They say it’s always better to think with a clear head.. we’re picking out the key talking points from Sunderland’s performance against QPR We’ve not been afforded the luxury of having a fully fit squad all season The treatment room at the Academy of Light has with Romaine Mundle and Niall Huggins’ imminent comebacks aside we actually got a small glimpse of how stacked the squad can look While questions remain over who will be chosen to lead the line the XI fielded on Saturday afternoon is likely to be the team that starts against Coventry come next Friday The Roma loanee took the league by storm upon his arrival in January looking every bit the player that was promised While a player of his ability possesses the technical dexterity to deputise wherever Le Bris sees fit we simply aren’t unleashing his full potential Chris Rigg enjoyed an exceptional first half of the campaign and his efforts were rightly rewarded at the EFL awards but for Friday’s crunch game at the CBS Arena I’d be inclined to drop Rigg in favour of playing Le Fée centrally we officially consolidated a playoff spot weeks ago the competitive edge that usually comes with business-end fixtures was absent the apathetic nature of our performances is a major cause for concern heading into a decisive period and while it isn’t the defining trait of a playoff-winning team I consider myself one of the “happy clappers” who has generously upheld the notion that this is merely a playoff pre-season losing is a habit and certainly seeps into the collective mentality This was a winnable game against a managerless side with nothing to play for we weren’t required to emphatically throw down the gauntlet but we needed to prove demonstrably that we were ramping up the gears and approaching the playoffs with a semblance of vigour forever keeping his cards close to his chest he was spot-on during the first half of the campaign reluctance - to recognise the glaringly apparent faults in the way we set up There’s a predictability in the way we play and his loyalty to certain players who have shown signs of fatigue is weakening us in crucial areas This must change if we are to stand any chance of making a success of this playoff campaign with just a small section of fans staying behind to greet the players during their scheduled lap of appreciation It’s hard to blame those who decided to leave early given the turgid displays handed in over recent weeks - opting to enjoy the rest of an otherwise gorgeous Saturday afternoon on Wearside there has been a widespread resignation that we haven’t a hope in the playoffs further souring the atmosphere in the build-up to this two-legged Wembley decider This over-hastiness will likely only be to our detriment working against the players rather than lifting them for the occasion The dreaded Coventry await us in the playoffs The Sky Blues’ hoodoo over us is inescapable Having lost 3-0 down in the West Midlands earlier in the season this was the team no one wanted to face had you enquired prior to kick-off this presents us with an opportunity to wipe the slate clean banishing the demons of Coventry-inflicted losses giving our dismal record against them little attention Enthusiasm and optimism aren’t words you’d use to describe the current feeling around the Stadium of Light but playing our part and having the stadium bouncing for that potentially all-important second leg is paramount Players past and present have often spoken of the energy and inspiration they receive from a buoyed crowd at the Stadium of Light; if we can provide that extra impetus we may just prove to be that twelfth man to get us over the line The independent voice of Newcastle United since 1988 Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today the Championship has taken on a little bit of interest this season with the possibility of Sunderland finally making it back up from the lower leagues then it will ensure at least a full decade without any Tyne and Wear derbies As to the question of should we as Newcastle United fans want Sunderland to go up As far as I am concerned they can stay down there forever hopefully exiting at some point back to the third tier where they belong I couldn’t help but notice what astonishing form Sunderland are in as they move into the play-offs The normal Championship 46 season concluded earlier today and this is how Sunderland have finished the season: Sunderland 0 QPR 1 (on-loan Newcastle United full-back Harrison Ashby created the winning goal) The Mackems ending the season with five straight defeats and they have scored only one goal in their last six games of the season This is how the Championship table looks now the 46th and final round of matches have been played: a massive 24 points off Leeds and Burnley and 14 behind Sheffield United (who had two points deducted) The Championship has looked shocking quality this season and considering what a shambles Burnley and Sheffield United were when relegated 12 months ago from the Premier League then both teams losing their best players when going down it looks a massive uphill struggle for any second tier club to survive next season if getting promoted So it is Sheffield United up against Bristol City in one play-off semi-final and Sunderland up against a club who they hate Friday 9 May – Coventry v Sunderland (8pm) Tuesday 13 May – Sunderland v Coventry (8pm) the day before the final round of Premier League matches View Author Profile If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk