Phil Smith's verdict: Breaking down the big Sunderland question right now and what we learned from Phil Parkinson

You wait for the roar, the excitement, the change in tempo and it never quite arrives.

On this occasion, though, perhaps shock also played a part in the slightly surreal atmosphere that greeted Tom Flanagan's red card.

Sunderland had again been defensively robust against Charlton Athletic, Lee Burge with little to do as the hosts struggled to make any real headway in the game.

So it took everyone by surprise when substitute Chuks Aneke rose to beat Bailey Wright to a header, and Connor Washington managed to spring clear from Flanagan as he met the flick-on.

The contest of course changed in that moment but even then, it must be said that the Black Cats were not too troubled. A settled unit stood strong.

Sunderland have conceded just one goal in the league this season, and that was from a penalty. It's no fluke, either.

Heading into the game at The Valley, only two sides had conceded fewer shots and had a lower expected-goals-against tally.

Here, they conceded just four shots (all from outside the box) and had an expected-goals-against total of 0.1.

None of which is to say that Sundrland are infallible. The lively cameo from Aneke (who has just returned after his recovery from COVID-19) underlined the gap between where Charlton are now and where they are likely to be in six weeks or so.

He caused problems, as both Brandon Hanlan of Bristol Rovers and Siriki Dembele of Peterborough United have done in patches of their trips to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland, though, look in good order even if Parkinson knows a little more defensive cover is need in the transfer market.

One of the key factors to this has been the excellent form of Grant Leadbitter, who again delivered a controlled, disciplined performance in front of the back three.

The poise in possession is exemplary, and most importantly of all, the speed in which he reacting to loose balls and arriving into challenges shows that is on top of his game.

Parkinson, then, raised few eyebrows when he said that his side had given themselves a good platform after this opening four-game run of the season.

The fixture list was deemed to be a challenging one and so to be tracking at two-points-per-game is a return most would have accepted as a solid start.

Sunderland look, without any doubt, to be an upper-tier League One unit and the work ethic of the side is strong.

The question for most supporters is whether, for all of this encouragement, the attacking play is enough to turn a top-six side into a top-two side.

It's a fascinating conundrum on an afternoon when there were more changes to the side and more frustration at a clinical edge just lacking.

Parkinson has said that he will rotate his options this year, confident that his strength in depth is much improved.

Yet there is no doubt that he is also waiting for a forward to truly seize their chance, to settle a contest and make themselves undroppable.

The chance creation for Sunderland, by and large, has been good this season.

They fire more crosses into the box than any other team, are regularly forging shooting opportunities and their tallies for touches and shots from inside the box are encouraging.

Parkinson went with Danny Graham and Aiden O'Brien for this contest and it was not without just cause that he said the pair had looked a threatening partnership.

O'Brien, in particular, is a player who has brought some welcome variety to Sunderland's forward play and this afternoon was a microcosm of his Wearside career so far.

Midway through the first half, two superb touches took him away the Charlton defence. At the crucial moment, though, a flash of hesitation allowed the hosts to recover and the chance to pass.

That he is Sunderland's most prolific striker when it comes to shooting this season underlines his capacity to pick up clever positions and link up with his team-mates.

The wing-backs are also clearly enjoying his presence in the channel and the same has to be said for Graham, whose two league starts so far have brought few shots but plenty of intelligence.

There were encouraging signs from the pair but as Parkinson himself said, they are big enough and tough enough to know that they will be judged on their goal tally.

Graham, in particular, was left to rue the glorious opening missed in the first half when he turned Josh Scowen's cross over the bar from a matter of yards.

Scowen, it should be said, was lively and again delivered some good set pieces.

It was an afternoon that offered some justification for Parkinson's claim that in this system, the most natural fit for him is not in central midfield but in the role normally occupied slightly further forward by Chris Maguire. The issue here is that there is no natural home for Lynden Gooch.

Again he dropped deeper at the Valley, and when he finally had the chance to spin away into space and drive towards goal late in the second half, the yellow card he drew only underlined what is lost when he does not play high up the pitch.

These are the combinations where Parkinson is still searching for the right balance.

His most natural finisher is Will Grigg, and yet his tenure so far suggests he feels the system in place benefits more from a traditional target man. That conundrum, despite promising summer signs, feels no closer to being solved.

Many supporters feel a new striker is needed, but Parkinson's post-match remarks strongly implied that he believes he has what he needs.

Sunderland look a strong side, but they are not yet a ruthless one.

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