With just five games left to play in the 2018-19 campaign, Sunderland's hopes of automatic promotion are hanging by a thread.

The Black Cats looked to back on track after propelling themselves back into the top two, after a 1-1 draw against Burton Albion last week.

But you get the feeling that Jack Ross' men are somewhat running out of steam - they stumbled over the line against the Brewers, and were then on the receiving end of an enthralling 5-4 defeat to Coventry City at the weekend.

The Wearside club need to find some consistency as they approach the final stage of the campaign, and certainly can't afford anything to distract them from their goals of finishing in the top two.

The latest reports (The Sun on Sunday, 14/04, page 61), though, claim that Sky Bet Championship side West Bromwich Albion are interested in appointing Ross, as they continue to search for a new manager to replace Darren Moore.

The Baggies failed in their pursuit of appointing Alex Neil, after the 37-year-old signed a new deal to keep him at Preston North End until 2022 at least, and it seems as if they have turned their attention to Ross.

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You can see why Ross is being head-hunted - he was a resounding success in Scotland with St. Mirren, crowned the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year last term after guiding his side to the Scottish Championship title.

Some will say that with the budget and squad he has at the Stadium of Light, he should be getting more out of his players, and fighting for the league title rather than stuttering in the latter stage of the season.

But on the whole, Ross, along with chairman and owner Stewart Donald, has turned the club around and installed so much belief and positivity into the players, the fans, and the staff.

The pressure was on the Scot to stop the rot and guide the Black Cats back up the leagues, and that is what he's doing for sure.

Letting him leave for West Brom at this stage of the season would be criminal, and the club simply must block any approaches for their manager.