At full time on Saturday, after Sunderland had played out a fragmented and at times frustrating draw with a QPR side that followed up an excellent result at Turf Moor with an equally impressive result against the Lads, the consensus appeared to be ‘Nothing special, nothing too bad, so let’s move on to Preston and see if we can be slightly better’.
The horrible phrase ‘typical Sunderland’ mercifully did not acquire traction, and the post-match analysis was quite calm as we pored over a game in which we did not reach the heights of recent performances, but also did not crumble when the match took an unexpected turn in the second half. Having played the final thirty minutes of the game without Jobe after the brilliant midfielder was sent off for an uncharacteristic mistimed challenge, the fact that we were able to hold firm when we might have let our heads drop and slumped to defeat in the past was a testament to this team’s growing mental strength under Régis Le Bris’ tutelage.
Such outcomes are typical of what is building up to be a crazily open and unpredictable Championship campaign, with any team fancying their chances on any given day. However, such results will be expected, and they will undoubtedly make things even more intriguing as the season progresses. As we’ve seen at frequent intervals during this fledgling campaign, Le Bris has created a mindset in which lost causes do not exist and there is always something to be learned from a game, no matter how difficult the exam.
However, the Frenchman recognizes that setbacks are unavoidable and that there is significant benefit in not viewing every loss as a calamity. This season has seen plenty of evidence of an increasingly grim outlook. From responding to defeats at Plymouth and Watford with victories the next time out, to doggedly hanging in against Leeds on the way to a dramatic draw, and to riding Luton’s best punches before responding with two thunderous blows of our own at Kenilworth Road, we’ve served notice to the rest of the league that we’re not a pushover and that taking three points from a clash with Sunderland will be difficult.
The bottom line is that win, lose, or draw, you know this team will chase everything and never give us anything less than their best. Whether at home or abroad, in an open game or a scrappier affair, they’ll never give up and will work hard at all times. It won’t always result in a victory, but it will allow us to steal results when things look bleak and we appear to be on the point of leaving the field empty-handed — something that can and will make all the difference in a promotion race. Sunderland has a rich history of demonstrating a never-say-die attitude.
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