Exclusive:'Sensational' Sunderland can secure a place in Europe says Black Cats stalwart - and here is why

Sunderland will hope to boost their push for a top seven place in the Premier League table with a home win against Fulham this weekend - and former Black Cats stalwart Michael Gray has insisted there is no reason why his old club can’t claim a place in Europe this season.

The former Sunderland left-back, who made over 350 appearances during a 12-year stay within the senior setup with his boyhood club, has watched on as Regis Le Bris guided the Black Cats back into the top flight of English football with a Championship play-off final win against Sheffield United. Rather than merely surviving in the Premier League, Sunderland are thriving and there have already been memorable results racked up against the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Arsenal during the first half of the campaign.

As it stands ahead of Saturday’s Stadium of Light clash with Fulham, the Black Cats are sitting in eleventh place in the table, but they are just four points from seventh placed Brentford and that means securing only the second European campaign in the club’s history remains a very distinct possibility for Le Bris and his players.

For Gray, who helped Sunderland to two seventh place finishes during his time at the Stadium of Light, there is no reason why his old club can’t continue to make a mockery of the pre-season predictions of a struggle upon their return to the elite and described their performances during the first two thirds of the campaign as ‘sensational’.

When asked if Sunderland are in contention for a European spot, Gray, speaking exclusively to Sunderland Echo via BritishGambler said: “Absolutely, and they have to have those aims. We’re 26 games into a Premier League season and there's two things out of this that I looked at. If somebody had said to you, you're not going to lose back-to-back games until the 25th and 26th games of a Premier League season - would you take it now? I think they would have snapped your hands off. There's my first point.

“I think the second point is, up until that Liverpool game at the Stadium of Light, it's the first game they've lost at home. They had the best record in the Premier League for being unbeaten and that's bringing Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United into the same conversation and that deserves a lot of accolades because that is a hard thing to do.

“Yeah, now you're getting to the point where we're obviously in the final third of the Premier League season. You're looking at games that you've got and who you've got to play at home. They've obviously got Fulham next at home at the Stadium Light, they've got Brighton and I think Tottenham's the next game after that. So those three games, with a few in between, Leeds away, Bournemouth away, I think obviously the derby against Newcastle as well, which is just going to be a complete battle. But they've given themselves that chance and this is why we're still having the conversation about European football and that wouldn't have even been heard of before a ball was kicked at the beginning of the season. They’ve been sensational.”

Mindset

After taking a break from league action by securing a place in the FA Cup fifth round with a narrow win at Championship club Oxford United on Sunday, Sunderland will hope to make the most of the opportunity that lies in wait when they return to their top seven push.

Saturday’s home clash with Fulham is quickly followed by an away day double header against a Bournemouth side currently sitting just one point and one place above the Black Cats and former Championship promotion rivals Leeds United. Both games will provide major tests of Sunderland’s European credentials - and Gray has stressed the need for a change in mindset from Le Bris and his squad during the final third of what has already been a remarkable campaign.

He said: “They've gotten themselves to a point where you wouldn't be surprised if they get seven points out of those three games. It wouldn't surprise anybody. Whereas, I keep going back to the beginning of the season, if you're thinking we've got Fulham, Bournemouth, Leeds. If we can take maybe three or four points out of those three games, they’re points to keep us up or to make us survive.

“Their mindset has changed a little bit now. They're going into games now with a little bit of confidence, they're obviously a really good side, they're hard to break down, they're well-organised, they've been well-coached. And you're thinking, how can we beat Fulham? How can we beat Bournemouth? How can we beat Leeds? It's not going into a game thinking, right, if we get a point out of Fulham, if we get a point out of Bournemouth and maybe beat Leeds, that would be a great three games. So the mindset has changed from the first day of the season to now. And you're thinking, right, if we can get seven points out the next three games, that catapults us up the Premier League a little bit more, closer to those European positions with less games to play. And that is absolutely huge.”

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