“Very strange”: Simon Grayson reacts to big Sunderland decision

Former Sunderland boss Simon Grayson believes his old side can still make the play-offs at the end of this term.

After losing to Huddersfield Town in the middle of the week, the Black Cats are currently in 10th place and will not make it into the top six.

Even though they only lost 1-0, Michael Beale’s team suffered a significant setback since the Wearside club’s supporters believed that this was a game they could have won.

They had a great chance to build on their 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle last weekend in the game at John Smith’s Stadium, but they blew it, and now they’ll be looking to get back on track with a victory at Birmingham City tomorrow afternoon.

Where are Sunderland in the Championship table?

Despite having few striker alternatives and only being promoted from League One at the end of the previous season, they managed to finish in the top six last term, therefore this term’s goal must be to earn another play-off finish.

They are up against a formidable obstacle in their pursuit of this goal, not because they are presently ranked tenth, but rather because of the strength of the division.

Championship Table (As it stands February 16th)
	Team	P	GD	Pts
6	Coventry City	32	13	48
7	Norwich City	32	5	48
8	Hull City	31	5	48
9	Preston North End	32	-8	48
10	Sunderland	32	9	47
11	Bristol City	32	2	44
12	Watford	32	3	41
13	Middlesbrough	31	-1	41
14	Cardiff City	31	-7	40

Simon Grayson on Sunderland: “Can definitely make the play-offs”

One guy who thinks the Black Cats have a chance to make the playoffs at the end of this season is Grayson, but he also pointed out the division between the fans and head coach Beale.

He said: “I thought Tony was doing a really good job, so it was shocking when Mowbray was fired and Beale took over.” Since the summer, there had been discussions about his potential replacement, and I believe that pressure was always present, which I felt to be quite odd.

“Since he (Michael Beale) has come in, they’ve been a bit too inconsistent. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between Michael and the fanbase at this moment in time but, by winning games, that can change that and bring them together.

“Sunderland are, like a lot of teams, within a group that can definitely make the play-offs and get that golden ticket to the Premier League. That Championship table looks very tight across the board, so it will be an interesting end to the season for a lot of teams.”

Simon Grayson’s Sunderland comments are on the money

Though Mowbray’s departure came as a bit of a shock, it’s possible that the Black Cats‘ board was considering a replacement for him at one point.

Even if the 60-year-old’s final years at the Stadium of Light weren’t exactly stellar in terms of results, most managers would have had more time to turn things around.

It’s also fair to note the distance that exists between current head coach Beale and the supporters.

Social media makes it evident that some Black Cats supporters don’t really like Beale, and the team’s recent struggles haven’t helped the two get along.

In spite of this, the team is still competitive for the playoffs and has a chance to place among the top six

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