I might be getting carried away, but I’d suggest that we’ve found a successful way to not just survive in the Premier League but to thrive.
Before we look at the feedback from pundits following the West Ham game, the feeling can be best summed up by Davy who rang in Total Sport on Saturday night:
“Let’s get carried away man! This is fantastic this… If you cannot get carried away at times like this, we might as well give up. It’s absolutely superb!”
When the final whistle blew, the sense of euphoria was ridiculous. Like many others, I wasn’t sure how we could follow on from the scenes after Coventry but I needn’t have worried at all. There’s no doubt – our result has created a buzz. It’s led pundits to single out our approach and provide well due praise. It wasn’t just a lucky win but was, instead, the first signs of a blueprint for success.
On ‘Match of the Day’, Rooney was clear in his admiration for the team. Whilst we’ve seen lazy predictions putting us in the relegation zone before a ball was kicked with no acknowledgement of our recruitment or philosophy as a club, Rooney was different. He acknowledged the gap between the Premier League and Championship but spoke about our chances:
“The gap from Championship to Premier League Is massive and I think the way Sunderland play shows you can get results in this league if you’re organised, you work hard and you stick together as a team.”
Whilst there are those who are quick to jump on Rooney for how he speaks, the comments here directly address the tactical naivety that has been the downfall of promoted clubs. One example that always springs to mind is watching Vincent Kompany’s Burnley continue to play out from the back and be punished relentlessly. Whilst sticking to their principles, Burnley proceeded to concede 78 goals in the 2023/2024 season and lost 24 of their matches. Last season, Southampton attempted the same and had even more disastrous results, conceding 86 goals and losing 30 games. Building on solid foundations is such a crucial part of our approach this season. If we are going to concede, it will be due to the opposition’s strengths instead of us choosing to shoot ourselves in the foot.
On ‘The Gary Neville Podcast’, Neville praised the team for embodying the qualities that will help contribute towards survival:
“Sunderland demonstrated a lot of the qualities that I think can keep you in this league… in terms of spirit, energy, direct play, crosses and great headers from goals.”
The praise here is a nod to the effective, albeit unglamorous, style from Saturday. We’re looking to be physical, direct and, most importantly, effective when it comes to decision making. The blueprint to survive isn’t just based on tactical formations but is based on mentality. How are we going to survive this season? I’d say it consists of three distinct elements.
1. Shrewd recruitment – By getting the majority of our business done early, we’ve given the players time to gel and get used to playing together. That was evident on Saturday. Moreover, we haven’t just recruited based on potential. Our defence had an average age of 26 with close to 650 league appearances combined.
2. Adopting a pragmatic but proactive tactical philosophy. Sunderland showed that they have a counter-attacking threat. Not only that, the squad has proven that they can physically compete – something that we struggled to see last season at times.
3. A powerful connection with the fanbase. From before kick off to after the final whistle, the Stadium of Light was electric. The “spirit” and “energy”, as Neville mentioned, is what’s going to give us an edge, going forward. There’s a reason why the Roker Roar is getting mentioned again by journalists and broadcasters.
Whilst it is only one game, the foundation of the plan is clear. We’re not trying to emulate a bigger club’s style or simply throw money at the problem. We’re combining a long-term recruitment strategy with a clear tactical system that plays to the strengths of the squad.
I might be getting carried away, but I’d suggest that we’ve found a successful way to not just survive in the Premier League but to thrive.
Category: General Sports
