Editorial: There's no need to let negativity set in — let's look forward with optimism
09/16/2024 01:00 AM
Saturday was disappointing, but it's for the best that we just draw a line under it and crack on. Nothing good can come from getting mired in misery.
I hold my hands up — I just didn't see that coming on Saturday.
I'm probably guilty of getting carried away more than anyone, but even the most cynical of Sunderland fans must have been expecting us to escape from Home Park with all three points, given just how brilliant our start to the season has been.
We've been largely faultless, and Plymouth hadn't won a game until they beat us, so I didn't see it coming, even though I probably should have.
One, it's Sunderland. You should never be surprised by anything. And two, the Manager of the Month curse is a real thing... sorry, Régis.
I've already written about the game in some length in the post-match Matchday Musings piece which went out on Sunday, so I won't go over it again in granular detail, but I think it's fair to say that Plymouth deserved their win, even if all three goals were absolute gifts from our usually secure defence and goalkeeper. The performance wasn't good enough and had we managed to nab a point, it would have been a lucky escape.
I suppose that brings us back down to earth at an opportune moment, because the games coming up don't get any easier and we have to face Middlesbrough next, who are bound to come to the Stadium of Light with their tails up and with the confidence that they can beat us in the same way that Plymouth did.
It proved we aren't untouchable, and that we are human. We're capable of an off day.
Now we must respond. If you want to be Champions come the end of the season — and I'm pretty sure if you asked the players if they do you'd be met with a resounding yes — then you have to act like Champions. And even Champions fail from time to time.
What's important is how you react to your disappointments. On the rare occasions that Manchester City lose a game of football, they do everything within their power to put it right. Nobody mopes around and lets their heads drop — instead they re-focus on what is important and go into the next game with an even bigger ambition to make the next team pay for the feeling of disappointment they felt the last time out.
Sunderland must approach this next week of preparation in the same way that all the big boys do. If we allow negativity to set in, we cannot move forward.
I think the same applies to us all, actually. As fans we have to try and get that last performance out of our heads and remember that we're a good team, and hope that this was just a blip that we are more than capable of overcoming.
Certain players have been criticised for their performances on Saturday, and fairly so, but it's for the best that we just draw a line under it and crack on. Nothing good can come from getting mired in misery. These lads haven't become bad players off the back of one bad showing.
This is a brilliant, exciting team capable of doing amazing things on the pitch. Let's focus on that and look forward to this next match with the belief that we can not only win but pick back up from where we left off before the international break.
