Phil Smith's verdict: Inside Sunderland's latest Stadium of Light frustration and the long-term flaws behind it

It's also a story of the little details, neglected for so long, that have left the club once again labouring.

They sit ninth, now, after their latest failed attempt to build some long overdue momentum at the Stadium of Light.

On the road, they are tracking at two points-per-game, promotion form in any campaign.

At home, they sit 15th on points earned with a record of just 1.18 points-per-game. They have won just three, and have a negative goal difference.

The reaction to this latest misstep has been fierce, an inevitable consequence of watching the same game play out, over and over.

Lee Johnson summed this up neatly post-match, identifying the trend that preceded his arrival and has continued subsequently.

Teams are scoring from one, two shots on target. At the other end, the Black Cats seem to need fourteen, fifteen attempts to open up their opponents.

It's a story of continously slack defending, switching off at key moments, combined with a repeated lack of composure in the final third.

This was another night when cross after cross was overhit; countless passes over the top fired straight into touch.

What Lee Johnson said about Sunderland’s home form and the reasons behind it

Johnson was right to say that his team dominated most of the statistics in this game, and he was equally right to pay it relatively short shrift.

Had this been a one-off, you could point to that dominance as a sign that results will turn.

Some of the approach play was good, and to Johnson's credit, this was a game where the hosts did open up space and stretch the Plymouth defence at times.

The problem is that after thirteen games, the pattern of failing to turn dominance into points is entrenched.

This was Plymouth Argyle's first away win of the campaign and that has been a narrative all-too familiar.

Mansfield Town had not won a game all season when they deservedly dumped the Black Cats out of the FA Cup.

MK Dons were without a league win away from home when they outran and outplayed an insipid Sunderland side.

Wigan Athletic were without a win in thirteen, and without an away win since August, when they punished an early lapse and blunted the Sunderland attack to land three points. .

The draws have been equally costly. Burton Albion and AFC Wimbledon (with the COVID-19 outbreak an obvious caveat for that one) have also earned a point that belied their otherwise poor league form.

The root of this issue is harder to establish.

What Lee Johnson said about Stadium of Light pitch issues

Johnson insists the execution in the final third is not beyond his squad. He sees them produce it in training and there have been times, at Lincoln City and even in the latter stages at AFC Wimbledon, where they have produced it on the road.

At home, though, the play is rushed, frantic and ineffective.

Just a week ago, Sunderland produced a patient, controlled display to knock Port Vale out of the Papa John's Trophy. The drop in standard of opposition has to be accounted for, but the contrast with the panic that seems to define the league performances at home was considerable.

Even the equaliser here showed the potential is there. Neat, patient play on the edge of the box, a fine cross and a superb header.

Getting the balance of the side right is an ongoing project for Johnson, still very early in a tenure that has been badly affected by that COVID-19 outbreak.

From his squad, he needs more. Two-and-a-half years into life in the third tier, it is simply not good enough.

Johnson was measured post match, but also fired a stern warning to his squad.

After bemoaning their attitude in the first half at Plough Lane on Saturday, here he noted 'culture errors' that clearly troubled him as much as the defensive errors and the poor attacking play.

He wants his squad to be tight-knit and if anyone endangers that, he said, 'they'll be gone quicker than you can say their name'.

There were reminders everywhere, too, of the deeper malaise that has made results like this a frequent occurrence.

It was, Johnson made no attempt to disguise, to Plymouth's credit that they adapted to challenging conditions and a wretched pitch quicker than the Black Cats.

So it was not to create an excuse or a diversion that Johnson conceded that the Black Cats needed to invest in their pitches across the club.

It was an honest response to a direct question, when everyone watching could see that the standard of the Stadium of Light turf fell well short of what is required.

Johnson named the ground staff as his man of the match for getting the game on when at one stage it had seemed unlikely. Like so many other departments, they need help and they need investment.

Perhaps the defining image of the night was Jack Diamond stalling on the right wing, unable to attack his marker as he couldn't trust the ball to stay true under his feet. The attack stalled, the danger passed.

These are little details but they matter. Johnson has been tasked with implementing a high-tempo, attacking style and to do it he needs support and he needs investment.

So much of the club has been shamefully underpowered under the current regime. Reflected, for example, in the fact that Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman are attempting to rebalance the squad with what is essentially a non-existent recruitment department.

There have been encouraging signs in his tenure so far, not getting too low here as important as not getting too high after the AFC Wimbledon win.

Ultimately it was a night that served as a reminder why broader change is needed if he is to have any chance of successfully realising his vision.

The signs of long-term failure were all too evident once again, here.

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