Sunderland fan blog: Play-off battle is nerve-shredding and filled with fear

Nerve-shredding, nervy and filled with fear could be just some of the terms used to describe this enthralling race for promotion in League One, but for Sunderland, they’re in one of the most precarious positions.

There is little room for predictions with only two regular matchdays to go – plus games-in-hand – but the only thing that can be hypothesised is that it’s going to go right down to the very, very death.

On the whole, the Black Cats are making tentative steps towards securing a play-off spot.

They need a minimum of four points from their last three matches to secure a place.

What, pre-Easter, looked like a gruelling period for Alex Neil’s side, lived up to its billing, as the Black Cats fought, tussled, and scrapped against Shrewsbury and Plymouth.

In both of the matches, of course, there were signs of positivity: Sunderland moved the ball well in periods, constructed some good openings (primarily in the Good Friday affair) and on the whole, defended well.

But, Sunderland never seem to make getting over the line seem easy.

The negatives of their Easter displays seem archaic: they threw away a two-goal lead to bottom-half side, Shrewsbury and struggled to produce any quality in the final third at Home Park.

In doing so, as a Sunderland fan, you may return to the struggles of the early-2022 mayhem. The sacking of Lee Johnson, the lack of an instant replacement, the pure PR-move for an ageing Jermain Defoe…the list goes on.

But more of that is for when the season is up, and when the Black Cats ultimately know their short-term destiny.

Sunderland head coach Neil has, almost, implemented this ideology since his arrival in the North East: don’t be regretting what’s happened already, and concentrate on the next game.

And, in truth, it’s starting to reap its rewards.

Sunderland are unbeaten in their last 10, and have only one defeat in their last 12 League One matches and are, without a doubt, one of the form teams in the division.

But still, there’s three matches remaining, 270 minutes of League One football left to be played, and three tricky opponents.

For Neil, the one that will hold the greatest significance for his own team is next Tuesday’s clash with Rotherham United at the Stadium of Light.

Before that, Sunderland host Cambridge United at home on Saturday afternoon.

On a day where play-off rivals Wycombe Wanderers face Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan host Plymouth and Oxford travel to Rotherham, in terms of the bigger picture in League One, Saturday may be season-defining.

But, yet, it’s hard to even hypothesise that at this stage.

It’s going to be a race to the finish in Sky Bet League One, and you’ve just got to hope that Sunderland overtake the leading pack, and cross the line in the top six.