Black Cats Rising At Sunderland

So was it because the referee was too unfit to keep up with the pace of the game? Or because of Ben Foster’s increasingly irrational goalkeeping? Is Sir Alex Ferguson the master of diversionary tactics? Or simply a very bitter man? In the aftermath of Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland discussion has focussed largely on one of these four angles. If you are Ferguson this is a good thing, because clearly his aim was to deflect attention away from the inadequacies of his team.

If you are Steve Bruce on the other hand you could be forgiven for feeling ever so slightly aggrieved that not even holding your own with the champions of England to claim a thoroughly deserved point away from home is enough to grab headlines, if a juicier story lurks elsewhere.

For, interesting as those talking points may be (well, not really – is Ferguson the master of misdirection, yes; is he a very bitter man, no – he often congratulates opponents just not always at the appropriate times; is Alan Wiley fit to referee, clearly yes – refs undergo regular and rigorous physical checks; is Foster costing his team, right now yes) one aspect of Saturday that has failed to be given the copy it deserves is the rise of Sunderland under Bruce.

Last season, under the rather unsteady guidance of then manager Ricky Sbragia, Sunderland were a team going nowhere. Except down to the Championship, were three teams not even worse than they. The lack of leadership at the club was obvious, and the team had become as disjointed as their current boss’ pummelled nose. In Sunderland’s last ten games of 2008/2009 they managed just 6 points.

Fast forward six months though and the club has a new lease of life. The Black Cats are invigorated and vibrant. Sunderland have become powerful, energetic and much harder to beat. No longer do they whimper timidly through games, passing the ball aimlessly around their own half. Through his shrewd signings, Bruce has brought a stronger backbone to the team and made them more direct.

“We are a team with more direction and purpose than last year and the manager has a lot to do with that,” argued Andy Reid, a player much improved under Bruce. “Everybody knows their jobs and as a team we know what we’re doing. That, coupled with the mentality of the lads who’ve responded well to the new manager has come together to give us a decent start.”

This decent start, with four wins and a draw from their opening eight games, has sparked a quiet wave of optimism in the terraces at the Stadium of Light. “The new-look Sunderland have well and truly arrived,” claimed a contributor to Sunderland’s independent fanzine A Love Supreme after the United game, and for many fans the feeling is that with Bruce at the helm the team are heading in the right direction.

Bruce’s new, more attack-minded approach and the improved performances of players from last season are two big factors in the Sunderland revival. The leaner, fitter Reid, the gradually increasing consistency of Kenwyne Jones and the clever deployment of Kieran Richardson at left back can all at least to some extent be put down to Bruce’s astute man-management abilities and shrewd tactical sense.

But it is in the transfer market where Bruce really came up trumps and his new signings have significantly improved Sunderland as a team. In attack Darren Bent has been a revelation with 7 goals in 8 league games, and the blend of his partnership with Jones upfront looks to have genuine promise. The pair have 12 league goals between them already. At the back, the signing of Michael Turner from Hull City for just £6 million looks a steal.

And in the midfield duo of Lorik Cana and Lee Cattermole, Bruce has added drive, fierce commitment and guile to go with the flair of Malbranque and Reid. I still cannot understand how the former United skipper managed to get Cana to the Stadium of Light when several clubs around Europe were lurking. Already made captain, the Albanian is a class act. “I believed the spine needed strengthening – you can see what we have tried to do. We have tried to put a bit of presence there,” Bruce reasoned, and already his efforts are reaping rewards.

Sunderland were just minutes away from their first win at Old Trafford since 1968, and had they got it few of red, white and black persuasion – Ferguson included, would have been able to argue. With two men upfront (a rarity for away teams at Old Trafford these days) Sunderland bristled with intent and took the game to United with both purpose and authority. Finding players with Bent or Cana’s abilities is a skill in itself, but turning individual talents into a cohesive team is an artform – one which Bruce is learning quickly.

Plenty of challenges lie ahead but the early signs are promising for the Black Cats. If they continue on their current trajectory (Sunderland play Liverpool next) and continue to gel as a unit, Sunderland can be a top eight side by the end of the season.

How do you think Sunderland will fare under Steve Bruce this season? Comments welcome.

Darren Bent, English Premier League, Steve Bruce, Sunderland