Sunderland AFC will pray recent Ross Stewart claim comes true - It would be massive | OneFootball

Ross Stewart recently came out and said that former club Sunderland AFC should be playing in the Premier League.

Sunderland are back in the Championship play-offs, but this time, they arrive in poor form and under growing pressure.

A late-season slump saw them fall out of the automatic promotion race, and now they face a tough semi-final against Coventry City.

Despite the current uncertainty, a recent quote from former striker Ross Stewart has struck a chord with fans and they will be hoping it comes true.

Speaking to his former club, Stewart said: “I’ll certainly be watching the next week or two in the Play-Offs and I wish them all the best. I hope they achieve promotion. It's a club that should be playing in the Premier League.”

Poor form at the worst time for Sunderland AFC

Sunderland’s recent form heading into the play-offs is a concern.

Just two wins in their last nine league games paints a clear picture of a team that has lost momentum at the worst possible time.

Even worse than two wins in nine, they have lost their last five in a row.

Their opponents, Coventry City, have also had an inconsistent season, but they’ve been in stronger form over the past month and carry more momentum into the semi-final.

Coventry also have the advantage of recent experience, having reached the play-off final just two years ago.

Sunderland will need to find another gear.

There’s no room for error in a two-legged tie. If they continue the poor run of performances, their hopes of promotion will be over by mid-May.

Some have argued that the downturn in form comes down to the fact that they have been effectively guaranteed play-offs for a while and that automatic promotion was too far away given the strength of Leeds United, Burnley and Sheffield United.

They have played the last few months without much to play for and with no pressure, so maybe they could still rise to the occasion in a big game that matters.

Stewart's comments highlight the stakes

During his time at Sunderland, Stewart became a fan favourite thanks to his goals, work rate, and role in the 2021/22 promotion from League One.

He understands what this club means to its supporters and how much getting back to the Premier League would change things.

Now at Southampton, his former club have the chance to overtake his current one, with the Saints having recently been relegated from the Premier League.

Promotion would be massive for the Black Cats.

Not just because of the financial boost, but because it brings them back to where they belong. After their back-to-back relegations from the Premier League to League One in 2016/17 and 2017/18, they are yet to return to the top-flight.

Many consider this club to be amongst the biggest in the country, so being in the Premier League is essential for a club and fanbase of this size.

This play-off campaign could also be decisive in shaping the future of key players.

Without promotion, Sunderland will find it harder to keep hold of top talents like Jobe Bellingham, who has drawn interest from Premier League clubs.

The longer Sunderland remain in the Championship, the harder it gets to hold on to players who want to test themselves at the highest level.

Managerially, there are questions too. The recent dip has put pressure on Regis Le Bris and the coaching setup. If they fall short against Coventry, there may be changes in the summer, especially if the team underperforms across both legs.

Stewart’s play-off acumen

The Scottish striker knows what it is like to play and succeed in the play-offs for Sunderland, having been a key part of the side who came up from League One in the 2021/22 season.

He scored the only goal of the semi-final first leg against Sheffield Wednesday, before netting the second goal in the final at Wembley, as the Black Cats beat Wycombe Wanderers 2-0.

That season brought them back from the depths of League One, and since then they have established themselves as a promotion-chasing Championship club, with real hopes of achieving that feat this season.