Sunderland are expected to comfortably consolidate their place in the Championship this season after some very impressive performances saw them clinch promotion from League One, via the play-offs, under Alex Neil.

The Black Cats have brought in Daniel Ballard, Leon Dajaku, Jack Clarke, Aji Alese and Alex Bass this summer, and having retained their most crucial players from last term, the step up should be manageable.

With Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United not strengthening their squads as much, nor are they boasting anywhere near the same support from the stands, and Reading and Birmingham City embroiled in difficult off-pitch situations, it would be a surprise to see the Black Cats involved in a battle to stay in the league.

That said, Alex Neil remained very realistic and did not want to increase expectations too much when he spoke to The Athletic.

He said: "This is how difficult the Championship is - in the last four seasons, the teams that won the League One play-off final, three of them were relegated (a year later).

"The only one to survive was Blackpool.

"That isn’t opinion, it’s fact.

"Our squad last year was the cheapest squad we’ve ever had.

"It wasn’t short on talent, but in terms of finance, we had to get some decent order.

"We’re still short.

"That’s the fact of the matter and I’ve said it.

"I’m not sure people want to hear it.

"You want to be optimistic - you don’t want to be a killjoy - and we’ve got some really good, talented players.

"Equally, we have a lot of players, maybe three-quarters of the squad, who haven’t played in the Championship.

"A lot are young, some have just had their first full season and some are about to have theirs."

The youthful core in the squad was utilised more in Lee Johnson's spell at the club and it will be interesting to see how much faith Neil shows in that portion of the group in the opening exchanges of this season.

The Verdict

 

 

Neil is smart to be realistic at this point in the season, making the reaction potentially more understanding should the club endure a difficult start to the season.

Coventry City are more than capable of going to the Stadium of Light and picking up three points on Saturday, having been devastating in flashes in their 12th placed finish in the second tier last term.

Mark Robins' men did the double over Fulham in 2021/22 and also significantly inflated their points tally with late goals.

You can guarantee that their attitude and preparation for the opening fixture will be spot on, and the Black Cats will have to be on it from the first minute to the last to get the win.