Promotion is crucial to Wyke’s fate
SUNDERLAND goalscoring legend Kevin Phillips says the Black Cats could struggle to hold on to Charlie Wyke if they miss out on promotion for a third consecutive season.
Lee Johnson’s side has lost its last three League One games, meaning a top-two automatic promotion spot is now looking unlikely.
Defeats to Charlton, Wigan and Blackpool mean the Wearsiders are eight points behind secondplaced Peterborough with just five games of the season to play with a trip to leaders Hull City next up tonight.
One of the reasons behind their success this season has been the form of Wyke, the former Bradford striker hitting 28 goals in all competitions so far.
The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and which division Sunderland are playing in next term could be an influence on whether he signs a new deal.
Clubs such as Middlesbrough and CSKA Moscow have already been credited with interest, and Phillips, who scored 130 goals in the red and white of Sunderland, fears failure to win promotion could see Wyke leave Wearside.
He said: “Itis a double-edged sword. The more Wyke scores the more people will want him at the end of the day.
“If Sunderland don’t go up, there will be teams sniffing around, 100%. I imagine he will score at least 30 this season and when you are posting numbers like that naturally someone is going to be sniffing around.
“Could he help a team get out of the Championship?
“He is a player on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
“If a club is looking for a striker of his mould, there are not many better in the Championship or League One than Wyke.”
Phillips feels Sunderland still have a “massive chance” of winning promotion but it seems the automatic places are out of reach.
He added: “The play-offs are a lottery. The big thing for Sunderland is, psychologically, will this blip damage them?
“Lee Johnson will be telling them they are ultimately still in with a great chance of promotion.
“There are not many sports in the world where you are given a second chance of something.
“Sunderland still have a massive chance of going up, even though psychologically it is not ideal.”