Newcastle United loan player releases emotional farewell statement to fans Confirmed Newcastle team v Brighton – Schar Sky Sports expert’s verdict on Newcastle United – Struggle to disagree with any of this Official Newcastle United announcement- Garang Kuol shortlisted for award Brighton 1 Newcastle 1 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction Brighton fans comments after Sunday’s draw against Newcastle United – Interesting 3 Positives and 3 Negatives to take from Brighton 1 Newcastle 1 This would be the single biggest statement of intent from Newcastle United since Liverpool Why the character and resilience of this Newcastle United team can never be doubted Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today! Sunderland will play Coventry in the Championship play-offs It proved a miserable end to the regular season for play-off bound Sunderland as they lost to Queen's Park Rangers to continue their poor form Nicolas Madsen scored first for QPR inside the first five minutes with an emphatic finish after a delightful team move and Jimmy Dunne nearly made it two in the second half Sunderland slumped to their fifth straight defeat the Black Cats will play Coventry in the play-off semi-finals while QPR with manager Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris said in the build-up his players were "raring to go" after a challenging run of results as he's rotated and rested his squad in time for the post-season losing much of the early-season magic which had propelled them into the top four QPR looked the more dangerous of the two with midfielder Madsen taking the initiative for the visitors A beautiful passing move that tore apart Sunderland's midfield ended with Newcastle loanee Harrison Ashby sending in a ball from the right-hand side which ended up at the Dane's feet to smash into the top right-hand corner Sunderland looked to respond soon after with Eliezer Mayenda and Luke O'Nien forcing saves out of Joe Walsh but from minute 20 onwards halting Sunderland's momentum going forward the hosts weren't as bright in the start of the second period and should have been 2-0 down at 57 minutes whipped in a dangerous ball from a free-kick that met the head of QPR's Jimmy Dunne only for the Irish international to nod the ball just wide Le Bris changed his formation heading into the last 15 minutes with the arrivals of Brighton-bound Tom Watson and striker Wilson Isidor off the bench and it did liven Sunderland's attack up with the former But it was too little too late for the Black Cats and Le Bris' understandable but also slightly risky strategy of rotation will be tested by a Coventry side entering the post-season with momentum after their win over Middlesbrough Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle: "It's the end of the testing period we had some good periods but we were not able to create danger in the final third "At the end of the game with many players in the box and crosses it was really difficult to find a solution "It was the case today in another scenario where we have to run after something but unfortunately we didn't find the solution." QPR interim manager Kevin Betsy told BBC Radio London: "It was a very unexpected week for us but the players showed a fantastic mentality from Tuesday's training sessions each day they were positive and their application was outstanding "If you have the right training week it sets you up for a decent performance on a Saturday We delivered an outstanding performance and result." "The football club will take time to look at what they want to do going forward and there will be a few reviews and then the staff will get a well-deserved break "We will wait for the phone to say whether we are wanted at the club or not It is the nature of first-team football - if you want security and regularity in your life then maybe do a different job." To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Queens Park RangersManager: Martí Cifuentes Yellow Card at 90 minutes plus 4SubstitutesNumber 15 Sutton Match OfficialsReferee: Anthony BackhouseAssistant Referee 1: Richard WoodwardAssistant Referee 2: Matt McGrathFourth Official: Scott TallisMatch StatsKey Scroll LeftScroll RightSunderland are unbeaten across their last five league games against QPR (W2 D3) scoring exactly three goals in each of those victories QPR have won just one of their last 10 away league games against Sunderland (D6 L3) though the Londoners are unbeaten across their last five visits to the Stadium of Light (W1 D4) Sunderland have won just one of their last seven final games of a league season when its come on home soil (D1 L5) QPR lost just one of their last six games on the final day of a league campaign (W4 D1) winning their last 2-1 vs Coventry City in 2023-24 Sunderland have won 21 of their 45 games in the Championship this season (D13 L11) their most victories in a second tier campaign since 2006-07 (27) Michael Frey (Queens Park Rangers) is shown the yellow card Dan Ballard (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Michael Frey (Queens Park Rangers) Jimmy Dunne (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half Fourth official has announced 6 minutes of added time Rayan Kolli (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half Dennis Cirkin (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half Foul by Lucas Andersen (Queens Park Rangers) Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner Dan Ballard (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner