After a Premier League weekend that most commonly attracted descriptions such as ‘mad’ and ‘crazy’, it is easy to forget that the headline story before the action played out – in what was the fifth round of matches in this 2014/2015 campaign – centred on Alan Pardew.
Newcastle United’s beleaguered manager was bracing himself to run the gauntlet of a packed St. James’ Park, with the majority of home supporters expected to join in an orchestrated protest at Pardew’s continuing reign. The anticipated public skewering of the former West Ham boss only ever appeared likely when Saturday’s visitors, Hull City, established a two-goal second-half lead, and Papiss Cisse’s late double to draw the scores level has at least bought Pardew some time.
The intense scrutiny on events at Newcastle – a multi-faceted drama, owing to the ongoing contradictory ownership style of Mike Ashley – has spared, somewhat, a wider gaze falling upon Sunderland’s ponderous start to the season.
Perhaps the most enigmatic team in the top-tier, the Black Cats certainly have more cause for satisfaction than was the case at the same stage last term. It was after his Sunderland side had picked up just a solitary point from their opening five fixtures and, most damagingly, turned in dreadful performances in losing at Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, that Paolo Di Canio was dismissed from the Stadium of Light hot-seat.
Notwithstanding a couple of notable home victories early in his tenure, it would be a while before Di Canio’s replacement, Gus Poyet, really got a handle on matters at the club. He eventually did just that however – and in conclusive fashion. For a period, Sunderland were reserving their finest displays for the Capital One Cup, but it was actually after they succumbed – despite an admirable showing – to Manchester City in the final of that competition, that Poyet’s men hit their stride, if not immediately.
In the nick of time Sunderland found form; drawing at City, deservedly winning at both Chelsea and Manchester United and, perhaps most impressively given the gravity of the occasions, swatting aside Cardiff City and West Brom in front of fevered 45,000 plus home crowds.
Their safety secured, and with the Uruguayan manager having a summer to tinker with his squad – as well as a pre-season in which to further impose his ideas – Black Cats followers would surely not have expected to be left waiting so long, again, to see their team register a Premier League win.
After becoming the latest side not to pick a way through a stubborn Burnley outfit, Sunderland have taken a total of two points from their trips to West Brom, QPR and then to the Clarets’ Turf Moor. Most pertinently, the team’s form is more reminiscent of the inconsistency that marked Poyet’s initial time in charge, than of their dramatic charge to the 2013/2014 line.
Fabio Borini might be a fish out of water as part of Liverpool’s all-star attacking cast but, throughout his loan spell in the north-east last term, the Italian was pivotal to Poyet’s game-plan. More than a valuable source of goals, Borini was a perfect front-running ally for Connor Wickham, the 21 year-old striker whose late season five goal burst gave rise to the hope that he was finally ready to fulfil his unquestioned potential.
An ever-present in this embryonic campaign, Wickham, along with the club’s other front-line forwards Steven Fletcher and Jozy Altidore is yet to find the net. Jack Rodwell, a £10m buy from Manchester City, has achieved that feat, providing the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against pre- ‘appointment-viewing’ Manchester United. Notwithstanding that headed effort, Rodwell’s impact at the Stadium of Light has, so far, been peripheral. The jury, therefore, has to remain out, on whether the former Everton player will prove a shrewd investment on Poyet’s part – and the same is true for many of the 46 year-old’s purchases across his near twelve months on Wearside.
One success story last season was the loan signing of left-back Marcos Alonso, now back with parent club Fiorentina. The Spaniard’s replacement Patrick van Aanholt has looked full of promise when in his opponents’ half of the pitch, but far from watertight when called upon to perform his defensive duties.
At right-back, Billy Jones, brought in after the expiration of his West Brom contract, hasn’t been able to displace Santiago Vergini. Centre-back pairing John O’Shea and Wes Brown, meanwhile, are visibly growing old together – albeit, both remain intermittently capable of summoning ‘big’ individual displays.
Poyet has gone back to his previous employers, Brighton & Hove Albion, for the signatures of Liam Bridcutt and Will Buckley. That duo, however, which cost a combined £5m, has yet to force their way into the manager’s preferred eleven. The gifted Jordi Gomez, taken on a free from Wigan Athletic, has also found himself being asked to influence proceedings coming from the bench.
There have been a few bright notes in Sunderland’s early season form. Sebastian Larsson and Adam Jonson have shown up well, even if Johnson seems destined to never locate the consistency desired from such a talented footballer. Lee Cattermole continues to be an unlikely revelation protecting his back-four, as well as showing glimpses of real quality in his creative work – while Inter Milan loanee Ricky Alvarez has the potential to add some greatly needed dynamism to his new team’s attacking play.
There is no hint that Poyet is under pressure for his job; rightly so given his work to stabilise and then improve the chaotic circumstances that greeted him when he walked through the door last October.
Home fixtures with Stoke City and Swansea City could possibly give the club, and their boss, some valuable breathing space. Equally, those two teams have already chalked up some notable triumphs of their own in the last month, and are perfectly capable of finding joy on their respective visits to Wearside. Should they manage to do that, Poyet might have to ready himself for an unwelcome glimpse into Pardew’s world.
Paul McNamara has just published ‘The More We Win, The Better We Will Be‘, a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a non-league football club that offers the unusual opportunity of viewing an entire football season at one club from multiple viewpoints. To follow Paul on Twitter and grab a discount code, please follow this link.