Phil Smith's verdict: Making sense of another worrying night for Sunderland after defeat at Sheffield Wednesday - and where next

Then it was pride and joy, opponents from a higher division beaten on penalties and more than matched through the ninety minutes.

And sure, the reaction was tempered. The league is the absolute and ultimate focus, these uplifting nights an added bonus in the bigger picture.

Even in the immediate afterglow, some injury concerns and the potential impact of that on league fixtures ahead ensured celebrations were measured.

It would have felt a stretch all the same to imagine the shock and the concern just seven nights down the line.

Sunderland had vowed a response to that dismal afternoon at Rotherham and yet here we were again.

Forty minutes to play, and the game all but over as a contest. That utterly numbing feeling of going through the motions, the opposition comfortable.

Sunderland have a problem, and they know it.

Sheffield Wednesday are not known as one of the more aggressive sides in this division; far from it. By and large Darren Moore's style is to play, to build from the back as Sunderland do.

Unsurprisingly, though, he had seen what we all had seen.

Florian Kamberi was introduced to the side to add a second physical presence up front and once again, the Black Cats were found wanting.

Lee Johnson said his Sunderland side were better here than they had been at the New York Stadium, and to an extent that was true.

Particularly through the first half, the energy levels were better and in terms of significant chances, there was not a great deal between the sides.

What Johnson also accepted entirely was that counted for little when his team defended their box, once again, so poorly.

The first goal was poor, failing to deal with a long ball and failing to track a simple forward run from the left wing-back.

The second was even worse, particularly as it came in a spell when the home support were just beginning to get a bit restless, feeling that their side were sitting in at the major risk of throwing away that early advantage.

A long punt into the channel from the goalkeeper, again not dealt with. The wing back again not tracked on the opposite side, and two chances to deal with the cross missed entirely.

There is no getting past the fact that on a foundation like this, Sunderland's automatic promotion push will get nowhere.

It had been something of a gamble from Johnson not to stick with the same back five who had struggled so alarmingly at Rotherham, particularly as the head coach himself had conceded that down his left flank inexperience had been exposed.

At full back it should be said that his options have been limited severely by injury, but at the heart of defence the option was there to rotate.

Further forward the changes to add more energy and physicality in the wide areas were understandable, but the desired impact did not materialise.

For much of the game it felt like Sunderland were again lacking balance.

Too easily exposed defensively, and not incisive enough in possession.

The absence of players like Alex Pritchard and Elliot Embleton was glaring. There were times when Sunderland played into relatively encouraging areas, but for the most part their creativity around the edge of the box was absent.

It was to Ross Stewart's credit that he was again Sunderland's most influential player, but it spoke volumes that so often he was having to drop so deep in an attempt to build spells of possession in advanced areas.

Confidence has ebbed away, quickly and dramatically.

Lincoln's request to postpone the upcoming fixture means that Sunderland are now facing a long wait until their next league fixture, one in which cup wins will only go a small way to arresting some of the growing concern.

After the game Johnson called for faith, noting that with so many young players in the side it was never going to be a linear path to success.

This is a point he is more than justified to make, and worth remembering in the wider debate over where Sunderland go next.

The shift to a new style of play and a new recruitment philosophy is not his alone and far from it. That has been decided by the hierarchy, Johnson recruited to implement it.

Johnson is now facing his biggest test on Wearside, to quickly rebuild confidence and to find that elusive balance between development and resolve in games.

Though some elements of the performances may have improved, this still looked a game too far for some players in the side who had been surprisingly retained.

The Sunderland boss was under no illusions that by the time Ipswich Town visit the Stadium of Light for what will be another challenging fixture, signs of clear improvement will be expected and demanded.

Johnson had clearly been stung by some of the gallows humour in the away end in the closing stages, and here there is an obvious gap between the journey of the new regime and the journey of the loyal support.

For the former, these are the first steps of a long process.

For the latter, this is the fourth draining season of a spell in footballing purgatory. You can understand the concern when, for example, debates over being too vulnerable to the flat, direct ball dominated discussions in the 2018/19 season.

Johnson insists the goal remains top place and that he believes this squad can do it.

After a punishing few days on the road, supporters have been left needing quick reassurance that the plan remains on track.

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor