Matchday Musings: Frustration and optimism as Sunderland share the spoils with Millwall
Today at 06:26 AM
The starting eleven was different, but many of Sunderland's best attributes were on display at The Den, as Andrew Smithson reflects on Saturday's feisty draw
Team selection was a major talking point ahead of the trip to Millwall, and yet the news that Dennis Cirkin was out having undergone wrist surgery seemingly came out of the blue.
After a deliberate attempt to stay away from social media recently, it may be the case that this was already known to most supporters and I just happened to miss the speculation beforehand, but on the face of it, Sunderland did well to keep the story quiet – although we now have more injuries to manage after another bruising afternoon.
This is nothing new for the club, and sadly not for Cirkin, either.
One of the best performers so far this season but a man who's been hampered in the past, his absence could have an effect during our upcoming games. If you want an example of how fitness and availability can be the two main factors in a result, look no further than The Den, where a patched up team put up an excellent fight, only to fall at the last.
With centre backs filling in at full back, important individuals lacking match sharpness following their own layoffs and an inexperienced bench restricting the chances of introducing fresh legs in the closing minutes, Sunderland just being able to push the division's form team as far as they did was impressive enough.
However, mental and physical tiredness go hand in hand, and a smidgen more composure at the end would probably have been enough to see through what would've arguably been the best result of the campaign so far.
Some spells were still up there in terms of the highest levels seen under Régis Le Bris, who continues to adapt as the situation changes.
There's an element that came away from Bermondsey questioning the decision to 'sit back' the longer things went on, but I take the opposite view, as allowing the hosts possession whilst remaining compact plays to our strengths, even if it makes for nervy watching.
When in the final ten minutes or so, a breakaway goal looked to be a possibility, it felt like this had been a classic away showing, and it's just that once you get into added time, perhaps your best bet is to shut up shop again.
That's easy to say from the sidelines, as the conditions certainly didn't help, and nor did the problems listed previously.
There was also the protracted nature of things due to the medical emergencies, which prompted a stop/start period that I assume may have been the reason for Aaron Connolly's muscle pull, with injuries once again hurting us and taking away a player who'll have been buzzing from not only being involved but also scoring a lovely goal.
It's not the main point of course, and given the circumstances, it goes without saying that the priority is those that were impacted directly or had to witness potentially disturbing scenes, but the two teams were also put in an unenviable position.
With that in mind, they deserve credit for being able to pick things back up in a high energy encounter, as do those responding and dealing with matters in the stands.
Those that took ill will have been just the same as the rest of us: going to the match and hoping to see their side do well.
How people now go into the Tuesday night game against West Bromwich Albion will depend on whether they're a 'glass half full' or 'half empty' type of person.
Sunderland remain top and have not been beaten for what seems like an age, yet we're on a run of draws and have also given up a couple of leads. There's also the fact that a quick turnaround for some of those involved on Saturday will be a big ask.
Personally speaking, the draws aren't quite as bad as some wish to make out.
Expectations have risen quickly, so games suddenly look more winnable on paper, but they're still against teams with their own reasons to battle, and for a team to remain unbeaten even during their own blip, things must be going quite well.
It would appear to be the case that Cirkin was held back from an operation until Dan Ballard and Aji Alese were ready to start, and there are some more big names due back in midweek, so now can be the time for another surge.
Had we conceded ten minutes earlier and then held on, the point would've felt a lot more valuable.
The frustration at watching things slip so late doesn't have to be the overriding emotion however, as there were still lots of positives to take from a fixture many fans would've accepted a draw from in the first place.
The Baggies will pose a similarly awkward test, although this current group hasn't baulked a challenge thus far and has overcome numerous hurdles already.
