Sunderland mid-season review: Best players, biggest moments and worst disappointments
After Sunderland signed off for a win at Birmingham we now pause for the World Cup, and what better time to now have a look at the good, and the bad of the first part of our Championship return
The lads lie in 15th place with 27 points after 20 games; four points of the playoff spots, and four points off the bottom three. Are you a glass half-full sort of person, or is it half-empty?
The start of the season was anything if uneventful: no sooner had we got underway than our manager was out of the door, and a new one was in place before August was out. We then lost our best forward the following game in the warmup at the Boro, and it’s been a rollercoaster ever since.
Results have been mixed hence the position we find ourselves in, but then that seems to be par for the course of the league itself, with no runaway or outstanding teams it means everyone is very much trading off against each other, and the Championship, therefore, is very tight.
If you put it into the mix also, we effectively have played half the league games without any recognized centre forwards. You could say we have done well to keep our heads above water at this stage. After the World Cup hopefully we’ll be stronger with players returning from injury and we can make a real impact in the second half of the season.
As we know, the club is trying to do things very differently from previous campaigns at this level with a heavy focus on youth and younger players, which has led to a fluctuation in performances at times.
The home form is of some concern - with just two wins in the ten games so far - suggesting a different approach may be needed when we return after the break. Conversely, we have the third-best away record in the league, so the ingredients are all there for an upturn in the home form if we can just find the right balance.
Here are a few of my highlights from the first part of the season.
Player of the Season (so far)
Jack Clarke
I was torn between Jack Clarke and a few others, but I think overall Jack has been outstanding in the first part of the season, he sits at the joint top of the goals and assists charts in the league, and his influence on the team continues to grow. He is the sort of player when at full tilt gets you out of your seat, tricky, skilful and a real talent, we're depending on his continued form for the duration of the season.
Game of the Season (so far)
Reading 0-3 Sunderland
The circumstances of this game made this win - claimed back in September - more impressive than most.
Off the back of losing at rivals Middlesbrough the week previous and losing our main man Ross Stewart, many fans rocked up at Reading not knowing quite what to expect.
It looked like things were going to get a lot worse also, when after thirty minutes we lost our only remaining forward in Ellis Simms after he went down injured. Collective gasps went through the crowd.
Not many of us could have predicted that the lads would turn in their most impressive display of the season to date, with two goals from Patrick Roberts playing as the main striker, and a goal-of-the-season contender from Jack Clarke, seeing the lads ease to victory in Berkshire. The result was made the more impressive due to Reading beforehand having not lost a game at home, and them being third in the table at that point.
This game not only showed the lad’s collective team spirit following adversity but also showed the free-spiritedness our young team played with that night - this performance was poles apart from any we turned in when we last were in the Championship; this was the night Sunderland announced they were back as a club on a good footing again.
Disappointment of the season (so far)
Sunderland 0-1 Cardiff
I think most fans would agree this was by far Sunderland's worst performance of the season to date. A limp display throughout that left nearly 37,000 fans disappointed, with Mowbray himself admitting afterward he played too many of the younger players together.
This game showed the unpredictable and sometimes inconsistent nature of what can happen when you have lots of young players on the team at once. It also highlighted the need most probably for our recruitment in January and what areas need to be looked at, as we simply now don’t have the depth to rotate players in certain positions as much as other teams.
When Corry Evans doesn’t play, we do miss his expertise in midfield and lack the necessary control in games. Evans is 32 so we need to look at that come January.
The goal of the season (so far)
Jack Clarke v Reading
This was without a doubt a wonderful team goal, and one that has been replayed and replayed many times over the last few months across social media. From back to front many thought this could have been Barcelona scoring, not Sunderland in the second tier of English football.
I would be amazed if this doesn’t win the goal of the season across the leagues. Clark finishing a wonderful sequence of play with a precise right-foot finish sitting down the reading player in the deck in the process.
This goal was also an indictment of the way the lads have tried to play this season in playing the ball through the thirds so slickly, other goals, such as Pritchard at Huddersfield, and Diallo at Birmingham give substance to this also and are worth honourable mentions in this category.
However, Clarke ‘s goal just pips them on this one.
Moment of the season (so far)
Jewison Bennett’s goal v Watford
The smile on Jewi’s face when he scored a late equalizer against Watford showed everything we all love about football: an 18-year-old playing for the first time in England and scoring his first goal for his new club.
The scenes in the away end at the end of the game were a great moment and showed a connection between fans and players that previously might not always have been there, certainly not at this level.
Sunderland and Watford were two leagues apart last season making this result even more impressive, again showcasing Sunderland are in no way overawed by being at this level again after some tough seasons away.
Most improved player
Anthony Patterson
For me, there is only one outstanding candidate for this so far this season. It’s hard to remember just over a year ago Anthony Patterson was on loan at National League side Notts County and looked a long way from even competing for the number one jersey at his home club.
Fast forward to now and it’s difficult to think of anyone else who would get near him. His game has developed so much in the space of the last twelve months, and this season he has flourished with the responsibility.
Calm and authoritative in nearly every game he has played, whilst we shouldn’t be getting too carried away just yet, we all remember the last local lad who did well for us between the sticks. Still just 22-years-old, the sky is the limit for Patto right now.
Let’s hope he has many more seasons with us yet.
Fan Favourite
Danny Batth
It’s fair to see we’ve all grown to love Danny over the last year since his arrival. After a relatively slow start, you could say, he shone through towards the back end of our playoff run last season and he has continued that trend into this one.
A solid, no-nonsense centre-back - some might say old school - but then over the years we’ve had our fair share of those, and we all warmed to them. Danny Batth is no proving no exception.
As one of the older players at 32, his calming presence has helped the team through some tough moments so far this season, especially toward the end of our last game against Birmingham. Let’s hope he continues to lead the lads through the second half of our campaign with the same composure he's shown so far.
Most disappointing player
Leon Dajaku
Leon Dajaku came with quite a fanfare and good reviews last season, and although many of us tried to give him the benefit of the doubt in his first season and we all hoped he’d improve for our return to the Championship, it’s fair to say he still frustrates us all.
He has undoubted talent and is still very young, but even when given the opportunities to shine this year for whatever reason it just hasn’t worked out so far for him. Whilst others such as Clarke, Dennis Cirkin, and Patterson have shone bright, Leon just hasn’t yet been able to produce a good run of form.
Whether he will be given many more chances only the coaching staff will know, but for now Dajaku remains a frustration for all our fans. We will see if the World Cup break benefits him or not, as it may well be the last chance saloon for him when the season restarts.
Most likely to hit the big time
Ross Stewart
Even though our Nessie has been missing in action for what will be three months when the season starts, he surely remains one of the most sought-after players kicking around in the Championship. Some wondered if he could make the step up from last season, but he soon put any doubts to one side after a great start to the season.
With the contract situation still hanging over him there will be nerves for our fans, and until that's out of the way we might still be worried about losing our most prized asset.
There’s no doubt Ross Stewart will still have suitors higher up the pyramid right now, and still only being 26, I truly believe he is destined for the biggest stage. Whether that be with us or not we will have to see.