Pundit predicts Sunderland play-off defeat as attacker beaten to accolade by James McClean

The Northern Irishman started at right-back in a back four for Tony Mowbray’s side alongside defensive colleagues Aji Alese on the opposite flank and central defenders Danny Batth and Dan Ballard.

The 20-year-old was impressive for Sunderland in their 1-0 win over Reading and often found himself drifting higher up the pitch as the Wearsiders pushed for the winning goal.

Patrick Roberts, the man who netted Sunderland’s winning goal, didn’t make the Championship’s team of the week, with a spot afforded to Wigan Athletic attacker James McClean, Middlesbrough’s Cameron Archer and Nathan Tella of Burnley.

Pundit predicts Championship promotion race

Former pundit Adrian Clarke offered his prediction on this season’s championship promotion race and has tipped Sunderland to ultimately fall short with the Black Cats currently battling with the likes of Middlesbrough, Millwall and West Brom.

Clarke played for Arsenal, Rotherham United, Southend United, Southend United, Carlisle United and Stevenage Borough during his career but says he can’t look past Sheffield United and Burnley for the automatics and offered a prediction for the play-off places involving Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

He told What The EFL?!: “Burnley are going to win the league, I don’t think there’s any shock in me saying that, are Sheffield United going to cling on or kick on during the latter stages of the season? I think they’ll be able to keep enough of a distance between themselves and Middlesbrough, they’re a pretty solid side, Sheffield United.

“So I think that those two will go up, Middlesbrough, in my opinion, are the next best team by quite some distance, and I think they will go up as play-off winners.

“I’ve been jostling on a few ideas of who might make it, the way I’ve done it – Middlesbrough beat Sunderland in the semi, then they meet the winners of Millwall v West Brom, who’re going to be shock finalists, in Millwall, but I think Boro will beat Millwall in the play-off final at Wembley, quite comfortably, and take their place in the top-flight, that’s my prediction.”