Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips reacts to EFL decision as Peterborough United boss issues financial warning

EFL clubs voted on Tuesday to curtail the campaign with the final table to be decided by a points-per-game formula, with Sunderland missing out on the play-offs.

Sunderland are now preparing for their third season in the third tier.

“I am bitterly disappointed, there is no other way to describe it,” legend Phillips told Football Insider.

“We all knew this was going to happen and at the end of the day they only have themselves to blame.

“At one stage they were looking really good but they hit a bad spell at the wrong time. The defeat down at Bristol Rovers before we stopped play has really cost them.

“Another season in League One, a third season, it will be even more difficult to get out of that league.

“I just feel for the fans.

“They have given so much this season and now they will have to pick themselves up and get behind them next season which I am sure they will because they always do.”

One of the other big losers in League One was Peterborough United who also missed out on a play-off place.

And Posh boss Darren Ferguson has warned of some of the financial issues now facing clubs, especially with it not yet clear when the 2020-21 season will be able to start given games currently have to be played behind-closed-doors.

He told the Peterborough Telegraph: “Our chairman worked harder than most to get teams playing, but it didn’t work and I suspect the EFL have got what they wanted from day one.

“We were very confident we would have finished in the top two. We had come through some tough games with some great results. We beat Oxford 4-0, Ipswich 4-1, Rotherham 2-1, Wycombe 4-0 and Portsmouth 2-0.

“We had five games at home left against teams in the bottom half and we haven’t dropped a single point at home all season to any of the teams in the bottom half.

“My worry now is next season. When will it start? Now the clubs are making the decisions do the club sort their own fixtures?

“I can’t see spectators at matches and that financial hole which is already £250m could easily double so how clubs cope with that?

“I can see clubs falling into Administration. Clubs need a lot of help financially and I hope it arrives. I believe that money was already there in football, but it never came to the clubs who needed it.

“We will probably be okay as we have excellent owners, but others will struggle. We will have to sell Ivan Toney, but we will get good money for him even in a pandemic and we shouldn’t have to sell anyone else.”