Phil Smith's Sunderland AFC verdict: Frustrating afternoon highlights Tony Mowbray's key challenge

It should have been a result to make the long trek worthwhile.

For half an hour, this was Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland at their very finest. On a ground that for a while became synonymous with fluid, passing football, it was the visitors catching the eye. 

Swansea City looked uncertain, struggled to retain the ball and at times it felt as if Sunderland could play through them at will. Time and time again Mowbray’s side were able to find Dan Neil and Jobe goalside of their opposite numbers, or out to Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke in space. Mowbray said this spell was the best his side had played all season - they looked every inch a top-six outfit. 

Even Charlie Patino’s two controversial yellow cards told their own story. While Swansea felt aggrieved with the decision to dismiss Patino and understandably so, both fouls happened because of Pierre Ekwah’s dominance in that part of the pitch. Twice he was quicker and stronger, twice forcing the foul with his own good play. 

With an extra player on the pitch, over an hour to play and Sunderland in such a groove, surely it would only be a matter of time? 

The frustration on the face of every Sunderland face at the end told you that it had not been so simple. Swansea, to their credit, arguably improved in the face of adversity. They defended their box well, and after the introduction of Jay Fulton at half time they were far more combative in midfield. 

Sunderland were unfortunate, to an extent. Three times they hit the woodwork, and their domination of the game was almost total. And yet somehow it was obvious that they had also not quite done enough, that they had become laboured and not as incisive as they needed to be.

Perhaps the most telling stat was that for all their possession, all their territory and all their efforts, only three of them were on target. Carl Rushworth’s most impressive save in the Swansea City goal came when Dan Ballard’s header struck Luke O’Nien in the six-yard box and headed for the top corner. 

Sunderland got into good areas, but they did not create big chances with any regularity.

Here was the evidence that while Sunderland are a very good side, they are not yet a complete side. Mowbray admitted that the stalemate underlined the inexperience of his strikers in the box, who he felt were too easy to defend against. In Mowbray’s words, they just can’t quite get the formula right with a centre forward.

It should be said that in this, Sunderland are not alone. Proven strikers increasingly command a premium beyond sides without parachute payments, and the tactical evolution of the game means that goals are more than ever coming from wide areas or deeper positions. Jack Clarke currently sits top of the Championship scoring charts but he is no anomaly. In the top ten there is Morgan Whittaker, Sammie Szmodics, Jonathan Rowe and Crysenio Summerville. Sunderland are far from the only side to have developed a tactical identity not dependent on a traditional, penalty-box striker. 

The irony is that now Sunderland have striking options, they are struggling to integrate into a side whose patterns of play become ingrained before their arrival. All have exciting attributes, but all are finding their way to an extent. Nazariy Rusyn looked very dangerous in the opening exchanges, frustratingly losing his footing when played through on goal by Jobe. When the red card pushed Swansea City deeper, though, his main threat of bursting in behind was nullified and he faded quickly from the game. Luis Hemir showed in pre-season a pleasing knack of getting goalscoring opportunities in the box and that was why Mowbray turned to him early in the second half. Frustratingly, he wasn’t able to register a shot and that has been a theme in his cameo appearances. Mason Burstow has offered a lot in terms of his athleticism and pressing ability, but he too has struggled to find space against more experienced defenders. 

None of which is any major surprise and part of the task for Mowbray is to keep the confidence of his strikers high, knowing that they have a difficult task in a highly-pressurised and scrutinised role. Sunderland’s budget meant that they were never going to be able to recruit a ‘proven’ operator, and so it was always going to be the case that they would need players to learn on the job. 

This long and frustrating passage of play in South Wales showed why Sunderland are often more convincing and freer scoring on the road than at home. When there is space their wide forwards and attacking midfielders can be devastating, but against low blocks they need another option that at the moment isn’t quite there.

It would be wrong to pin this frustration all on the strikers, too. Mowbray had responded to a bizarrely open start to the second half by making a triple substitution and structurally it had the desired effect, Sunderland finally beginning to dominate the ball and thus prevent Swansea from getting up the pitch and relieving pressure. The delivery into the box was too often not precise enough, though, which was a surprise given the quality of player in question. Alex Pritchard at one stage looked more baffled than anyone as what appeared to be a routine cross drifted over the heads of everyone in the box and out of play.

In the end, Sunderland were indebted to Anthony Patterson for his excellent penalty save in order to even take a point back on the long trek up to the north east. 

This was another game in which Mowbray’s side had shown their potential and their obvious quality, and yet also demonstrated that they have much development to do before they can be considered one of the very best at the level.