It is a curious thing that after such a promising start to the league campaign, lauded by many, Sunderland find themselves at the wrong end of the table, just three points above the drop zone. Steve Bruce has admitted his side must turn draws into the wins and haul themselves up into the top half of the Premier League.
The Black Cats have drawn their last five games, drawn their last two games 0-0 and scored just seven goals in their eight games this season. These statistics have to be put in their correct context however. The fact that Sunderland have played Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal already this season ameliorates them, but only slightly. The six points gained from these games does not look so clever when set against the three points taken from Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. It is probably not constructive to point out that maximum points from these fixtures would have seen the Black Cats in second position.
Probably the biggest concern is the goal scoring. It is almost becoming a clich
