This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Regular Punter’ series, where we gather original opinions from select, passionate fans of the clubs concerned on matters surrounding their team and share them with a wider audience…

Football League World's Sunderland fan pundit Charlie Hodgson has revealed he feels Phil Parkinson should be given until the end of February to turn things around. 

Parkinson has won just twice in his first eight games in charge of the North East club and has suffered defeat four times already.

The latest result, an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to League Two strugglers Scunthorpe, saw the Black Cats knocked out of the EFL Trophy at the group stages.

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Following that game, there have been calls from some fans for Parkinson to go.

Hodgson suggested he was concerned about the current situation but that the English coach deserved more time.

He explained: "I would give him until the end of February to turn things around.

"By then he will have had time to buy his own players in January, have them integrated into the squad and hopefully have had the full squad firing.

"However, if by then we aren’t in contention for the automatic promotion places then I think he will likely go and hopefully the board will learn that the cheapest option isn’t always the best option."

Hodgson added: "It's very worrying times to be Sunderland fan."

Sunderland are just one point outside the play-off places as things stand and have a game in hand over the majority of the sides in the top six.

However, they've already slipped eight points behind the automatic promotion places.

Due to the international break, their next game comes on Tuesday and sees them face Gillingham in their FA Cup First Round replay.