The latest edition of the Sunderland weekly round-up takes a look back at the latest news from the Stadium of Light. Saturday’s visit to Morecambe produced the victory needed to confirm the Black Cats’ playoff place. This was preceded by a hard-fought draw against promotion bound Rotherham United.
Ahead of the playoffs, Sunderland have several injury concerns plus we have the latest news on Dan Neil as interest gathers pace in the highly-rated midfielder. Corry Evans looks forward to the playoff semi-finals and Will Grigg looks set to finally move on.
Sunderland Weekly Round-Up: Playoff Place Secured
Unbeaten Run Secures Black Cats’ Playoff Place
On a weekend that promised dramatic twists throughout the afternoon, it ended up being a relatively stress-free afternoon for Sunderland fans. Alex Neil’s men went into the game at Morecambe following the home draw with Rotherham United knowing that a win would secure a playoff place. Anything less and they would be relying on other results.
In the end, an early Nathan Broadhead goal was enough to win the game and secure the Black Cats’ playoff place. Even if Neil’s men had failed, Plymouth Argyle‘s 5-0 home defeat at the hands of MK Dons meant it was a comfortable afternoon for fans of Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Wycombe Wanderers and MK Dons, who make up the four playoff places.
The Black Cats will now face Sheffield Wednesday over two legs to see who will reach the Wembley final. The first leg will be played on Friday, May 6 at the Stadium of Light with the return leg at Hillsborough on Monday, May 9. Neil’s men go into the games on the back of a 13-game unbeaten run.
Captain Corry Evans Looking Forward to Playoff Semi-Final
Sunderland captain Corry Evans spoke after the Morecambe game and is looking forward to the upcoming two legs against Sheffield Wednesday. Both teams will be confident heading into their respective home games. The Owls won 3-0 at Hillsborough and the Black Cats 5-1 victors at the Stadium of Light.
Evans said: “Two great clubs, I have to say first and foremost, and it will be a really good occasion.
“The first game we were disappointed with ourselves and how we performed in that match. The second game was probably one of our better performances this season so we just have to try and take our form into it and try to do the job over these two legs.
“We’re in good form, we’re confident and we believe we can beat anyone in this league with the way we are playing at the minute. Winning breeds confidence and we’re 13 games unbeaten so we’re on quite a bit of form at the minute. We have to take the game to Sheffield Wednesday and try to get through to get to Wembley.”
Injury Update
With a possible three hugely important games upcoming, head coach Alex Neil will want to have a fully fit squad ahead of him. However, several players could be missing. Striker Nathan Broadhead went off injured for the second time in two games. The Everton loanee was substituted early in the second half of the game against Rotherham and was withdrawn during the first half at Morecambe.
Defenders Callum Doyle and Dennis Cirkin are also doubts along with midfielder/defender Carl Winchester. Doyle missed Saturday’s win having been declared not fit to play. Cirkin has been missing for the past three games with Alex Neil declaring that he was unsure if the defender would be available for the playoffs. Winchester went off injured in the recent 5-1 victory over Cambridge United and at present looks the least likely to be involved.
Interest in Dan Neil Hots Up
Sunderland’s young star Dan Neil, the North East Football Writers Association’s Young Player of the Year for 2021, is attracting interest from several clubs according to reports in the Sunderland Echo and journalist Peter O’Rourke. Aston Villa were reportedly interested in January and now Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, and Brighton and Hove Albion are looking at the midfielder with a view to making a move.
Should Sunderland fail in their bid to secure promotion this season, they could find it hard to resist offers and convince Neil to stay for another season in League One.
Will Grigg Wanted
Big money signing Will Grigg will finally leave Wearside this summer. The striker has failed to deliver since signing during the 2019 January transfer window. The Northern Ireland international scored just eight goals in 61 games following his arrival from Wigan Athletic and has spent the past year and a half on loan at MK Dons and Rotherham respectively. It is believed that Rotherham could be his next permanent destination, according to a recent report in the Sunderland Echo.
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