The big issues Alex Neil will have to address at Sunderland - with League One promotion hopes in the balance

The Black Cats have won just one of their last seven matches and lost significant ground in the race for automatic promotion.

Alex Neil has signed a rolling 12-month contract at the Stadium of Light and be assisted by former Hamilton Academical team-mate Martin Canning.

Sunderland will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they travel to AFC Wimbledon this weekend, with 15 League One league games remaining.

Restoring confidence and an identify

We’ve seen there is plenty of ability in this Sunderland squad, yet they have massively underperformed in recent weeks.

Players who started the season strongly have suffered significant dips in form, resulting in three unacceptable performances against Bolton, Doncaster and Cheltenham.

Despite some heavy defeats under Lee Johnson, Sunderland were building a reputation as a young side which played attacking football. That undoubtedly helped when the club were recruiting players such as Jack Clarke, Patrick Roberts and Jay Matete last month.

While blooding young players and trying to play out from the back – which hasn’t been helped by the condition of the Stadium of Light pitch - had its flaws, the direction the club was taking seemed clearer than under previous regimes.

Yet in the last two games, the team has lacked an identity and a clear direction in fixtures they were expected to win.

Becoming harder to beat

Johnson admitted earlier in the season that teams had devised a playbook on how to play Sunderland, and that his own side would have to adapt.

The Black Cats have played some exciting football this campaign, yet they also have a soft underbelly. During heavy defeats against Portsmouth, Rotherham and Bolton, Sunderland have simply capitulated.

That can’t be allowed to happen again if the team are to revive a promotion challenge, and it’s looking increasingly likely that will have to be through the play-offs.

To emphasise the point, Sunderland have conceded 43 goals this season. That’s more than 18th-place Shrewsbury Town.

Shoring things up at the back doesn’t just fall on the side’s defenders either. Sunderland need to show more steel in midfield and press more effectively from the front if they are to turn things around.

Getting support to Stewart

At the other end of the pitch, Ross Stewart is the joint top scorer in League One with 18 goals this season. His signing last January was clearly an excellent piece of business.

Yet the Scot hasn’t found the net for five matches, with the lack of service to him apparent.

Stewart’s average expected goals total per 90 minutes this season is 0.52 in League One, yet that has dropped to 0.27 over the last four games.

With the likes of Clarke, Roberts, Alex Pritchard, Leon Dajaku and Elliot Embleton, Sunderland’s new boss will have plenty of creative players at his disposal.

Yet in recent weeks the side’s attacking play has appeared to stem from off the cuff moments or individual moves, rather than being a cohesive team actions.

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