Being a Sunderland fan has tended to be something of a rollercoaster ride for most of the more than 50 years I have supported my hometown team. Pushing for promotion, flirting with relegation and, of course, the dreaded (until recently) play-offs have been the norm rather than the exception.
The last comfortable end to a season that I can remember – one devoid of either hope or trepidation – was under Steve Bruce in 2010/11. There were fewer European places to compete for, and it was nice to relax
and settle for the kind of mid-table obscurity that Coventry enjoyed for years in the old First Division. They were rarely challenging the established top clubs but were mostly clear of any likelihood of relegation. They were just there, in the top flight, revelling in their relative mediocrity.
That was the kind of season I was hoping for, once the Lads began to show that they could comfortably compete at this level, and fears of an immediate return to the Championship receded – a nice, calm spring, no pressure.
As the AFCON period came and went, and the predicted downturn in fortunes that so many of our rivals were predicting failed to materialise, the much-vaunted 40-point target was being chased down. It should have been a rare opportunity for the modern Sunderland fan to kick back, chillax and enjoy Premier League football without jeopardy.
But the footballing Gods and Régis Le Bris have conspired to take that away from us!
Recent successes in Europe for English clubs and the progression of the top teams in the domestic cup competitions have opened up the possibility that finishing 8th in the Premier League may be enough to have fans booking flights to the more obscure destinations in European football next season. And competition for those places is wide open, with just 6 points dividing Chelsea in 6th from Bournemouth in 13th. Sunderland sit just 3 points behind Everton in 8th place.
And we are there thanks to Régis Le Bris coaching an injury-ravaged squad to unlikely away victories against Leeds and then ‘the Visitors’. The latter has prompted a glorious outpouring of social media angst from some of the Mags’ most vocal ‘influencers’ – it truly has been a joy to witness! Six easy points, eh?
By the time Tottenham arrive at the Stadium of Light, several of our casualties should be back in contention, and Spurs may have appointed their 14th manager of the season (so far). It is an eminently winnable fixture that may well simply extend the tension for Sunderland fans, as European qualification would remain tantalisingly possible.
After that, it’s a trip to a faltering Aston Villa. The last time I passed Villa Park was on the train coming home from a League One game against Walsall, where goals from Lynden Gooch and Aiden McGeady saw us battle to a 2-2 draw, despite going two goals down and losing Max Power to a red card. How times have changed.
Then it’s on to Forest, Wolves, Man Utd and Everton. They all have something to play for and, arguably, have more at stake and more pressure on them than we will have. It is entirely feasible that, come 24th May, when Chelsea arrive on Wearside, we could still be competing for what appeared to be the most unlikely outcome at the start of the season – a place in Europe.
However it pans out, I won’t be reducing my blood pressure medication for a month or two yet.
Thanks, lads!
