Sunderland slumped to yet another defeat at Priestland on the weekend, as Connor Ogilvie scored an 89th-minute winner to ensure that Gillingham took all three points. 

Phil Parkinson has had a really tough time since taking charge at the Stadium of Light and his side's promotion push appears to be on the rocks after recent results.

FLW's Ned Holmes breaks down the situation at Sunderland in today's six pointer...

When did Parkinson take over? 

"Parkinson was appointed by the Black Cats on the 17th of October, replacing Jack Ross, who had been sacked nine days before.

"The 52-year-old, who was given a two-and-a-half-year contract by the North East club, is understood to have been brought in due to his "proven track record" of promotion–having achieved it three times previously.

"When he first arrived it looked like a safe and unglamorous appointment but in many ways an understandable one."

How have the results been under the new boss? 

"Very, very poor. Under Parkinson, Sunderland have won just twice and lost seven times in 12 games.

"In just over a month, the Black Cats were knocked out of three competitions–the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and EFL Trophy.

"Their only two victories under Parkinson have come against two of League One's current bottom four teams, while they're now without a win in the division since the 2nd of November."

How about the quality of performances?

"There hasn't seemed to be the 'new manager bounce' that often happens following the appointment of a new boss and Sunderland's displays have, for the most part, been underwhelming and disappointing.

"Parkinson has said himself that his side need to start producing more opportunities and the fact that his side have scored just 11 goals in 12 games speaks volumes about the lack of fluidity in the final third."

Where does that leave them?

"The Black Cats are 11th in League One as things stand–five points back from the top six and 10 points adrift from the automatic promotion places.

"A string of wins could see them climb up the table but at the moment it finishing in the top two, which will have been their target at the start of the season, seems a long, long way away.

"They face a difficult test on Saturday as they welcome fourth-place Blackpool to the Stadium of Light. A win could be a big confidence boost for Parkinson's men but a loss will likely see them slip even further behind."

What do the fans think?

"Football League World's Sunderland fan pundit Charlie Hodgson originally felt it was important he was given the January transfer window to make the squad his own but his opinion has now changed. Hodgson believes the results and the performances indicate that Parkinson needs to go soon.

"Those feelings appear to be echoed by fans on Twitter, many of whom have called for "Parkinson out"."

Finally, do you think it is time to sack him?

"It seems harsh to give a new manager such little time but nothing seems to be improving at the minute and at some point, you have to wonder when it is going to become too late to bring someone new in and still have a chance of going up.

"For me, the board have a big decision to make and it has to come down to whether or not they're going to back him significantly in January. These players don't seem to be working for Parkinson, so if he is not going to be able to make changes in January–they should pull the trigger."