Wilson Isidor (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half The race for the Football League Championship’s final two playoff spots went down to the wire with one goal at any of three games capable of changing the picture altogether Sheffield United and Sunderland had sealed third- and fourth-place on the table prior to kickoff but the former had a huge role to play in the other two spots as they faced Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane MORE — Final Championship table The day began with Bristol Rovers and Coventry City in charge of their destinies and Jack Rudoni’s goal before halftime boosted Coventry into fifth place with a 1-0 lead over Middlesbrough And it got more tense when Bristol City went down 2-0 at home to Preston North End opening the door for Blackburn Rovers and Millwall in seventh and eighth But Ross McCrorie scored twice and Bristol took a tenuous sixth-place in the second halves putting them two points clear of Blackburn and Millwall Blackburn had scored after halftime through Yuki Ohashi but Anel Ahmedhodzic found a quick equalizer to keep the Rovers out of a playoff spot for the moment as Millwall’s early lead at already-promoted Burnley sank into a 2-1 deficit at Turf Moor Coventry essentially sealed their place when Rudoni made it a brace in the 88th minute leaving it between Bristol City and Blackburn Rovers unless there was a major swing at Burnley vs Millwall The Clarets scored again late to doom Millwall to eighth after a 3-1 decision Eight minutes stoppage were signaled at Bramall Lane for Blackburn to find a winner Bristol City would have six minutes to keep their point or find two more against Preston and Blackburn fans were left hoping their side could defend a corner counter and find a winner within 2-3 minutes Sheffield United (3) vs Bristol City (6)Sunderland (4) vs Coventry City (5) When: May 8-9 (first legs), May 12-13 (second legs)Stream online: Paramount+ The first legs of the semifinals will be held on May 8 and 9 with the return legs being played on May 12 and May 13 The “richest game in sports” — the Championship playoff final — will be held on Saturday A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem “Let’s have the belief that the lads can reignite their pressing How can they not with a hopefully sold-out I’ve totally bought into the approach that the club has taken these last few weeks but - just as importantly - mentally resting them We’ve heard all the arguments for and against We’ve seen the crowds flock out of the Stadium of Light at full-time after the QPR defeat I couldn’t get up for the game on Saturday and I can tell you that the commentators were somewhat baffled by the negative response from the crowd for a team comfortably finishing in the playoff places Not a good impression for the watching public But - you can’t stop people expressing themselves But I don’t want to bang on about the pros and cons of the recent run But if my own inbox is gathering negative responses from my own friends and family I can only guess what the general consensus is building up to look like if the plan was to lose five games in a row I’m not sure how anyone can agree with that!” was one comment I wrote a piece a couple of weeks ago about “Protection versus Momentum” - which someone else threw back at me - obviously insinuating that the lack of momentum is going to be our downfall If I were to admit that even my own confidence was slightly knocked after our final game then that says a lot about the resolve needed to back this approach this isn’t about arguing one way or another - it’s about us all coming together to support and back the lads and the club to the hilt in this coming week I listened to a lovely interview with Julio Arca - and apart from his love of the club and area shining through - he joined a long list of ex-players being asked how these recent defeats would affect morale and the team he joined the now-majority of players who said it had little to do with anything and although he said the game was disappointing he recalled similar situations in his career when they reached a game that mattered the players found that extra percent and that extra drive His own observation was that players were cruising slightly and some were pulling out of tackles to avoid injury so let’s wait until we’ve tasted it this Friday and Tuesday night My feeling last night was one of slight deflation there are now two paths available this week for fans: be negative and miserable and think that the team of earlier in the season has been beamed up by aliens and watch the Coventry first leg behind the sofa; or be positive and convinced that this talented team can indeed put their bodies on the line when it is required that they do so I’m really looking forward to travelling up; I’ve treated myself to a Sunderland hotel my stepson will have two days off school (a hospital appointment! and my recent form of being subdued at a match will be transformed at the flick of a switch to one of exuberance and vocal support Maybe we aren’t quite ready for the Premier League but no one has the luxury of choosing when you get promoted Let’s have the belief that the lads can reignite their pressing stick the negativity and the momentum argument in the cupboard under the stairs and let’s do our part for our team and our lads Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player It is 5th vs 4th in the Championship play-offs Sport | Football The Championship play-offs has