A nod to the past with control, composure and maturity in the present

Saturday’s visit of Oxford was the centerpiece game of Sunderland’s Founders Week, during which there had been plenty of wholesome and evocative content on social media relating to the glory days of years gone by, not to mention the launch of some lovely new Hummel gear to really whet the appetites of those who may have wanted something a little different.

Outside the stadium, the presence of an old-fashioned city bus was a neat touch, and the sound of the theme from Z Cars greeted the players as they walked out. It was all executed superbly; almost as superbly, in fact, as our performance against Des Buckingham’s visitors.

From the first whistle to the last, the Lads controlled this game perfectly, and the only thing that was perhaps more impressive than the performance itself was the quality of the two goals, which we’ll come to later.

Sunderland were utterly dominant in all departments, and even the injury-enforced absence of Anthony Patterson, whose place was taken by Simon Moore, didn’t knock us out of our stride.

The likes of Dan Neil and Jobe were supreme, striding through the game with impudent ease and dictating the tempo at their discretion, and the burgeoning central defensive partnership of Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham functioned perfectly once again.

Upfront, Wilson Isidor continued his hot streak with another goal, and the three points were ultimately banked with the minimum of fuss, which was no mean feat after the rigours of Kenilworth Road and a stern examination by Luton in midweek.

Sunderland add two more cracking goals to the highlight reel!

If our first goal against Oxford, a powerful headed finish from Jobe after a slick team move, was impressive enough, the second was a thing of absolute beauty and to be frank, I’m struggling to think of another Sunderland striker during the past decade who could’ve scored it.

A lofted pass forward from Dan Neil was dropped onto a sixpence for Isidor, with the Frenchman making a beautiful cushioned volley past Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming look ridiculously easy as the on-loan striker showed another devastating flash of his quality in front of goal.

It gave us a 2-0 lead that was never going to be relinquished, and as Isidor took in the acclaim in front of the North Stand, it felt like an all-too-familiar tale: a Sunderland loan player being taken to the hearts of the supporters and giving them something special to take home afterwards.

I love this guy and I hope that we can make his signing permanent next summer. He really is that good.

Photo by Martin Swinney/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Another brick in the wall of ‘Fortress Stadium of Light’

This victory sent us five points clear of second place and a whopping nine clear of seventh in the Championship table, but perhaps the most important thing was the message it sends to those who are attempting to chase us down.

These lads mean business- particularly at home- and any visiting team will be aware that in order to take anything away from their trip to the Stadium of Light, they’ll have to find a way of neutralising a Sunderland side that can score goals from anywhere, is immensely strong in midfield and blessed with outrageous quality in defence.

Under Régis Le Bris, the players seem to be operating under the belief that there’s no such thing as a lost cause, as we saw against Leeds United, and winning games in the manner that we did on Saturday really should put our fellow promotion rivals on notice.

We’re building an immensely impressive home record and after our recent away victories over Luton and Hull City, a potential Achilles’ heel could be on the way to being rectified, which bodes extremely well for a potential promotion challenge.

Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

Régis Le Bris reigns supreme once again

The ‘We’re having a laugh/taking the piss/top of the league with Régis Le Bris’ chant is rapidly becoming a modern classic, and as the Frenchman was serenaded by the Roker End at various stages during Saturday’s game, the growing affection for Le Bris as a man and a football coach was undeniable.

He’s as classy and considered in interviews as the football being played by his team, and his cool reserve makes him ideally suited to what is always a high-pressure, high-stakes managerial role.

His Sunderland side are blessed with the grit and toughness of Alex Neil’s class of 2022, but they can cut through teams with the kind of precision and attacking flair of which Tony Mowbray’s Lads were always capable. It’s a potent and exciting combination, and you really can’t speak highly enough of what this man has done since arriving in the summer.

He’s looking like a truly inspired appointment and there’s a hell of a lot of love for him from the Sunderland fans. The hierarchy should be praised for their decision to bring him to Wearside, and he should be credited with overseeing a major upturn in our fortunes after the shambolic ending to last season.

Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images