumption of one of English football’s most historic rivalries.

He said: “It's huge. It's a massive game. The fans are crazy, both sets. I think when they come together it's such a good thing to see. They'll be desperate for it again, especially in the Premier League. That's where you want to have these derbies in the Premier League. The only problem is Newcastle, as we know, are a very strong team squad. They're fighting for those top Champions League positions.

“Of course there's a gap between the two clubs at this moment in time. if it was to happen early on and they were to get up, they would need to strengthen, of course, to try and compete not only in the league but against Newcastle in a derby game. But it would be brilliant to see. I think the fans would love to see it again.”

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