Pragmatism, planning and Sunderland AFC's long road to equilibrium

19 games, 6 victories, 6 draws, and 7 defeats. For Sunderland, a stable start to life in the Championship has been something of a relief when contrasted against four bitter years spent battling to escape from the clutches of League One.

Several seasons of continuous disappointment were difficult to bear as the club seemed to lurch from one crisis to the next with little light on the horizon. However, now, as we approach the midpoint of this first season back in the second tier of English football, Sunderland find themselves sitting middle of the pile.

Despite losing a successful manager to league rivals, and enduring a string of games without an established striker due to an unfortunate series of injuries, the club currently sits in 13th position: four points above the bottom three, and five points away from play-off contention.

The fact that the club have endured two crises that arguably would have derailed a season in years gone by, perhaps stands as testament that there is an element of resilience within the club that had not been present before.

Part of the overhaul after Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over the running of the club was to appoint someone with a footballing brain who would act as a link between the commercial and footballing sides of the club - an administrator of sorts tasked with bringing structure to the chaotic mess that Sunderland had become.

In his first interview with the club's website, Kristjaan Speakman provided an overarching explanation as to what he believed would get Sunderland moving in the right direction:

"The blueprint for the future and the ambition to create a sustainable structure with a clear identity is one I will work diligently and passionately to bring to fruition for Sunderland fans."

An emphasis on youth development has seen the club invest in young talent: Aji Alese, Abdoullah Ba, Dan Ballard, and Jewison Bennette were all brought in on permanent deals, while Amad Diallo and Edouard Michut were brought in on loan - with an optional fee agreed for the latter. All were under the age of 23 years-old when brought into the club. Furthermore, signing young talents Elliott Embleton and Dan Neil to new deals further highlighted a desire to pursue a youth-first approach.

Sunderland's stockpiling of talented youngsters is certainly a positive sign that the club are moving in the right direction; signing young talent from around the world, whilst holding onto up-and-coming youth products is exciting for the club and the fans. It signals that the club is looking beyond its immediate position, and is building for the future.

Much in the same way that the swift appointment of Tony Mowbray, a manager credited for developing young players in previous roles, suggested that the club had already shortlisted good candidates for the role of Head Coach should Alex Neil leave for pastures new - a tough lesson learned after the sacking of Lee Johnson.

However, as much as the planning and implementation of the club's new approach have brought a real sense of positivity to the club, questions remain about certain issues.

Ross Stewart's contract situation is an example of what appears to be something of a battle between planning and pragmatism - something all successful clubs have to balance. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus noted at the recent RAWA meeting that while talks remain ongoing for Stewart to sign a new deal, and that he hopes to see the Scottish striker remains on Wearside, the club are preparing for every eventuality.

The fact that the senior figures acknowledge the issue at hand and want to resolve it is undoubtedly a positive thing, yet allowing the club to be in such a vulnerable position in the first place is a tough decision to defend. Fans raised eyebrows during the summer when the club failed to add striking options aside from the loan signing of Ellis Simms.

Stewart's impressive form was guaranteed to attract interest from clubs with deeper pockets, so why had the club not moved to sign a replacement that could be developed until the time came that they would be needed to fill Stewart's shoes?

The recent defeat to Cardiff further highlights the struggle Sunderland face in balancing their long-term planning with pragmatic realism. Tony Mowbray noted in his post-match comments that, "We want to score these great goals, but sometimes you just have to win duels, win headers, win tackles, get there first. We have to remember to bring both every game."

Removing the experience of Alex Pritchard and Corry Evans from the starting XI arguably showcased the lack of pragmatism available to Tony Mowbray, as his young talents struggled to make their mark against an average Cardiff side without the guidance of influential senior colleagues. The defeat was a perfect metaphor of the challenge Sunderland face in successfully cultivating a group of such young players whilst searching for on-field success.

And so, Sunderland face the difficult task of balancing their long-term growth alongside required pragmatism. As Ginni Rometty once said: "Growth and comfort do not exist." Sunderland's growth will constantly face questions surrounding one concern or another - that's football. The club's ability to overcome these issues, however, will be the mark of its success.