Sunderland 0, Manchester City 3

Sep 1 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

THERE are many more miles to cover in Sunderland’s metaphorical journey to the Premier League’s ‘next level’, but few will be more painfully traversed than the 45 minutes which brought the curtain down on an afternoon of misery at the Stadium of Light.

For all the talk of progress and momentum that has buoyed the Black Cats during the summer months, this second half felt distinctly like Sunderland in reverse gear as they were well beaten by an organised and ruthless Manchester City side. Maybe a step backwards is what is required to assess the true extent of Sunderland’s ambition this season. Last weekend’s win prompted talk of a top-six finish from El-Hadji Diouf but however encouraging the Tottenham victory was, there must be perspective applied to soaring expectations.

Sunderland have improved since the anaemic 2-1 defeat Manchester City inflicted on them in April, although at times yesterday it required a forensic examination to find signs of progression.

The problem is the Black Cats’ improvement has not come in isolation, and teams like City will roll up on Wearside bigger and better than they were last season – and equally as capable of puncturing top-half pretensions .

Frustration emerges because fans now know Sunderland are better than a 3-0 defeat against one of the teams they hope to provide a realistic challenge to this season.

The trick for Roy Keane is to mould this team of expensively-assembled top-flight performers into the kind of unit that managed to stay in the Premier League last year with much more modest talent levels.

That may take a bit more time than anticipated, and the Sunderland manager will hope that supporters gorged on increased expectations after an encouraging summer in the transfer market will stick with him.

Take El-Hadji Diouf and Djibril Cisse, for example. A strike pairing that burned brightly in the opening exchanges faded into the ether after half an hour after barely creating a chance for all their brio and invention. More minutes on the field and on the training pitch will bring them closer to their team-mates’ wavelength.

Fans can only assume this performance will stiffen Keane’s resolve to further strengthen his defence, too. Nyron Nosworthy and Danny Collins have looked formidable in the early games but as Manchester City pushed forward with conviction either side of half-time the back four were breached with too little resistance.

Anton Ferdinand should be fit for the Wigan game that follows the international break, and he may yet be joined by George McCartney or Joe Mattock .

Ironically enough, considering how flat the afternoon became, the early momentum was with the Black Cats and their Tricolore trio of Pascal Chimbonda, Cisse and Steed Malbranque. Sunderland’s first electrifying burst came when Chimbonda and Cisse combined to brilliant effect. The defender’s pace gave him the beating of Stephen Ireland, and after receiving a deft back-heeled pass from Cisse he used the space to drill a rising shot that clipped the top of the crossbar.

Cisse provided a dash of the unexpected with imaginative feints and back-heels. However at times the speed of thought outstripped team-mate as well as opponent, and the Cisse-Diouf axis will require more work.

But the zest of the Black Cats’ attack could not completely dull some worrying moments in front of their own penalty box as the visitors’ attacking influence increased with the progress as the half wore on.

On his second debut in sky blue, Shaun Wright-Phillips (pictured left) picked up where he left off by boring into the heart of the Sunderland defence with some impressive direct running.

There was little end product at that stage, but on reflection it served as a warning for what was to follow.

Some of the spark had ebbed out of the game at that point but it returned when referee Chris Hoy was responsible for a pair of shocking decisions, failing to spot a mistimed hack from Richard Dunne on Malbranque as he advanced on goal before Vincent Kompany tripped Grant Leadbitter.

But a calamitous lapse in concentration ensured Sunderland went in at half-time with a goal deficit to add to the sense of grievance.

In first half injury-time Manchester City broke in numbers and with Sunderland retreating into their own half, Michael Johnson was afforded enough time and space from the right to deliver a low pass which was deflected by a desperate Danny Collins challenge into the path of Stephen Ireland.

The midfielder was left with the simplest of tasks and he brushed the ball into an unguarded net to give the visitors an advantage that, on the balance of play, they just about deserved.

The momentum that had carried Sunderland close in the opening quarter of an hour was a distant memory five minutes into the second half when more smart counter-attacking from Manchester City saw the home side stretched to breaking point.

Springing an effective response to a tentative spell of Sunderland venturing forward, Kompany brought the ball forward at speed before feeding Johnson. He fed Jo, whose shot was rolled home by Wright-Phillips at the far post.

And the returning winger, whose every touch was joyously serenaded by the visiting supporters, extinguished the last embers of a possible fightback with a terrific third goal as he deftly flicked a raking Michael Ball through-ball past the onrushing Gordon.

Sunderland toiled on, but it was all far too much like last season for comfort.