Sunderland fan blog: Cats must respond against Sheffield Wednesday after worrying performance at Rotherham United

And now, within the short space of four weeks, it’s their second time within the same situation, but yet, this one feels significantly worse.

Against Portsmouth, Sunderland had the treacherous weather conditions to blame mostly for their catastrophe on the south coast when they shipped four goals but at the New York Stadium, the Black Cats had nowhere to hide as they let five in.

They were simply out-played by a Millers side that simply wanted the three points significantly more than the away side, with Sunderland suffering from their own lack of control, composure and at stages, leadership.

Lee Johnson took “total responsibility” for the tactical element of the performance but he expects “the players he trusts” to produce a display for him on the pitch.

From minute one, Sunderland were second-best.

Rotherham pushed their wing-backs high up the pitch, and the Black Cats were unable to cope.

Rotherham’s control in the midfield areas proving vital to their control and despite Sunderland producing a 10-15-minute period where they stepped up the tempo, Paul Warne’s side seemed untouchable.

Sunderland’s ‘leadership group’ lacked any sort of direction or authority on the pitch, and Aiden McGeady’s rash red card completely summed up Sunderland’s afternoon, as their frustrations boiled over, in an ending that had the remaining Sunderland away support partially filled with murmurs of boos.

And, in truth, you can’t really blame them – a long trip on the road requires results and performances on the pitch and on Saturday, there was neither.

After two successive league defeats, of course there are questions to be answered from Lee Johnson and his team, and those answers will be provided on Tuesday night, as a response simply has to come at Hillsborough.

Sunderland’s resurgence with KLD was never going to be an easy fix and if Saturday showed anything it’s that the Black Cats still have far to go both on and off the pitch before they can reach their goal.

Johnson pondered the use of January signings to strengthen his set of players, but for now, it’s on the pitch with the current crop of players that the response has to come, and that begins on Tuesday against Sheffield Wednesday.

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