They say new relationships take time.
Despite the brilliance of our second and third goals against Plymouth, Dan Neil’s superb midfield display and Luke O’Nien’s commanding performance at the heart of Sunderland’s defence, Michael Beale’s post-match words really struck a chord with me. New relationships do indeed take time.
I last wrote about a thawing of the ice between our fans and the majority’s attitude towards our new Head Coach. I felt that a shift was certainly happening. Green shoots of recovery had been rearing their heads as spring was on the horizon. Positive results will do that. On Saturday, the home support’s fourth minute applause for Michael Beale and his niece Poppy, was quite something. Despite the ongoing game, all eyes turned to Beale in the home dugout. Visibly moved, as was I and many others, he showed his gratitude by applauding all four sides of the Stadium of Light, touching his chest to acknowledge such a heartfelt gesture. It goes without saying we wish Michael, Poppy and each and every one of her friends and family all the very best as she battles against what is a horrible disease that has touched us all in one way or another in our own lives.
In terms of the game, it was a much needed victory. We were far from our best in the first half, but whatever was said at the break more than galvanised the side as we came out of the blocks in blistering style. We simply blew Plymouth away in that opening period of the second half with three great goals. Sunderland looked back to their swaggering, free-flowing confident best. I have been critical of Beale’s game management in his time here, particularly his use of substitutions, but I thought he got it spot on last Saturday.
Beale picked an attacking eleven, managing to get Patrick Roberts, Abdoullah Ba, Jack Clarke and Nasariy Rusyn all into the side, this time at the expense of Jobe Bellingham. Clarke was as ever, at his marauding best. Bali Mumba has now been added to the growing list of fullbacks who have been decimated by Sunderland’s wing wizard this season. He won’t be the last.
Jobe, on from the bench, smashed in a great goal to seal the game for Sunderland with well over twenty minutes remaining on the clock. It was nice to see Chris Rigg add more minutes into the tank, and Beale has said that the 16 year old’s game time will be increasing as the season rumbles on. We will be needing every single member of our squad as the business end of the campaign tests our resilience and resolve in what is always a punishing schedule and league.
Overall, it was a good day at the office and probably the best performance under Michael Beale in his tenth game in charge. Maybe, just maybe, the late season charge has begun.
In terms of our new, late January recruits, well, Leo Hjelde looks a solid find. He has taken to life at Sunderland like a duck to water. Physical, can carry the ball and pass it; he looks like he’s played 25 matches with us already. He didn’t do too much wrong on Teesside last week in what can’t be an easy fixture to make your full debut in.
Romain Mundle comes to us very highly rated. He looks quick and direct, and will be a player who will undoubtedly excite Sunderland fans once he gets up to speed. The fact that Spurs offered Mundle a five year contract last summer shows exactly what they thought of him as a player. Hopefully their loss is Sunderland’s gain and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the latter part of the season on Wearside.
We haven’t seen Callum Styles in a red and white shirt yet, but he boasts not only international pedigree, but also bundles of Championship experience too. He has been playing regularly this season, and it shouldn't take long for him to get up to speed.
Sunderland didn't manage to bring in the experienced striker that they do need, with it being well documented that Kieffer Moore was the club’s main target in the winter window. Moore has since signed for Ipswich and if reports are to be believed, the Suffolk club are covering around £30k a week in wages. Over 17 weeks that equates to £510,000. Chuck a loan fee in there and Ipswich could well be looking at an outlay anywhere between £750k - £1m; an awful lot of money.
To those who say we should have matched those figures to lure the player to Wearside, it’s just not a deal that the current owners are sanctioning as we have done in years gone by. We’ve thrown millions at players over the years, many of which were awful signings. If the club feels comfortable in walking away from the Moore deal, then so do I. Despite his two goals last week, I still feel like it was too expensive. Moore himself used to play for Ipswich, and on the day he signed, they were 16 points clear of Sunderland with a game in hand. For a deal to happen, the player has to want to sign, which is something we often forget. He must think he has a better shot at promotion at Portman Road than at the Stadium of Light. We’ll simply move on, and concentrate on the players we do have, rather than ones we don’t.
Whisper it quietly, but things may well be changing for the better at Sunderland. We may well have turned a corner. We’re still a work in progress as Michael Beale implements his own style and ideas. As I head out on the road for the Huddersfield game on Wednesday night, and to Birmingham on Saturday, I guess I’ll have to remind myself that yes, new relationships do indeed take time.
