Saturday’s victory over Norwich City was the latest in a run of encouraging results at the Stadium of Light, and it’s certainly worthy of praise, writes Phil West.
Last season, it’s fair to say that the Stadium of Light was as far from the notion of a ‘fortress’ as it could be, as goals, games, and points were handed over to visiting clubs on an alarmingly frequent basis.
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From the harrowing defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough under Tony Mowbray to the witless losses to Coventry and Hull under Michael Beale, to a particularly galling 1-5 defeat at the hands of Blackburn under Mike Dodds, it was frequently a place for travelling fans to relish their visit and for home fans to dread as the Lads struggled to gain any real momentum.
This was a big factor in our frighteningly bad finish to the 2023/2024 season, but things are thankfully different now.
The playing squad may be much the same, but after Sunderland rallied from a goal down to see off Norwich City on Saturday, wrapping up their 2024 home schedule and pocketing another valuable three points in the race for Premier League promotion, further evidence was provided that under Régis Le Bris, we’re a fiendishly difficult side to beat in our own backyard, and that the ‘Stadium of Light factor’ is now playing a key role in what’s turning into a campaign of sustained
This season, many of our most impressive results have occurred in front of a home crowd.
We’ve also had some fantastic successes on the road (just three league losses remains a significant number, despite some difficulties along the way), but the improvement in the Lads’ home form has been a huge boost.
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The resounding victory against Sheffield Wednesday, as well as the manner in which we defeated Burnley, and a Chris Rigg-inspired triumph over Middlesbrough, set the tone for our ambitions.
Derby and Oxford’s subsequent trips were handled professionally and efficiently, with Jobe and Wilson Isidor scoring stunning goals in both games.
However, there have been exciting comebacks, such as the exhilarating, Illan Meslier-inspired 2-2 draw against Leeds, as well as tenacious recoveries to turn things around and earn three points against Stoke City and the Canaries.
Yes, we’ve dropped points when we shouldn’t have, most notably when Coventry fought to steal a point from nowhere, and we came perilously close to losing against Bristol City before Patrick Roberts saved us, but our home record this season needs to be commended.
For quite some time, I’ve seen a genuine shift in attitude under the leadership of Le Bris, who has stayed consistent in his ideas and has been a picture of calm even when we’ve encountered unavoidable roadblocks.
Indeed, after recently sailing into choppy waters during a lengthy run without a victory, we’re now in calmer waters after three wins and a draw, and the relish with which we seem to go about ensuring that visiting teams leave Wearside with as little as possible to show for their efforts reflects how the players have responded to his management.
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For years, we wondered why playing in the Stadium of Light appeared to be an impediment rather than a benefit to our athletes.
Was the weight of expectation so heavy? Was the atmosphere an important factor? Four years in the depths of League One took a toll on everyone’s morale, but in our third season back in the second division, we finally appear to have made a consistent breakthrough.
I’ve long believed that you don’t need to add to the atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light to generate a buzz, and that what gets fans excited is the prospect of seeing a Sunderland team that will fight for every ball, refuse to accept any cause as ‘lost’, and make damn sure that their opponents don’t have it easy.
Light shows, foghorns, and pre-game music are all fine, but what truly matters is how the Lads perform on the field for ninety minutes.
They’ve done a lot of excellent work this season, and with Sheffield United coming up next, they’ll undoubtedly be looking forward to starting 2025 in the same way they ended 2024.
We’re not a perfect squad, but we’re a highly resilient and well-drilled club, and the fact that we haven’t lost a game on Wearside this season is something everyone can be proud of.
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