Our two most recent triumphs were obtained without the need to shift out of second gear – a hallmark of a well-drilled and well-functioning team.
Sunderland’s 2-0 win over Watford in midweek included some of the most relaxing ten minutes I’ve ever witnessed.
The Hornets were disheveled, out of ideas, and waiting for the last whistle, whereas we kept the ball incredibly effectively and won the game.
The Lads were at ease amid the dying embers of the game, and they’d earned it thanks to excellent game management. We weren’t at our best, but against a Watford side in decline, we didn’t need to be.
The option to play the latter phases of a game at our own pace has already come around several times this season, and the 5-0 thrashing of Southampton was perhaps the first.
At 4-0 going into injury time, two of our eager-to-impress subs combined to score our fifth goal as we showed no mercy to the stunned visitors.
The 3-1 win against QPR also provided us with this opportunity, and having a two-goal lead over a team down to 10 men with more than ten minutes to go meant we could select how to end the game. In this case, we attempted to go for the kill while keeping our foot on the accelerator.
In the past, a visit to a team near the bottom of the league and without a win would have had us all worried about ‘doing a Sunderland,’ but the 3-0 defeat of Sheffield Wednesday was so simple.
With a 2-0 lead after eight minutes, it was effectively game over, and a professional performance held any Owls attacks at arm’s length.
Wednesday night was a similar tale, and our ability to sit on the ball and influence play is why we’ve won six of ten games this season.
The period following Abdoullah Ba’s goal was played by a team bursting with confidence and knowing that the points were theirs against an opponent that appeared to be sick of being on the pitch on a rainy Wearside night.
We’ve played better teams than Watford and Sheffield Wednesday this season, and we’ll play others who will put these two clubs to shame, but you have to beat what’s in front of you, and we’ve scored five goals in two games while barely being threatened by our opponents.
Teams pursuing promotion and achieving this goal frequently win games in a similar manner: without needing to be at 100% at all times.
Having players with a keen eye for a pass and exceptional levels of composure, such as Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham, aids with this, and when both of your centre backs make dynamic runs forward and choose their passes across the halfway line, you know your team’s system is working.
We’re playing football at a level we haven’t seen in a long time, and for many fans, including myself, it’s the most optimistic and composed Sunderland has ever looked.
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