Exclusive: David Prutton reveals "key" to Sunderland AFC being successful in the play-offs | OneFootball

David Prutton has given his verdict on Sunderland's preparation for the play-offs amid a poor run of form

David Prutton believes that focusing on the positives of this season is what Sunderland need to do to prepare for the play-offs.

The Black Cats are now locked into fourth place in the Championship table even with two games still to play.

But Régis Le Bris’ side are going into the promotion shootout in poor form, having lost their last three fixtures in the league.

If they are to gain their place back in the Premier League this season then they will have to significantly improve their performances.

Prutton offers Sunderland play-off advice

Prutton has praised the work Le Bris has done in his first year as Sunderland head coach, highlighting their run to the top six compared to Bristol City, West Brom and Coventry City.

He believes that they have a mix of youth and experience that can be dangerous in the play-offs, but they have to take the positives from their campaign in the lead up to their semi-final clash in order to turnaround their current form.

“They’ve a short time to get their heads around it,” Prutton exclusively told Football League World.

“We talk about teams that either miss out on the top two very late on or come crashing in with momentum.

“Sunderland seemingly haven’t done either, and that’s not to say I’m damning them with faint praise cause I think, given what Le Bris has done with the side in his first season in English football, with a mixture of youth and the odd splashing of experience, they’ve been phenomenal really.

“Because, if you look at the clubs that are fighting to get in there, Bristol City, Coventry, Boro, West Brom, I don’t think we’ve given enough credit to what Régis has done.

“It’s an ambitious football club, it’s a very proud football club, and getting into the play-offs is no mean feat.

“So, I think harnessing that positivity with what they can bring from an atmospheric point of view in the play-offs should be key.

“They’ve got match-winners, they’ve got players who can turn a football match and they’ve obviously got experience with the likes of Luke O’Nien, who is a very proud member of that squad.

“Gut feeling, plenty for them to enjoy, plenty for them to be positive about, and I look forward to seeing them in the play-offs.”

Sunderland’s play-off approach has been unusual

The teams finishing fifth and sixth will have done so by sealing their fate in the final games of the season, meaning they will be going into the play-offs off the back of intense fixtures where they’ve had to be at their best.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United in third have now got a week or two to get over missing out on automatic promotion.

But Sunderland have known they were going to finish fourth for quite some time now, with Monday’s games just confirming that, giving them an unusual preparation for what’s to come.

This poor form is understandable as it will be hard for the players to put in maximum effort when results aren’t so important, but it’s hard to know just yet whether this lead up will be a good or bad thing, as it gives them time to rest but it could be too much time ahead of such crucial fixtures.