Prowling Black Cats show their true class
WITH the season not yet a third of the way through, Sunderland have hit their stride.
And that is an ominous sign for the Black Cats’ League One promotion rivals.
In the early stages of the campaign, there was always a sense that Sunderland would improve as the season wore on, and that they just had to keep on picking up points in the meantime.
They won games despite sometimes losing the physical battle, scored goals while struggling to keep clean sheets, and Jack Ross had to work hard to integrate his summer signings into a side that changed seemingly every week due to injuries.
But as we reach the end of October, Sunderland now look a different proposition – they have toughened up, tightened up, and become a team.
Saturday’s home win against Southend United – their fifth in a row in all competitions – was further proof of that.
They have learned to scrap as well as play, to shut teams out without sacrificing their own attacking mentality, and while the line-up continues to change, the new players have settled and Ross has a squad which can cope with injuries and suspensions.
Quite simply, Sunderland have that touch of class where it counts – and in League One, that makes all the difference.
Even with nine-goal leading scorer Josh Maja left out of the starting XI as he is eased back following an ankle injury, Lynden Gooch and Chris Maguire provide the magic dust in the final third to complement Jerome Sinclair’s hard graft. At the other end of the pitch, when Sunderland’s muchimproved defence needs bailing out, goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin looks a cut above.
And, just for good measure, no other side in this division can call upon midfielders of the quality of Lee Cattermole and Dylan McGeouch. Skipper George Honeyman headed them in front against Southend, giving the fans something to cheer in an otherwise low-key first half. Then at the start of the second period, Maguire lit up the Stadium of Light with a stunning 30-yard strike to put his team in command, with Aiden McGeady coming off the bench to wrap things up near the end. McLaughlin made his usual quota of excellent saves as he kept his third successive clean sheet, with the 13 goals Sunderland have conceded so far making them the division’s second most miserly defence.
Sunderland’s four-game winning streak in the league is their best run since they beat Chelsea, Cardiff, Manchester United, and West Bromwich Albion to secure Premier League survival in the ‘Miracle Escape’ season of 2014.
And while their opponents in the current run – Bradford City, Shrewsbury Town, Doncaster Rovers, and Southend – might not carry the same cachet, the return of 12 points is just as important.
Because these four wins have not only seen third-placed Sunderland keep pace Portsmouth and Peterborough United, but also brought them to within striking distance of the summit.
The Black Cats are just a point behind Posh and three points behind leaders Pompey, with a game in hand of both.
Peterborough have lost two of their last four games while Portsmouth have dropped points in each of their last two.
On this form, it may be only a matter of time before Sunderland hit the front and once there, they will take some stopping.