On the eve of the QPR game in early November, Sunderland were five points clear in the Championship. Despite arriving there by playing with a more pragmatic style than we had become accustomed to seeing under Tony Mowbray it still did not lack entertainment. The swagger was present and correct. Goals were flowing (the most scored in the division) and victory seemingly followed victory.
Fast forward to the eve of hosting Stoke City at home and you find us in playing a slightly different mood music some 34 days later. Yet, the wheel has in no way come off. Far from it. However, we would be lying if we said that the momentum is as strong as it felt back then.
Instead, after five draws and a defeat since, it feels as though recent results and performances have been reflective of the far more measured expectations felt by many of us before the season got underway. In fact, it could be argued that the Black Cats’s position in the league is simply beginning to equalise out based on the underlying match data.
Data
Sunderland are now 4th in the table. It should therefore not be a surprise to learn that the club are also 4th for goals scored, 4th for goals conceded and 3rd for clean sheets.
If of interest, other key metrics show the Black Cats are 7th for High Recoveries, 9th for open play xG, 8th for open play xGA, 17th for % of possession, 11th for shots on goal and 17th for Field Tilt. All of the Championship’s League Rankings can be viewed here where each individual metric can be filtered.
There is often an argument that data can be manipulated to fit your narrative of choice of course. However, upon review of that underpinning analysis above, it seems reasonable to find ourselves sitting where we are doesn’t it?
So what has caused this slight drop off since those heady days of October?
Depth?
During the summer, the club’s recruitment team seemed to go some way to address a lack of depth which had blighted previous chances of success. In Alan Browne, Simon Moore, Chris Mepham, Wilson Isidor and Salis Abdul Samed experienced heads had arrived. Only Mepham and Isidor have featured consistently since. However, when called upon Moore deputised admirably for Anthony Patterson. In the main though you would have to point to injuries and suspensions as playing the main part in this slight tapering off of results. Key players like Romaine Mundle, Browne, Anthony Patterson, Trai Hume, Jobe Bellingham, Dan Ballard, Ali Alese and Eliezer Mayenda have all missed games with two of those continuing to do so. The squad may have had more depth in key areas when compared with the last few campaigns, however, even taking into account bad luck it would have been nice to see a little bit more quality added when we had the chance. After all, we seem to be decimated with injuries season after season and so it’s hardly a shock to have seen so many out yet again.
Thankfully, the January transfer window is on the horizon and as such an opportunity to rectify this. Whilst we should not anticipate many additions, two or three with the same profile of Mepham (a Premier League player looking for game time) will be of most benefit to our needs one feels.
Injuries
Depending upon what happens with Samed’s fitness (fingers crossed for that debut soon) and given Browne’s leg injury we may need strengthening further in midfield, along with right-back and another winger.
If we are really pushing the boat out, I’m not sure we can be wholly confident in the striker department if Isidor was to – God forbid – get a long term injury either. Mayenda is much improved from last season but it is hard to say how well he would perform on his own over a sustained run. Aaron Connolly still seems as though he is finding his way back to fitness after no pre-season and Ahmed Abdullahi has yet to kick a ball due to injury. If an experienced, recognised number 9 from the Premier League was to become available (perhaps in the mould of a Kieffer Moore) then Sunderland should be in a far better position to get any similar deal over the line this time around owing to a chunk of the Jack Clarke money presumably still sitting in their wallet.
This is not to say the squad is in bad shape. Sunderland’s league position evidences that the opposite is true. However, several performances have also been suggestive that there is still a need to bridge the gap between young players with bags of potential and players who can instantly make their mark, to maximise the chance of promotion.
We can only hope that Régis Le Bris is backed in the areas he needs, during the forthcoming window to ensure that his bench looks stronger than it has done in moments this season. In the meantime perhaps a win against Stoke City would set us nicely back on track…
Photo by Mark Fletcher via MI News & Sport/Alamy
