Derby win will be a waste if we don’t build on it
Well I got it wrong before the Derby game, although to be fair did anyone really see that coming?
The only downside is, after Birmingham’s win against Ipswich, Sunderland still lie five points from safety.
We must build on the Derby result – anything less than a win against Sheffield Wednesday means the whole thing pretty much was a waste of time.
Sunderland were fantastic at Derby. John O’Shea and Lamine Kone were rock solid at the heart of the defence, Lynden Gooch was a constant menace, Aiden McGeady showed his class throughout and it can’t be a coin that cidence whenever Donald Love is in the team, for all he is limited technically, Sunderland seem to perform better.
The performance has brought some positive feeling back, showed that maybe we aren’t finished yet, and perhaps Chris Coleman can drag us to safety after all.
It is going to require a lot going in our favour, survival isn’t really in Sunderland’s hands, and it has to continue with a win against Sheffield Wednesday.
The close proximity of this game should be a real positive, the players should see it as a chance for two wins in four days, back to back wins for the first time, and an opportunity to put some pressure on those ahead of us.
Hopefully Coleman can field the same team, or as close to it as possible, as he did at Derby. There are options to change it, but let them keep going, keep a rhythm and only change it if needs must.
The Stadium of Light could be bouncing for this game; imagine what an early goal would do.
The crowd will be right behind the lads for this, there hasn’t been many positive moments this season and we’ve got a chance now to kick on and take six points from the Easter fixtures.
It won’t be an easy game, although Sheffield Wednesday will probably consider themselves safe after their win over Preston on Friday. This could be a positive for Sunderland, who would probably rather face a side with noting really to play for, than face a team scrapping for their lives.
A win against Wednesday does nothing more than keeps our hopes alive, but it is a win that we simply must get.
Birmingham face Bolton on Tuesday and then Burton next week, Barnsley have winnable games and Sunderland themselves still have to face Burton and Reading.
Leeds lie in store next weekend, and going there on the back of two wins will make a huge difference.
People will start to believe, and despite writing four or five times that I think we are down, maybe, just maybe we can pull off the Great(est) Escape.
The Wise Men Say podcast is available from every Monday, with SAFC debate from a variety of guests and post-match reaction from Chris Coleman. You can stream it direct from wisemensay.co.uk or subscribe to it on iTunes