On This Day (8 May 2023) Mowbray Proud As Sunderland Reach Play-Offs

PRESTON, ENGLAND - MAY 08: Sunderland Head coach Tony Mowbray celebrates reaching the Championship play offs' in front of the visiting fans during the Sky Bet Championship match between Preston North End and Sunderland at Deepdale Stadium on May 08, 2023 in Preston, England. (Photo by Sunderland AFC via Getty Images) | Sunderland AFC via Getty Images It was a wet day at Deepdale on this day in 2023, but nothing was going to rain on Tony Mowbray’s parade after a 3-0 win for Sunderland that secured the newly-promoted team an unlikely play-off place. Whilst a promotion push may have been somewhere on the agenda, it certainly wasn’t a priority for this Sunderland team, given it was their first season back in the Championship.

Typically, it wasn’t a straightforward season for the club with Alex Neil departing early into the campaign for Stoke City after not fully seeing eye to eye with the Sunderland hierarchy. But, in many ways, Neil’s departure paved the way for a figure in Mowbray who was perfectly suited for the club’s team at the time. With a squad of youngsters, Mowbray’s man management and father figure style suited our young attacking players such as Amad, Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts, who instantly connected with the manager’s warmth and authenticity.

This style got the best out of these players, and despite maybe not being quite as solid at the back as you’d like, the team were capable of scoring a hatful, making this season an entertaining one for the fans. It is true to say that the team’s form was streaky – they could go and win four or five games in a row before losing just as many – but as the season was coming to a close, the team were in the midst of an upturn in form again. Wins away to Cardiff and West Bromwich Albion, along with a home win against Birmingham City, sent the team chasing the final play-off place with Millwall and Coventry City going into the final game of the season.

With Sunderland away to Preston North End, they had to get maximum points and hope Millwall dropped points at home to Blackburn Rovers. This is exactly what happened, but it was a rollercoaster ride throughout the afternoon. With the score 0-0 at half time at Deepdale, the Lions looked like they were cruising into the final play-off spot as they held a 3-1 lead at home to Blackburn.