Alex Charlton says…
Resilience is a trait that many teams at the bottom are lacking, but not Sunderland.
At the end of last season, Régis Le Bris remained calm and measured despite a woeful run of form. Some may have called him stubborn but I think it highlighted his confidence and belief in the group. It’s infectious and has evidently rubbed off on his players.
As for Granit Xhaka, when you have a leader as enthusiastic as he is, it’s difficult not to believe. He has a rare ability to rally the troops, but also has the quality
and ability to back it up.
I’ve lived long enough to see Sunderland teams fold all too easily when going behind and that was commonplace when we were last in the Premier League. While we could’ve gone on to win on Monday night, I think our never-say-die spirit is what’ll steer us to safety and quite possibly a top half finish, as Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has targeted.
John Wilson says…
The way we keep coming from behind certainly breeds an element of confidence.
I was talking to a couple of mates before the game and we all agreed that this season (for the first time in many, many years) there seems to be an element of “less stress”.
There’s an air of being able to enjoy the games more, knowing we can hold our own, and with our ‘Til The End philosophy, we can certainly stay hopeful until the final whistle. This alone must be the main factor in the seemingly changed attitude of hundreds of fans, with no mass exodus on eighty minutes — a very welcome side effect of our constant drive and ability to stay in games.
Granit Xhaka has to be the main catalyst for this confidence — although we did similarly last season. The Premier League is a new beast but it does perhaps indicate that there are several players now who exude and show this belief — Wilson Isidor, Enzo Le Fée, Dan Neil, Chris Rigg, et al.
To turn this positive on its head somewhat, I’d question why we go behind so often before we kick into gear. Some “can do” and positivity would be more welcome so we can actually take the lead as we did against West Ham, Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
The drive and experience of Xhaka has certainly been pivotal in why this is shaping up to be a very memorable season. Long may it continue, and I’m expecting another masterclass from our captain against his previous employers.
Jon Guy says…
I think it comes from the playoffs.
Régis Le Bris clearly has instilled in the team the need to keep their focus until the final whistle, and we also have to factor in that they’re clearly physically fit, as we’ve not shown any signs of flagging in the latter stages.
Le Bris doesn’t hesitate to change things if it’s needed and those coming on inevitably make an impact. It also speaks volumes as to how tight the dressing room is and how they’ve bought into how Le Bris wants them to operate.
Even Wilson Isidor mentioned ‘Til The End in his post-match interview at Chelsea.
It’s great to see, and long may it continue.
Lars Knutsen says…
Any Sunderland fan has to be impressed by the resilience of this current team.
Gone are the days of the pit-of-the-stomach feeling that defeat is to automatically follow when we go 0-1 down in a game. These days the team competes in every game — illustrated most recently by the win at Chelsea, Monday’s point against a solid Everton side, and even our performance at Old Trafford, where a change of formation brought us back into the match, despite being two goals down.
To be fair, we saw these qualities during much of last season and especially during the playoffs, with those late, decisive goals against Coventry City and Sheffield United.
A lot of credit has to go to Régis Le Bris and the application of sports psychology in the coaching and mental preparation for each game. The approaches being used are clearly effective, also in the players’ recovery, both mentally and physically after in-play setbacks which inevitably happen.
On the field, much credit for the resilience has to go to Granit Xhaka, whose presence and organisational ability brings a never-say-die attitude also conveyed by players like Charlie Hurley, Gary Bennett, Kevin Ball and Luke O’Nien.
We’re seeing it at a whole new level with our Swiss captain, who brings increased levels of drive but also personal performance which inspires those around him — and long may this continue!
