Former Sunderland full-back Carlos Edwards has bemoaned the inconsistency that Phil Parkinson's men have shown in recent months and fears their form is not up to promotion standard, meaning it will need to improve when they return to action.
The Black Cats went on a run of winning eight of ten League One games as they moved through the gears. However, prior to the suspension of the season they had lost two and drawn two of their last four matches.
Sunderland beat Bristol Rovers 3-0 at home in February, but then went down to a 2-0 defeat at hands of the same side in March, something Edwards makes no bones about highlighting.
Consistency is key for teams fighting to earn promotion, Edwards insists, and the former Black Cat believes up and down results could well cost Parkinson's men.
“You want to go to places like Bristol Rovers and get the win", Edwards said in an interview with the Sunderland Echo.
"You can’t go from beating teams by three or four to not scoring.
“That’s not promotion standard, you have to make sure you’re full pelt, and make sure you keep that focus.”
Parkinson has Sunderland sitting in seventh place in the League One standings, but in a congested division they are only three points off second place.
Sunderland will be hoping to find consistency when the season eventually resumes, though it is unclear when that might be.
