Sunderland's hopes of achieving automatic promotion to the Championship suffered yet another blow at the weekend as they slumped to a third consecutive league defeat at the hands of Blackpool.

Now eight points adrift of rivals Peterborough United, the Black Cats may be forced to settle for a place in the play-offs next month barring a total collapse by Darren Ferguson's side.

Set to face Hull City tomorrow, Sunderland will be determined to build up some momentum heading into the closing weeks of the season by picking up a positive result in this particular clash.

Making reference to the Black Cats' current situation, Kevin Phillips has admitted that having to rely on promotion via the play-offs is far from ideal as not achieving a top-two finish could hinder the club's mentality.

Having suffered heartbreak in the play-offs in 2019 by losing 2-1 to Charlton Athletic at Wembley Stadium, Sunderland will be under no illusions about how difficult it will be to succeed in this knock-out competition.

Speaking to Football Insider about his former side's drop-off in performance levels in League One, Phillips said: "The big thing for Sunderland is, psychologically, will this blip damage them?

"They got into such a good position and at one point they had the chance to go top of the league.

"If they weren't to go up automatically, psychologically, it is a big blow.

"You may have to play the team that gets into the play-offs in sixth and the team that finishes there usually come in on a roll.

"It is concerning and with the history of Sunderland in the play-offs, it is far from ideal."

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

Sunderland's poor run of form in the third-tier in recent weeks is extremely alarming as they are set to enter the play-offs on a downward spiral which could have huge consequences on their chances of promotion.

Having already dropped points against Blackpool and Lincoln City this season, the Black Cats may struggle to overcome these two sides next month who are both playing extremely well under the guidance of their respective managers.

In order to avoid the possibility of yet another season in the third-tier, Sunderland simply have to pick up their performance levels between now and the end of the regular campaign.

By beating league leaders Hull on Tuesday, the Black Cats may be able to use the confidence gained from this result to get back on track in their hunt for a place in the Championship.