Alex Neil knows Sunderland must finish the season perfectly if they're to secure a League One play-off berth. The Black Cats were favourites for automatic promotion earlier this year but a January implosion ended any hopes of an automatic return to the Championship.
Instead, the Wearsiders will need to go through the play-offs once more - a feat Sunderland supporters have become accustomed to in League One. The Black Cats head coach has done a decent job at steadying the ship and reigniting promotion hopes, but a tough run of fixtures stands between themselves and a return to the second tier of English football.
While Sunderland do have one of the easier run ins compared with their rivals, they're set to face three of the current top six. The Black Cats face tough trips to Oxford United and Plymouth Argyle but know wins in those games would almost certainly lift them above their promotion rivals and into the top six.