set up a semi-final clash between Coventry and Sunderland For Coventry to be in with a chance of promotion to the Premier League, a lot of credit must go to Frank Lampard the side were 17th in the table and only two points above the relegation zone Whilst a late wobble threatened to undo that good work the Sky Blues kept their nerve on the final day to beat Middlesbrough and clinch their fifth-place finish Standing in their way of a second Championship play-off final appearance in three years is a Sunderland side that made certain of a play-off place with five games to spare Here is everything you need to know about the play-off semi-final Coventry vs Sunderland is scheduled for a 8pm BST kick-off on Friday The match will take place at The Coventry Building Society Arena the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Football Coverage starts at 7pm BST ahead of an 8pm kick-off Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app Coventry were boosted by the returns of Milan van Ewijk and Bobby Thomas from injury for the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough Jay Dasilva misses out because of suspension Sunderland expect to have Romaine Mundle available for the play-off semi-final first leg after missing the last seven games with a hamstring injury. Dan Ballard made his return from a long lay-off against QPR, whilst Jobe Bellingham is set to feature they go into the play-off semi-final first leg on the back of five straight defeats Academy heads should be able to seek return to local authority control – union Comedian Milton Jones reveals he has prostate cancer and cancels UK tour dates Meal2Deal: on a mission to make food poverty history Coventry may have stuttered in the home straight but they have more than enough about them to get the job done over two legs Coventry are unbeaten in both meetings against Sunderland this season They fought back from 2-0 down to earn a point at the Stadium of Light back in November before recording a 3-0 home win in March Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Sunderland ended the regular season with five straight defeats but will look forward to the play offs Had nothing to do other than picking the ball out of the back of the net got forward often to put in a few crosses but not much danger from them Not overly tested at the back but didn’t look particularly comfortable when QPR attacked mainly due to lack of cover in front of the defence Had our most dangerous effort in the first hour with a shot that forced the goalkeeper into a save had trouble with runners around him but plenty of effort Beaten far too easily down his side in the lead up to the opening goal grew into the game though and overlapped constantly Played a more advanced position today and started quite well but tailed off did win the ball back a few times but no real influence on the game Played as the 6 today and kept the ball ticking but didn’t protect his defence enough had trouble with the dribbling of Dembele and was nowhere to be seen when the ball was cut back for the QPR goal Didn’t do anything wrong but struggled to get into the game provided little support for both Roberts and Mayenda Not much of a threat for most of the game but was involved in two of our better chances crossing for Ballard to test the goalkeeper with a header and getting his own header all wrong following a cross from Le Fee Had a soft effort cleared off the line in the first half and put a good cross onto the head of Roberts but didn’t look at it for most of the game and his set pieces were very poor We just couldn’t get Mayenda into the game had a snap effort saved in the first half but completely starved of service and anonymous as a result Almost scored after getting onto the end of a Roberts cross and was stretched in behind but did well to beat Dembele to the ball Didn’t seem to be much chemistry between Watson and Cirkin following his introduction did put an effort in to try and make something happen but to no avail competing with the centre halves for everything but not a single chance came his way Allowed a runner past him far too easily in the build up to QPR’s winner but improved following that and put in some effort to provide an option on the overlap throughout Not at his best at all but good to see him back in the starting line up in time for the play offs It was the season finale to end all seasons and in a dramatic twist Bob Kyle departed as manager after 23 years in charge at Sunderland Aye, aye. We know you were probably expecting our On This Day for today to tell the story of the FA Cup Final win of 1973. And if you’re after some 73 action, my mate Kelvin’s done a cracking piece full of stuff you probably didn’t know about our last major honour. But travel even further back in time and today also marks a stunning relegation battle coming to a head and the end of an era on Wearside as manager 58-year-old Bob Kyle said goodbye to Roker Park after an astonishing 23 years in charge At a time when 23 months in charge of Sunderland would be incredibly good going The Northern Irishman managed the club in 817 games and getting to the FA Cup final during the same season; remarkably he’s still the only Irishman to win England’s top flight as manager his final game in charge didn’t allow for anything like the emotional send-off it richly deserved because going into the final league game of the season any two from five clubs could have gone down – including Sunderland It would have been the club’s