Where are Tony Mowbray’s 22/23 play-off first leg Sunderland squad now, including Manchester United ace

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Sunderland will return to the Championship play-off semi-finals after a two-year hiatus with a very different squad to Tony Mowbray’s 2022/23 side.

Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland have booked their place in the 2024/25 Championship play-offs with five games to go in the regular season.

Before last season’s disastrous 16th finish, the Black Cats faced Luton Town in the 2022/23 play-off semi-finals under then-boss Tony Mowbray, and the first leg remains one of the most iconic games seen by the Stadium of Light stands.

With Mowbray’s young side depleted in injuries, a makeshift Sunderland defence took on the physical Hatters on home soil for the first leg, after a remarkable comeback victory.

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo opened the scoring from a set-piece with 11 minutes gone, but the Sunderland crowd were not submitted to silence.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo enjoyed the best campaign of his career on Wearside under Mowbray, and his final moment of magic in a Sunderland shirt came with his stunning long-range strike to bring the first-leg back on level terms.

In the second-half, Sunderland’s pressure continued and Trai Hume’s deft header just past the hour-mark saw the Black Cats victorious in the first leg and take a one-goal advantage down to Kenilworth Road.

Sunderland would lose the second-leg 2-0 and fall on their sword to eventual play-off winners Luton.

The 18 Black Cats stars present for the first leg have gone on to have differing levels of success since that victory, which shows how greater Sunderland’s promotion prospects are this time round, ahead of this season’s semi-final showdown.

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Sunderland’s squad for first leg in 2022/23 Championship play-offs vs Luton Town

Mowbray’s injury-depleted Sunderland squad heading into the first leg saw some stars shoehorned into unfavoured roles, namely full-back Trai Hume at centre-back and wideman Patrick Roberts as a right wing-back.

The two prominent figures from Sunderland’s first leg squad are that of Diallo and now-Ipswich winger Jack Clarke.

Amad had failed to live up to the lofty potential Manchester United shelled out £37million to Atalanta for in 2021. The Ivorian flattered to deceive on loan at Rangers, but his season-long loan stint at Sunderland set his career back on track to stardom.

Given a free role under Mowbray, Amad’s campaign was a joy to witness with the loanee gem scoring 14 times and assisting four to spearhead the Black Cats’ promotion charge.

After his loan spell ended, Amad admitted: “Tony is like my dad – he gave me the opportunity to show what I can do on the pitch. I want to thank him and everyone at the club. I wish everyone at Sunderland the best for now and for the future because they are a beautiful club.”

Buoyed by his Wearside spell, Amad has been one of the Red Devils’ only shining lights this season with 16 goal contributions in 36 appearances prior to his injury setback. Premier League fortunes have not been the same for Clarke at Portman Road.

Since leaving Sunderland earlier this season, Clarke has not registered a top flight goal in 26 appearances for the relegation-doomed Tractor Boys, failing to replicate the rise seen by his Sunderland semi-final teammate.

Many of Mowbray’s first leg starters are still Sunderland regulars; with Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, Luke O’Nien, Trai Hume and Roberts all mainstays for Le Bris this term.

Notable regressors from Mowbray’s squad include Pierre Ekwah and Alex Pritchard. The veteran head coach hailed Ekwah as a future Premier League talent, but warned over his laidback style which has seen his career stall on-loan in Ligue 1.

Pritchard departed Sunderland dubiously amid contract disputes midway through last season, with Michael Beale at the Black Cats helm, and reunited with Mowbray at Birmingham City a month later.

The attacking midfielder took little part in the Blues’ unsuccessful relegation battle and signed for Turkish Super League outfit Sivasspor last summer.

Sunderland’s side has changed drastically, for the better, since that ill-fated play-off campaign two years ago.

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Sunderland’s semi-final prospects are much better for 2024/25 Championship play-offs

With several of those first leg members still at the club now surrounded by talent from upper echelons, the Black Cats’ play-off prospects are far greater this time round.

Midfield starlets Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham have taken centre stage, Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee has arrived in style while forward duo Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda have also made the Black Cats a far more dangerous outfit than they were two years ago.

Mowbray’s side secured the final play-off spot on the final day of 22/23 campaign dramatically with other results fortunately going in their favour.

Le Bris’ side this season however have been play-off frontrunners for months and were at the Championship summit for several weeks in the first half of this season.

Mowbray and Le Bris are both top-level coaches, but with the current Black Cats crop a level above which the now-Baggies boss had at his disposal, Sunderland’s play-off prospects are on paper far more prosperous than two seasons ago.

Unfortunately, stats and data matter very little in those season-defining play-off battles. It’s not up to Le Bris and his Black Cats outfit to go one better.