Mark Carruthers, a North East football journalist, expects that Sunderland will remain in the Championship for another year, but that their improvement this season should be cause for jubilation.

The Black Cats are now fourth in the rankings, eight points behind the automatic promotion spot but seven ahead in the play-off battle.

Carruthers, on the other hand, does not expect Sunderland to be overjoyed at Wembley Stadium on May 24 if their promotion prospects are dependent on the one-off match.

“I believe they will reach the play-off final, but they will lose,” he told BBC Radio Sunderland.

“I think you have to look at the bigger picture with Sunderland and how far they’ve come this season against last year.

“The progress from where they were 12 months ago is monumental.”

Sunderland finished 16th previous season with 56 points, which the current team has already surpassed under Regis Le Bris, with 65 from 35 matches.

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