first-ever relegation and certainly not something that Kyle wanted to bring the curtain down on his near three-decade tenure which had started with the following announcement Mr Robert Kyle of the Belfast Distillery Club has been appointed secretary of the Sunderland Association Football Club There were over seventy applicants for the post Mr Kyle has been secretary of the Distillery Club for seven years during which time the status of that organisation has been greatly raised Kyles’ spell in charge got off to the best of starts beating Newcastle on the opening day of the 1905-06 season 3-2 Arthur Bridgett netting two and Jimmy Gemmell getting the other things didn’t initially pan out as successfully at first as one might have expected In the 15 years of league football prior to his arrival Sunderland had only finished below seventh once In Kyle’s first three seasons we finished 14th the club only finished outside of the top ten twice until Kyle’s last season The arrival of Charlie Buchan at the tail end of the 1910-11 season was a pivotal moment and the club went on to secure the 1912-13 league title finishing four points ahead of Aston Villa Kyle’s spell in charge was punctuated by the Great War and Charlie Buchan was still pulling on the stripes when football resumed in 1919 coming into the final game of the 1927-28 season six consecutive defeats dropped the team to 18th Kyle had announced his impending retirement level on points with Middlesbrough after four consecutive defeats In front of a crowd of 41,997 (including, according to the excellent The Absolute Record Kyle’s successor Johnny Cochrane and future skipper Raich Carter who was in attendance as a boyhood fan) Sunderland lined up like this welcoming back goalkeeper Albert McInroy after injury ruled him out the previous week: It was Middlesbrough who started the game strongly in ‘simply irresistible form’ – but completely against the run of play Dave Wright opened the scoring for Sunderland on 12 minutes after a defensive mistake Even after that goal it was all Middlesbrough The match report in the ‘Journal and North Star’ It was questionable whether the Sunderland forwards got into the Middlesbrough penalty area more than half-a-dozen times in the first half but whenever they did their efforts invariably left one pulsating Brilliant defensive work by Ernie England and future Sunderland manager Bill Murray complemented by superb goalkeeping from McInroy kept ‘Borough’ (as they were known in more formal times) at bay had more than enough chances to win the game – their propensity to try to walk the ball in combined with the excellent McInroy keeping the Sunderland goal unbreached They had the heartbreaking task of trying to beat a goalkeeper in McInroy who was positively brilliant more than any other player the Wearsiders owe a deep debt of gratitude One of his saves just before the interval bordered on the miraculous The ball rebounded and rolled along the goal line and although laid full length on the ground was able to save the situation by conceding a corner the action continued in much the same fashion Halliday netted Sunderland’s second on 55 minutes scoring at the second attempt after his first shot was charged down by keeper Mathieson while five minutes later Death scored a superb solo effort to seal the game the game was played out under ‘tropical weather conditions’ with many people overcome by the heat and the excitement of the game – ‘the first-aid men were kept busy reviving them’ reported Ironsides but we’ll do more – deserve it.” This quotation typifies Sunderland’s desperate effort to escape relegation and although there is irony attached to their deserved success in that they plunged their neighbourly rivals into the lower realm from whence they emerged just a season ago the fact remains that they well merited their triumph the tens of thousands of Teesside supporters were the first to express their admiration of the Roker Park club’s escape even though it will mean that for another season at least they will be debarred from witnessing those triangular contests which the followers of all three clubs looked forward to with pleasurable anticipation At the end of play, the league table (courtesy of the brilliant Stat Cat) looked like this remarkably only six points separating Derby in fourth and relegated Tottenham in 21st: And so it was that Kyle avoided the ignominy of being the first manager to relegate Sunderland It would have been an unjust blot on his copybook took over the reins and despite a slow start – six defeats in the first nine games – took the club to a far-more-respectable fourth place Cochrane managed the club for 11 years until 1939 taking us to another league title in 1936 and the FA Cup It seems there’s a lot to be said for continuity #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc {\n background: #fff;\n box-sizing: border-box;\n box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgb(0 0 0 / 20%);\n height: auto;\n margin: 0;\n min-width: 100%;\n overflow: hidden;\n padding: 24px 115px;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container #spch.spch.s2tb-h .spchc .inner-container {\n opacity: 1;\n transition: opacity 0.318s ease-in;\n }\n#spch.spch.s2tb .spchc .inner-container .text-container Le Bris made a surprise switch in the middle of the pitch at the weekend with Jobe Bellingham starting the game against Rangers as the No.6 and Dan Neil playing in a more advanced role Sunderland's head coach also brought Eliezer