‘Another Attacking Team’ – Sunderland’s Season So Far
- Sunderland arrive at King Power Stadium on Tuesday for Sky Bet Championship action
- Sunderland AFC writer for the Chronicle James Hunter gives the lowdown on the Black Cats
- Tony Mowbray’s side sit sixth in the table ahead of the latest round of midweek fixtures
- The North East side are looking to recover from back-to-back league losses
Successive Sky Bet Championship defeats to Middlesbrough and Stoke City either side of the international break have put the brakes on an impressive period of form from Tony Mowbray’s men, with the 59-year-old’s new-look squad recovering well from play-off semi-final disappointment at the end of last season.
For Hunter, both results must be looked at in isolation, with the Black Cats still remaining inside the top six prior to visiting King Power Stadium for Tuesday’s match-up with Leicester City (8pm BST kick-off).
“They have been two contrasting games,” the journalist explained. “There were mitigating factors in the Middlesbrough game with the red card right before half-time. At that point, Sunderland had been on top. From there on in, Middlesbrough made the extra man count and won very convincingly 4-0 at the Stadium of Light.
“At Stoke, Sunderland weren’t quite at it. Tony Mowbray described it as ‘below par’ and it’s hard to disagree with that. It was a game against a team that had been struggling and had looked like the perfect opportunity to get back on course but as so often happens, those games don’t always work out that way and it certainly didn’t on Saturday.
“Sunderland’s season started with back-to-back defeats right at the beginning against newly promoted Ipswich, who are now challenging at the top end of the table, and then to Preston, who have also made a good start to the season.
“After that, Sunderland responded really well, went on a long unbeaten run and were competing in the top four. It’s very early days but the play-offs is where Sunderland fans hope to see the team at this stage.”
The challenge of facing league leaders Leicester is one not lost on Hunter, though he expects it to be an entertaining encounter on Filbert Way between two sides who both love to score goals.
He continued: “It’s always going to be a tough game, arguably the toughest game of the season for any Championship team. Given the way results have just gone for Sunderland, it’s not the preparation they would have wanted going to King Power Stadium.
“But Leicester play a similar way to Sunderland; an open, expansive game and that gives Sunderland an opportunity to attack and play the style of football they want to play.
“All too often, Sunderland come up against teams that are content to sit deep and defend and that makes it difficult to break them down. This can be a frustration and I think Sunderland will enjoy the prospect of playing against another attacking team.”
Winger Jack Clarke’s standout performances this term and last led to admiring glances from afar and, together with Patrick Roberts on the other side, have provided the North East club with plenty of firepower.
Hunter added: “The obvious dangerman is Jack Clarke, an excellent wide man who has scored eight league goals this season, including at Stoke at the weekend. There was a lot of buzz about him and whether he’ll get a move to the Premier League, but he’s been phenomenal.
“And on the opposition flank, Patrick Roberts is a real talent and top quality footballer. He’s different in some ways, not quite so much end product but is still talented and on his day, he can do real talent.
“The big thing is getting their strikers up and running. They are the fourth highest scorers in the Championship and yet their strikers haven’t scored a goal. Once they chip in and come to the party, then that will be the time when Sunderland would expect to push on.”