Phil Smith: Sunderland's Millwall reunion an uncomfortable reminder of disappointing campaign's turning point

Much has changed at both Millwall and Sunderland since their last meeting, a 1-1 draw in early December. 

For Millwall a long and challenging winter saw Joe Edwards, a highly-rated coach but inexperienced in management terms, replaced by club legend Neil Harris. Fears of relegation have somewhat eased in recent weeks, though are not yet entirely extinguished. For Sunderland, well, that Millwall game would come to be something of a turning point in their campaign. 

They would of course go on to win their next two games, impressive performances against West Brom and Leeds United overseen by Mike Dodds. In truth, though, their campaign never recovered from the tumultuous week that ultimately saw Tony Mowbray relieved of his duties. 

It had started a week previous at Plymouth, a performance that was probably a microcosm of the first half of the campaign. Sunderland dominated, created numerous chances that they couldn’t convert, and were then picked off on the break. A genuinely woeful performance at Huddersfield in midweek followed, though there was mitigation in that Mowbray had missed the entirety of the build up with a nasty virus. And then to Millwall. The frustrations and tensions that had steadily been building from the moment Mowbray sensed the club’s ownership were casting envious glances elsewhere in the summer previous bubbled over, a relatively forgetful game with significant consequences.

The catalyst for the fall out was in part Mowbray’s triple-substitution on 56 minutes, a young trio of Abdoullah Ba, Adil Aouchiche and Mason Burstow withdrawn for Alex Pritchard, Patrick Roberts and Bradley Dack. To Mowbray’s internal critics, it highlighted a lack of tactical detail and trust in many of the club’s summer recruits. To Mowbray, it was a move to add some experience and guile to a side that seemed to be heading for defeat. All three who were introduced had an influence as Sunderland turned the tide, landing an equaliser but ultimately not creating enough to win the game.

In his post-match press conference Mowbray laid bare his frustration, unsubtly making clear that he felt under pressure to play some young players who he did not feel were ready for Championship level. It had been a debate raging behind the scenes but now the head coach was making his point publicly, suggesting that the emphasis on development would come at the expense of results. “There you are at 55 minutes and I want to win,” he said. At one stage, Mowbray was asked by a national reporter whether he expected to get an experienced striker in the January window. The head coach laughed and suggested that the reporter in question didn’t know Sunderland.

They were remarks that signalled the end of the road, the breakdown in relationship between head coach and club hierarchy now complete. In the days and weeks following his dismissal, Mowbray would admit that there was some relief amid the frustration - events had brought his position close to untenable. 

All water now long flown under the bridge, but worth reflecting on as Sunderland prepare for their final three fixtures and what will be a crucial summer rebuild.

Would Sunderland still be in contention for a play-off place had they kept on with Mowbray at the helm? Probably not, but that in itself is in part a vindication of Mowbray’s stance. Three head coaches have now taken charge and none have been able to yield a return of last summer’s arrivals up front, the view that they were being held back by Mowbray’s preferred playing style surely now no longer credible. Mowbray would have found the recent injury and suspension list no easier to handle, the dip in results highlighting the lack of depth in the squad. He would almost certainly have been able to lead his young squad through that challenging period, however, and his calm communication was most sorely missed through the tumult of the new year, the FA Cup clash with Newcastle United and everything that followed.

The point of all of this being: everything that has followed since has highlighted that some change to how Sunderland operate is needed this summer, and the new head coach cannot be expected to be a silver bullet. Whoever arrives needs more depth and more cutting edge in the final third, while Sunderland must find the right candidate to bring back the fearless football that almost took the Black Cats all the way back to Wembley. A steady temperament to manage the highs and lows of life on Wearside week in, week out is also a must.

The Black Cats believed that the foundations were in place for a play-off push but that proved not to be the case, and it’s impossible not to feel now that some of Mowbray’s management qualities were underrated by those in charge. Under Michael Beale the football got worse, the performance data worse, and a malaise set in that left many supporters feeling disconnected after relishing the fearless football of the campaign previous. Though there were some on Wearside who felt Mowbray’s departure was the right move, few have approved of what followed and the trust in Sunderland’s hierarchy has been shaken as a result of that process and its eventual outcome.

The spirit on show in the last two games has been a step in the right direction but even by Mike Dodds’ own admission, going forward Sunderland are not where they once were or where they would like to be. 

That afternoon at Millwall cast a long shadow over what is now destined to be a season of disappointment on Wearside. The lessons must be learnt.