Sunderland are on the rise — and others are taking notice!

“Your lot are doing well so far, aren’t they?”

“Sunderland are surprising a few people this season”

“For a newly-promoted club, you seem to be giving it a go”

Have you got friends like these and heard many comments like this? I have!

Of course, being an ‘exile’, I’m more likely to hear comments from supporters of other clubs than most, but what I’ve noticed is that despite the vague idea that Sunderland have been active in the transfer market, the people I’ve talked to haven’t really realised that this is almost a brand new team.

When I point out that it’s quite presumptive and naive to assume that this is the side that beat Sheffield United in the playoff final, they almost have to take a reality check and readjust their opinion.

When think about it, most of us are really only concerned about what our own clubs are doing.

I mean, have Ipswich got the same starting eleven as they did in the Premier League? In all honesty, I don’t really know. How about Nottingham Forest? Bournemouth? Arsenal? West Bromwich Albion? Whether in the Championship or Premier League, other than major headline signings, I for one am not really up to speed with every other club’s starting line ups and benches.

So, why should supporters of other teams know much about us other than the fact we’re newly promoted and that we’ve brought a few players in? When I point out that last weekend for example, we only had two starters that played at Wembley, they’re genuinely surprised.

In a way, no one can predict with any certainty or evidence how well we’ll do in each game — especially this early in the season.

In effect, we’re a brand new team but this side hasn’t just been thrown together like I think some experts assume. Instead, it’s been carefully constructed. We’ve searched for the correct pieces to put into the correct spaces and this doesn’t just mean skill-wise, either. The management group seem to be looking for players with the correct mindset, attitude and ability to be a team player.

As a Black Cats fan and because this is a newly-constructed team, I’ve approached every game thinking, “This game will tell us something about this team”. During the first game of the season against West Ham, I was wondering, “Can we actually compete at this level?” — and that question was gloriously answered.

Our first away game at Turf Moor was a strange anomaly against a team that had been promoted with us, but it was also their first home game of the season and was always going to be more difficult than our players would’ve been mentally prepared for.

That said, there were moments in the game that could’ve turned the scoreline in our favour, but that could be argued during every game and the small moments have to be taken advantage of, otherwise a different pattern emerges.

Then it was back to the Stadium of Light to play a decent Brentford team. Could we compete with such a top, forward-thinking side? A question emphatically answered again. Onto the fourth match, another new test and a new question: how could we perform away at a powerful, cup-winning team like Palace? Yet again, we were all pleasantly surprised and uplifted by the battling performance the Lads put in.

This Sunday, we’re back at home — at what many hope will be a fortress this season — to play Aston Villa. The questions are still coming— “How will we fare against a team who were in the Champions League quite recently, are stung at the moment and no doubt raring to kickstart their season against a newly-promoted team?”

I suspect the questions about how we’ll cope in various games will continue throughout the season and will change we lose players to the AFCON, as well as coming up against recent Premier League champions.

I also suspect that quite soon (December aside) the question will change and we won’t be wondering how we’re going to perform or cope in various matches out of blind hope or fear, because we’ll have a clear understanding and evidence of what we’re capable of.

How heartwarming it was, therefore, to read so many positive comments from Crystal Palace fans after last week’s game…

“Sunderland are a proper team and they played like they belong in the Premier League”

“Great to see a newly-promoted team giving the game a right go, instead of sitting back and waiting for the inevitable”

“Sunderland won’t be relegated this season — they’re a proper team with good, strong players”.

However, as Sunderland fans, we sometimes find it hard to come to similar conclusions as we’ve been battered and bruised so many times in the past that it’s hard to expect anything good to happen! “When will it be our turn?” was a memorable question on the Netflix series. Well how about considering the answer — “Now”?

I’m starting to believe that this may well be a new era at Sunderland AFC, and it’s totally unlike anything I can remember in the past. The structure of the club both on and off the pitch has been carefully assembled in order to be forward thinking. They’re taking the fans with them, valuing our support, energy and passion, and players who have qualities other than their footwork are being brought in.

I think this is a new beginning for our club and I think a corner has been well and truly turned.

The early clamour for tickets, the stadium bouncing again on match days and the growing sense of pride, hope and belief is almost palpable. We just need to start believing and we need to rid ourselves of the ‘underdog’ tag.

“When will it be our turn?” How about now?

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