As a football fan — and certainly as a Sunderland supporter — you often get a sense of how a game might pan out well ahead of kick off; a vibe that either breeds optimism or pessimism, and on Saturday morning, I have to admit that ahead of our trip to West Ham, I didn’t feel overly confident about our chances of success at the London Stadium.
Maybe it was due to the recent whispers about Wilson Isidor’s future, the fact that the Hammers were doubtless desperate to build on a good result against Spurs,
or the murmurings and rumours that Granit Xhaka wouldn’t be fit and that we’d have to attempt to navigate our way through a tricky-looking away tie without him.
As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.
Xhaka was absent (an ankle injury accompanied by what felt like the rather ominous use of the phrase “period of rehabilitation”), Régis Le Bris was forced to shuffle his pack, and the end result was a pretty shambolic and dispiriting 3-1 loss as the hosts cashed in on a dismal, disjointed and worryingly directionless first half Sunderland display.
Did the absence of the Swiss talisman knock Sunderland out of their stride? Perhaps, but it was hardly a ragbag selection of fringe players who took to the field without him — they just didn’t perform for whatever reason, and it was hugely disappointing to witness.
For much of the game, the wholehearted Trai Hume — given the armband in Xhaka’s stead and tasked with pushing his own versatility to the absolute maximum — and the talented, erratic Romaine Mundle struggled mightily.
At times, the midfield had all the strength of a collapsing Jenga tower and to complete the picture, Sunderland’s usually reliable defence was found wanting in the face of an impressive West Ham display. In the first half in particular, nothing really went right; the players’ body language often appeared flat and uninspired, and although Brian Brobbey’s second-half goal gave us a crumb of comfort, it was a rare shaft of light on a forgettable day in Stratford.
Generally speaking, Sunderland have travelled fairly well this season — certainly in terms of results if not consistent performances due to Le Bris’ habit of prioritising solidity over attacking spark — but this was just a bad ninety minutes all round and it may well prompt a rethink of how we go about things away from home.
Nordi Mukiele’s frustrated reaction to being substituted and the sight of Xhaka exchanging cross words with a fan (I suspect he wasn’t asking for tips on how to master Cockney rhyming slang) provided some unsavoury optics, and there’s no doubt that such performances can’t become habitual, even if we’re facing up to the reality of Xhaka being absent for a few games.
That said, one bad game doesn’t mean that Sunderland have been knocked off course, that things need to be dismantled or that players X, Y, and Z should be shipped out, never to wear our jersey again.
We’ve enjoyed a memorable campaign filled with plenty of unforgettable moments but with Burnley due to visit the Stadium of Light next week, it’s imperative that this sub-par display casts no shadow over our preparations for the arrival of the Clarets and an occasion on which we can take another step towards the forty-point mark.
Once you set a standard, you have to strive to maintain it regardless of any changes in personnel, and if the Lads are to ensure this campaign of immense promise doesn’t fizzle out unsatisfactorily, they need to retain their focus and don’t allow any traces of complacency to creep in — hopefully starting with a strong response against Burnley.
It’s an objective fact that no other Sunderland player can boast the kind of leadership credentials and ability to set and drive standards as Xhaka, and I include internationals such as Hume, Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete in that. His on-field influence, big-game experience and ability to knit everything together far outstrips that of his teammates and it was certainly apparent on Saturday.
This isn’t a criticism, simply an observation, but if Xhaka is absent for a period, his younger and in many cases more inexperienced teammates are going to have to show that even without his inspirational presence, they can cope without him and begin to figure out ways of managing games, delivering results and keeping the show on the road.
As fans, we should be able to offer fair, balanced and rational opinions if and when these players — who’ve done superbly this season and have represented our club with incredible pride, skill and passion — don’t perform at the level they’re capable of reaching.
It’s simply a reminder that the bar has been raised and that things are now on a different plane. That comes with the territory and it’s not something to shy away from.
