LATE PENALTY GETS CATS OUT OF JAIL
MCGEADY SPARES SUNDERLAND’S BLUSHES AT BOLTON AS PRESSURE MOUNTS
not offer confidence that they can take the next step and become a dominant League One side. There are spells in games whenitlooksthatway.Rosshas faced criticism for his playing style but at their best, this is a Sunderlandsidethataredirect but purposeful. It does not always look that way, and not capitalising on those spells of pressure and killing games off has long been something that Ross has bemoaned.
Itisanissue,withoutdoubt, and there remain question marks over a strikeforce that is struggling for consistency. A lackofruthlessnessattheback is a major issue that Ross simply has to correct. That was never summed up better than the abject defending that allowed Bolton to take a shock lead on Saturday.
SothisiswhereSunderland stand,inapositionwhereitcan still become a successful season, but where there are deficiencies that raise concerns amongst supporters that the shortcomings that led to last season’s narrow miss will not be avoided. The tension and frustration is palpable. Ross, for his part, said that Sunderland’s situation is ‘unique’. Essentially,theyarebeingjudged byaperceptionfromoutsiders that every game should bring a thumpingvictory.It’sgenerally predicated with a mention of budget and reputation.
Debate over his best position may continue but Luke O’Nien is a player who had never played above League Two, yet had Championship suitors in the summer, has been a perfect fit for the club and would draw a handsome profit should he depart somewhere down the line.
It remains early in the campaign, but Jordan Willis and George Dobson look similarly smartadditions.Allthreehave brought the average age of the side down, bring enthusiasm, athleticism and scope for improvement. The pathway from the academy has been good, too. The point here, on the eve of a potential takeover, is that there has been plenty to applaud since the arrival of Ross andthenewownership.There is much to improve, too.
On the whole, recruitment has probably not brought enough of that speed and energy into the side. After the ‘ground zero’ effect of relegation, it is an obvious area to address in the new era. On the pitch, Ross will know that he faces a battle now to win over supporters who have lost confidence in his ability to deliver the ruthless displays that can forge long winning runs and automatic promotion form.
It has been said often enough before, and Stewart Donald has rightly drawn reference publicly to the professionalism, application and meticulous organisation that he has brought to the club. It is fair, too, from him to bristle at thesimplisticbudgetreferences that barely even scratch the surface over a rollercoaster 16 months or so since he was appointed.
He will be acutely aware that for all the pride in his offfield work (and indeed a lot of his on-field work), wins are needed to restore faith in the bigger picture. It’s a curious circumstance, for a side sitting relatively comfortably in thetableandwitheverychance still of achieving their goals for the season. That, though, is where Sunderland’s situation isuniqueandwhereaslastseason there was patience that gradual improvement would follow, this time around there is an understandable desire to see clear evidence that a third season in League One is unlikely.