Mayenda back into the starting line-up in place of Wilson Isidor Who starts up-front against Coventry in Friday's play-off semi-final first leg is unclear with Le Bris having stressed in recent weeks that there isn't a striker pecking order and he instead assesses which of his two frontmen is best suited for each particular game And he was adamant that his curveball midfield tweak and striker selection at the weekend wasn't intended to keep opposing managers in the play-offs guessing he wants to ensure his players are prepared for different eventualities in the play-offs "We don't know what will happen in these two games so it was really important to manage different options to spend time with other players around you," he said "If we have to make a decision early or later in a game and you don't have these experiences from previous games So even if it's not the best option normally for the team it is useful to have these experiences and these options "This is what this period has been for it's disappointing because we lost but we learned a lot about our squad Le Bris was delighted to get Dan Ballard back on the pitch on Saturday with the centre-half introduced from the bench for the final half an hour Dennis Cirkin also got his first full 90 minutes under his belt since mid-March Le Bris said: "Dan Ballard was a big positive for us "Some of the players were not at their best but they are good players It's just a question of reaction and we know they have this in their profile." 1 seed in the East and the second-best record in franchise history with the same core that won 48 games the previous season plenty of other athletes showed out in tailored garb in honor of the event's theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.' "But I think it passed the line of physicality." GMs around the league face the media and a Turbo Mode weekend recap Start your week off right here at the Baseball Bar-B-Cast Following San Diego's weekend sweep of the Pirates the hosts of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast" took a look at the Padres' strengths and weaknesses On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill Vince and Kofie Yeboah react to the Golden State Warriors defeating the Houston Rockets in game 7 and preview the matchup with the Minnesota timberwolves James Harden's postseason struggles and Kofie's eulogy for a successful Detroit Piston's season The draft will be held at the National Mall when it heads to Washington Fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus examines the playoff exit — and future — of the Los Angeles Clippers Fred Zinkie examines this week's widely available two-start pitchers but warns it won't be easy to find help with one of the worst collective batting averages in the league The Mets have lost their 34th game of the season for 16 consecutive years now The Pacers ended the game on a 20-10 push to grab the Game 1 win on Sunday night Nearly 22 million people tuned in to watch the race Saturday The top-ranked golfer in the world picked up his first win of the season oSunday afternoon in Texas Caglianone appears to be an immediate upgrade to the Royals' lineup Coventry City stand between the Lads and a crack at playoff success at Wembley — can we end the hoodoo and book ourselves a ticket for the final After weeks of considering the possible permutations whether a ‘tactical loss’ at Bristol City might’ve been a good thing and also trying to rediscover the winning habit we now know the score: a two-legged tie with Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues — the second of which will be in front of a hopefully expectant Wearside crowd — with the Robins or Sheffield United possibly awaiting us in the final The kind of potential passage to Wembley that we wanted but when the music stopped on the final Saturday of this topsy-turvy Championship campaign that was how it looked as we slumped to defeat at the hands of QPR whilst Lampard’s men — who’ve mounted an impressive charge under the former Chelsea midfielder— did the business against Middlesbrough if Sunderland earn promotion from this position it’ll arguably be the sweetest outcome of all maybe even more so than our dramatic final-day title success of 2006/2007 and for me this is where the psychological side of football now takes precedence Coventry will doubtless head into Friday night’s first leg in a buoyant mood and in the knowledge that a 3-0 home win was the outcome during our last trip to the CBS Arena it’s vitally important that Régis Le Bris and the players overcome that hurdle weather what feels like an inevitable Sky Blue onslaught and ensure that we’re firmly in the tie when we kick off at home the following Tuesday — something of which the Lads are eminently capable centred around gripes from decades ago and more recent exchanges Our terrible recent record against Coventry not least the fact that this is a damn good group of footballers who’ve not shown their best form recently but can compete and win against any team in the league when everything clicks I’d gladly accept a 0-0 at the end of the first leg The pressure during the second game will be intense and I don’t like the idea of us having to chase the game from a goal or more behind lest we end up getting drawn into an end-to-end slugfest possibly losing our shape and paying a heavy price as a result the question ahead of the first leg is: do we attempt to keep it tight and perhaps nab a single goal to give us the edge take the game