Sunderland fan blog: Unacceptable SAFC performance left Tony Mowbray with head in his hands

The anger, clear. His thoughts, seemingly unclear. This was the same angry, frustrated Tony Mowbray that we saw post-match against Burnley in the Black Cats’ last home match. The Sunderland boss must have thought his worst nightmare was still continuing.

His reason to be angry was felt all across the Stadium of Light from minute one against the Bluebirds - Sunderland were lost, weak, poor…you get the picture.

And that picture is that the Black Cats were simply not at the races: even by Sunderland’s standards that they’ve set themselves this season, this was unacceptable.

Just as the discontent was building inside of the Stadium of Light, the away side struck. Yes, there was a hint of offside in the build-up to the goal, but there were no complaints that this was coming.

For Cardiff, their only negative from this trip North would have been that the game wasn’t put to bed earlier – it was that bad from the Black Cats. What it leaves the home side is plenty of impending questions from supporters, and not so many answers.

This is a Sunderland side under Mowbray where we don’t expect these standards of performances. In doing so, it’s probably credit to the start to the season that they’ve made and how they’ve adapted to the second tier.

Mowbray’s team selection always seemed an aspirational one: any changes made to Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Huddersfield would always been a fine line to tread. The changes in midfield are ultimately ones that backfired, whilst Ellis Simms was given his first start since his return, and underwhelmed.

But that’s not saying all the blame for this defeat lies at the door of Mowbray; part has to be given to the players kicking every ball and fighting every battle. Yet after this display, that footballing cliché is one that is so distant; they may have kicked every ball, but the purpose of those passes and the quality alluded them at the wrong time.

It leaves Sunderland with a bitter taste in their mouth. In this moment, though, it’s important not to forget that this is a Sunderland side whose project is only getting out of first gear. When Mowbray stepped foot into this club, he pinned focus onto the “dark days ahead” – this was one of those days.

The Sunderland head coach needs his talisman, Ross Stewart, back sooner rather than later, and with the World Cup break within touching distance, Dan Ballard, Lynden Gooch, Edouard Michut, Aji Alese will be some of those back into first-team action.

When those names are back in action, this will be a Sunderland climbing back up the Championship table, but in their absence, the Black Cats seem to have lost their identity.

An afternoon that promised so much for the Wearsiders fizzled out into another frustrating day for the Mackems.