Having produced one of their worst performances of the season so far against Portsmouth last time out, Bristol City travel to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday to face Sunderland in search of a reaction.
Liam Manning’s side were unable to lay a glove on Pompey at Fratton Park on Saturday with goals from Colby Bishop, Josh Murphy and Callum Lang ensuring all three points remained on the South Coast. Most supporters will be keen to forget about the game in its entirety and fortunately for them, attentions now turn to the Black Cats.
Regis Le Bris’ side currently sit fourth in the Championship table having only lost three of their opening 19 league games this season after a summer which was filled with uncertainty at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland are yet to lose at home so far this term and, while Le Bris’ men have struggled to turn draws into wins in recent weeks, they got back to winning ways with a late 2-1 win over Stoke City on Saturday afternoon to end a six-game winless run.
Defeat at Fratton Park leaves Manning’s Robins 12th in the Championship table, six points adrift of the play-off positions and eight clear of the relegation zone. While there is still a lot of football to be played, City are already in danger of seeing their campaign fizzle out into a midtable finish.
Last season, the two sides drew 0-0 at the Stadium of Light while the Robins managed to secure a 1-0 win at Ashton Gate earlier in the campaign, with Tommy Conway’s first-half penalty proving to be the difference between the two teams in the West Country.
Ahead of Tuesday night’s game, Bristol Live spoke to Josh Edwards from Mackem News to get the latest insight on Sunderland’s season so far.
How would you evaluate Sunderland’s campaign so far?
All in all, it’s been impressive. Given the failure of last season and the fact that an unknown manager came in off the back of a sacking, to be a win away from potentially being top in December is remarkable. Having the pleasure of seeing the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg develop has been amazing and Sunderland have achieved all of this while having many, many first-team players missing for large parts of the season. The recent drop-off has been disappointing but it’s hard to complain at all. For the large part, it’s been enjoyable to watch the Black Cats play football again which was certainly not the case last term.
What sort of impact has Regis Le Bris had since arriving in the summer?
A massively positive one and nothing less. Given his lack of experience in the country added to the fact he is still very much learning his trade, the impact has been astounding. Again, he’s made it enjoyable to watch Sunderland play football again while also picking up results.
One win in six matches looks poor, and it is, but under other managers, Sunderland would have lost the games that they drew, so to have only lost once in a narrow defeat to Sheffield United speaks volumes about the way he has the team set up. Not only has he made it enjoyable to watch, but the players seem to also love him. The likes of Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are thriving under his management and he’s been a key component in the rapid development of several players.
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What has made the Black Cats so hard to beat at home this season?
Chris Mepham has certainly helped. Without being biased he is easily one of the best defenders in the Championship and having him back on Tuesday night will be huge. Aside from him, the work rate since Le Bris came in has gone up tenfold and defending is now a whole team effort. At times Sunderland have been guilty of sitting too deep and ultimately that is why they have dropped points in several games but the press makes it very hard for teams to create any real opportunities. Sunderland fans celebrate a tackle almost as much as a goal, so when the press is initiated, the atmosphere becomes very unsettling for opposition players and it leads to errors.
Who are the key players City fans should be looking out for?
For the first time in a long time, I could name several. Tommy Watson has been incredible in recent weeks. Two goals against Stoke and a penalty won against Sheffield United showcased just how dangerous he can be despite only really coming into senior football last month. Wilson Isidor is always a threat and Jobe Bellingham is the best midfielder in the division in my opinion. Goals are a slight concern but the entire team has performed this season and it is genuinely hard to pick out a standout player.
If I had to name one, it would be Watson. He’s everything Jack Clarke used to be for us albeit with less cutting edge. Fearless and ambitious are two great words to describe how he plays and with him being somewhat of an unknown to opposition defenders, very few have been able to prevent his influence.