Sunderland's FA Cup first round replay defeat against Gillingham has certainly got alarm bells ringing around Wearside.

The 1-0 defeat ensured that the Black Cats have won just two games in 10 since Phil Parkinson replaced Jack Ross as manager.

It's a pivotal time in the season for Sunderland a poor run of results through the festive period would surely kill any hopes of a genuine promotion push - something which is the only aim for the League One side.

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However based on recent results, that could prove to be a difficult challenge anyway.

Sunderland currently sit in ninth place in the league after picking up 25 points from their 15 games so far.

While they're just two points outside of the top six, the fact that Parkinson's side are already eight points behind the top two is a real cause for concern.

Former Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott took to social media after the Gillingham disappointment with a damning assessment of the season so far

He said: "No disrespect to these clubs, but in the last five weeks Sunderland have lost to Lincoln, Wycombe, Shrewsbury, Oxford, Leicester U21s, Scunthorpe and now Gillingham.

"Something is seriously wrong in the club and from top to bottom it has to be fixed quickly as this just cannot be accepted."

The verdict

Stephen Elliott's social media verdict perfectly sums up the way in which a lot of Sunderland supporters are thinking at present.

While being knocked out of the FA Cup and EFL Trophy is a blow, it's the form in League One which is particularly concerning for those around the club.

Securing promotion to the Championship is an absolute must for Sunderland this season, and it's essential that results improve to achieve their goal, otherwise it could be an absolute disaster at the Stadium Of Light.