If ever a defeat could be classed as “run of the mill” with the consequences relatively minimal and the learnings substantial, Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford and a game that could easily have taken a different course had we not turned in a below-par first half performance and taken some of the chances that fell our way could be filed under that category.
In-house, it wouldn’t have been viewed as a “free hit” and it’s probably safe to assume that Granit Xhaka and his teammates will be less than happy
to have been shut out by a Manchester United team who’ve generally looked rudderless under Ruben Amorim, but after our gutsy victory over Nottingham Forest, Saturday’s visit to the Theatre of Dreams always had the potential to trip us up — and so it proved.
Of course, any side could lose such a game regardless of the struggles of the hosts, yet we didn’t help ourselves with a display that was generally somewhat laboured, disjointed and lacked fluency in attack. If Sunderland’s go-to approach of being stoic, hard to break down and of nicking goals from seemingly unlikely positions doesn’t quite hold fast, outcomes like this are possible. That’s life in the big league.
However, such is the mindset nowadays that these experiences need not be viewed as calamities, not least because we’ve seen plenty of evidence of the Lads’ powers of recovery during the early months of the campaign and in Régis Le Bris, we have a head coach for whom histrionics and panic are alien concepts. Nothing will be dismantled after this — it’ll merely be persevered with and hopefully improved.
So, as we break for the latest round of internationals with eleven points on the board and plenty of talking points to mull over, how does the mood music sound on Wearside?
For me, very tuneful and given the standards implemented by the outstanding Xhaka and his equally motivated teammates, the resumption of the league campaign against Wolves will be seen as a chance to take another stride forward.
Amid all of the promise, from Robin Roefs’ dominance between the sticks to Omar Alderete’s defensive steel, to Xhaka’s midfield control and so on, perhaps the most encouraging point is that at no stage in any league game this season have we looked outclassed, overawed, or as if we’ve been exposed by the step up from the Championship to the Premier League.
Of course, it hasn’t all been plain sailing and we’ve had to absorb some intense periods of opposition pressure along the way, but we’ve stood strong more often than not, and to impressive effect.
If a gritty away draw at Crystal Palace hinted at a growing inner steel, the way in which we rallied from a goal behind and with ten men to salvage a draw against Aston Villa proved it.
An outstanding rearguard action at the City Ground laid the foundation for our best win of the season, and even though we didn’t hit those same heights against United, can anyone argue that this side hasn’t earned the trust of the fans and therefore deserves some grace when things don’t quite go to plan?
There’s no feeling of “We’re here for the vibes, man!” emanating from this squad and nor is there a meekness or a sense of gratitude that we’re simply back among the elite, and that results don’t really matter. Instead, it’s being driven by a hard-nosed approach, underpinned by a clear desire for constant improvement. Wins don’t mean we’ve got it cracked, and losses don’t mean we’ve become a duff side. They’ve found the middle ground, and as fans, hopefully we’ll follow suit.
Can we do more to become more of an all-court side, capable of being more adaptable and not one-dimensional? Of course, and Le Bris and his coaches will doubtless be aware of what needs to be focused on, and that our often-outstanding defensive efforts could potentially be augmented by more threat going forward.
I’d love to see Chemsdine Talbi garnish his outstanding work rate with some greater attacking spark.
The same is true of Simon Adingra, and with increased minutes for Brian Brobbey will come more chances and hopefully the goals he was signed to chip in with. Left back is undoubtedly an issue at the moment, with Reinildo’s absence forcing a visibly-rusty Arthur Masuaku into action; Lutsharel Geertruida may start to feature more heavily, and the clash with Wolves is surely an opportunity to give Chris Rigg another Premier League start.
At this stage, there’s little to grumble about and far more to feel encouraged by than disheartened. Defeats will happen and responses will be needed, but the Lads have earned the right to do just that, and it’ll doubtless be a fired-up and recharged team that we see run out against the Old Gold on October 18.