to the hosts and give our creative players the platform to thrive we’ve been led to believe that Sunderland have been on a slow build; playing down results and rotating without losing cohesion as we attempt to keep our first-choice players fresh but it’s fair to say that it hasn’t really worked and you can’t overlook the fact that five straight losses isn’t the kind of run that breeds confidence Blind faith isn’t really an option at this stage Goal difference and points tallies don’t matter now; instead it’s knockout football — everything on the line and no second chances and that may well bring out the best of Sunderland’s big-game players many of whom haven’t performed at their best in recent games I’ve always been edgy about the idea of being able to switch your best form on and off like a lightbulb If there’s an extra twenty or thirty percent still to be unlocked by Sunderland but our playoff assignment is by no means a futile exercise and like everyone else I’ll give these players my full backing from the first kick on Friday to the final kick on Tuesday Trai Hume — a man with a level of maturity and commitment to the game that often belies his age — rallied the fans on Sunday morning and he’ll doubtless be at the heart of the action during both playoff ties Everyone has a role to play and the red and white-clad fans who make the trip to the Midlands will do their bit and then some roaring the Lads on with passion and pride as they’ve done on the road all season it’s certainly within the players’ capability to do something special and set up a landmark second leg And Lampard is expecting two legs packed with edge and bite having been quickly made aware of Coventry's rivalry with the Black Cats The Sky Blues beat Middlesbrough on the final day and climbed to fifth in the Championship after Bristol City could only draw with Preston, setting up a play-off semi-final with Sunderland. As if there isn't already enough at stake with a spot at Wembley on the line there's also the backdrop of a bitter rivalry which started at the end of the 1976/77 season Coventry and Bristol City were involved in a three-way battle for survival in Division One while Coventry and Bristol City played each other at Highfield Road knowing they had to better Sunderland's result kick-off at Coventry was delayed by 15 minutes with Jimmy Hill Sunderland lost at Everton and when news filtered through to Highfield Road Coventry and Bristol City were level at 2-2 And that's how it remained for the final 15 minutes with both sides by now aware of the fact that would be enough to keep them up “I’m aware of the rivalry between the two teams because I was told about it quite early in my time here," said Coventry boss Lampard Lampard's focus is on the present rather than the past and his Coventry side thumped Sunderland 3-0 when the sides last met in March But the former England midfielder says the Sky Blues will have to be at their best to beat the Black Cats even though Regis Le Bris' side go into the play-offs on the back of five successive defeats Lampard said: "The reality is that we need to prepare well for the games and try to play well in them because they’re a good team "No one be fooled by the five defeats they’ve been in the play-offs a long time and that’s not easy to manage They’ve still got very good players and a certain way of playing so we have a pretty good idea of what they’re all about we’ll obviously be watching their more recent games but this will be a completely different game "We’ve got a fair understanding of them But we have to be clear about the level of player that they have and the problems they try to create That’s going to be important because there’s not going to be much active on-pitch training in between Max Scherzer will be eligible to return on May 29 Here's what to know for the second-round matchup between the Timberwolves and Warriors Our 2025 fantasy football rankings continue to be updated but where can you find the rookie class coming out of the draft The top-ranked golfer in the world held a 10-shot lead briefly on Sunday while wrapping up a dominant week in Texas The Clippers star posted 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting He has now lost a Game 7 with four different teams Twins infielder Kody Clemens had a memorable debut at Fenway Park as Minnesota battled the Red Sox on Saturday. The D-backs ace is also on pace for career worsts in both strikeout rate and walk rate. Rex FeaturesPublished3 May 2025Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has called the play-offs "another chapter to open" for his side following their final-day 1-0 loss to Queens Park Rangers R's midfielder Nicolas Madsen scored the only goal of the game to hand the Black Cats their fifth straight defeat Sunderland have only netted one goal but will need to get back to scoring ways over two legs against Coventry City "A coach is always on the edge about what could be wrong," Frenchman Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle when asked about his side's lack of goals "It's easy to understand that we have some problems in the team especially in these scenarios when we face a deep block We didn't play with our life here and we'll play with our lives now "The context will be completely different I still believe that we have a good squad that's able to react to find powerful resources to be competitive in these games so we'll just move forward and keep going." 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