At the start of every game this season so far, I’ve thought, “this will tell us something about where we are, and how we can handle this division.” In the beginning, that was an obvious thing to think.
How will we do against established Premier League opposition like West Ham? Can we respond to the disappointing Burnley defeat when Brentford come to the SoL? How will we manage against the Villa and Palace teams that are in Europe this season? There were of course some setbacks, like at Old Trafford and Fulham, but in the main, in this to-date glorious season, we’ve confounded the critics and onlookers.
The away win at Chelsea was inspiring, but the comments and reports were mostly along the lines of a “plucky” Sunderland team shocking World Champions Chelsea. The home draw against Arsenal, I think, made more people sit up and take note, but I still got the overall impression from the media that it was all very novel, and “fancy Sunderland daring to take the fight to Arsenal.”
Before the Liverpool game, I texted several mates saying that this would be the last game where I wondered what the match would tell us about this team. Don’t get me wrong – every game will have three points and lessons to be learnt attached to them.
I mean from a bar we have set ourselves and the standards we have reached to date, all things being equal (which they rarely are in football!), we should be able to expect a certain performance from the Lads. If we don’t turn up against Manchester City, for example, it won’t be because this team lacks fight and determination; it will just be a case that we can’t expect to win every game and keep the high levels of intensity that are needed to go into these games. It’s rare that any team can respond week in and week out to high demands, high pressure, and high intensity. I think we’ve all now accepted the joy that this team is bringing us this season.
Up to now, it’s been a different story for the majority of the media. Jamie Carragher said pre-Liverpool game (but discussing this weekend’s fixture against City) that we will lose 3-nil at the Etihad because “they will be deflated after losing at Anfield”. Danny Murphy agreed with his prediction.
Of course, football being the lottery that it is, they might be right. But there is no evidence for such negativity. We haven’t let three goals in this season in one match. We are sixth – ahead of the likes of Liverpool.
Up to now there has been an element of lazy journalism regarding Sunderland. Yes, we’ve been praised for our energy and pressing and the great start we have had to the season, but I always feel it is said with a begrudging tone and a pat on the head. “Bless them – but it won’t last.”
The Sky preview to the Liverpool game highlighted Enzo Le Fée. The analysis was weak and very general from Daniel Sturridge (one of three ex-Liverpool players involved in discussing the Liverpool game). He said that Le Fée “could go both ways and find a pass” – no shit, Sherlock. I think if you’d asked any local Sunderland primary-school kid, they would have given a more incisive presentation.
But there was another brilliant display by the Lads and, for me anyway, other than wondering about keeping up this energy and intensity, the final question answered.
Sunderland have gone under the radar for much of this season or, at least, not been taken seriously. To date that has been very beneficial to us. Along with the Sturridge “in-depth” Enzo preview, we’ve had Mags fans saying they “don’t know any of our players apart from Xhaka.”
Well… I’m of a mind to thinking that more and more fans of other clubs, and the media, are starting to become aware of our team, who we are, what we’re about, and that we aren’t the new kids who just want to kick around with the big boys. Apart from Xhaka, Dan Ballard is becoming a “household name”, along with Sadiki, Le Fée, Mukiele, and Alderete, who was praised by Jamie Redknapp after the match.
I have a feeling that our submarine’s periscope has been well and truly spotted now and we can’t stay underwater anymore. Pep Guardiola was full of praise for us recently, and City will be well prepared and ready for us. We aren’t the new kids to be admired any more; we’re a serious threat. Now it begins. Ha’way me bonnie Lads.
