Talking Points: First away win of 2024 brings a sudden shift in mood

Enter! Sunderland made an impressive comeback to form in Wales following a protracted stretch without a victory.

How did that get there?

Before the game, it seemed unlikely that Sunderland would achieve a respectable outcome, but they threw away the form book and went back to playing like their best team under Tony Mowbray.

There seemed to be a class difference in Wales on Good Friday, with only one club ever feeling likely to win, despite recent results for both teams seeing the Bluebirds pass the Lads in the midtable Championship positions.

This was the best performance in a long time and reminded fans a lot of how they appeared when everything clicked last season. During the slump, there have been moments when fans have wondered when the next three points will be picked up.

An annoyance for the hosts

The home supporters at Cardiff City Stadium were left inconsolable over penalties not for the first time this week after Sunderland seized the lead due to a contentious call made by the referees.

Despite not being the worst foul ever, the side put pressure high up the pitch and forced an error, therefore it appeared like the proper decision to award a spot kick.

The team led by Mike Dodds used this strategy on other occasions subsequently as well, and the players are currently more comfortable playing from the front.

AA comes to the fore

Adil Aouchiche scored the first goal with a fantastic strike, but not many would have had him down as a penalty taker. He didn’t just contribute with that, though; aside from his second-half cross, he consistently searched for the ball and located open spaces.

It is crucial to have midfield players with technique and comfort with the ball, and since Jobe is putting in a lot of effort to act as a bit of a focal point up top, it would be ideal to assume that the two will stay in their current places until the conclusion of the season.

That second resulted from their effective collaboration, which saw Jobe read the eye of a needle set up. If they can maintain this kind of connection and provide the remainder of the attack with something to work off, the side as a whole will gain.

1 through 11 plus the remaining 9 (plus a few others)

My favorite kind of Sunderland exhibition is this one, when everyone was contributing. Undoubtedly, certain team members made a big impression, but even the more reserved ones handled their responsibilities well and worked hard.

It was also great to see one or two faces back on the bench, especially with a lengthy drive back and a short turnaround scheduled before Easter Monday.

Give credit to Dodds and company as well; they fielded a team that appeared assured and tactically astute despite the fact that it must have been difficult to maintain the positive vibe these last several weeks.

After a victory, everything always seems better, but the performance confirmed it and served as a welcome reminder that the team is still capable.

Off course

It seems a little ungrateful to ask for more given the recent difficulties in front of goal and some of the poor performances away from home, but the truth is that better finishing and decision-making might have easily resulted in an even more comfortable margin of victory.

The defence cruised through the game, keeping Cardiff at arm’s length for the most part, the midfield coordinated beautifully to help dominate, and the side showed purpose going forward, so a little more composure was all that was stopping this from becoming a rout.

Scoring first proved to be a significant boost, allowing some confidence to return, and when your only minor criticism is that Sunderland could have scored more, you know you’ve had a clever afternoon.

Slip and slide!

SAFC handled the wet circumstances admirably, but once the game was ended, Erol Bulut’s team faltered slightly, maybe utilizing the slick surface as an excuse for one or two weak challenges.

To be fair, the Lads stood up to that element of the contest and demonstrated a lot of solidarity; the recent international break was clearly needed and could have provided a chance for a reset, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a few knocks and strains were picked up as a result.

Back on track?

Another Easter weekend journey to Cardiff is now complete, and as with previous season, this triumph should serve as a springboard for better things in the coming weeks.

After all, all it takes is a decent performance to make everything look better again – we should know by now not to get ahead of ourselves, but the Blackburn Rovers game now looks a lot more interesting. Roll on Monday!

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