With Sunderland's Championship schedule set to resume against Reading tonight, who better to preview the game than Olly Allen from The Tilehurst End fan site and podcast?
You guys are 3rd, despite being under a transfer embargo! How's that happened, and what are your thoughts on the season so far?
We’re just as surprised as you! This is a cobbled together team performing better than the sum of its parts at the moment, and that is largely thanks to a relentless work ethic that Paul Ince has instilled in them. They are running further, battling for every ball and just generally showing a spirit we haven’t seen too often in recent years. 4-0 defeats to Rotherham and Sheffield United show that we can still be vulnerable – particularly away from home – but confidence in the squad and the fanbase is pretty high right now.
How is former Sunderland man Ovie Ejaria doing at the Madejski Stadium (now known as the Select Car Leasing Stadium)?
He is currently out injured, which has been a fairly big problem throughout his time with us – he also spent four months of last season on the sidelines. Ovie is one of the most exciting yet frustrating players to watch. He is capable of magical pieces of skill and often you have no idea how he manages to wriggle his way out of being pressed by three opponents. But too often in a Reading shirt he has been anonymous and underwhelming. He won the game completely by himself with two amazing goals at Fulham away last year, but didn’t score again – or even provide an assist – for the rest of the season.
It looks like you're about to re-sign ex Mag Andy Carroll. What do you think of him?
He quickly became a fans’ favourite during his time here last season, despite us actually only winning one of the eight games that he played in. He stayed fit in his two month spell and worked really hard for the team, defying the two preconceptions most people had about him before he signed. He also scored two of the best disallowed goals you will ever see at home against Fulham. Of course he’s not the best striker in the world and he’s by no means prolific, but we could do with another option in attack and he is probably the best free agent out there. Was very popular with the squad last season too.
What do you think of another Mag in your squad, Jeff Hendrick?
He has made a quiet start to life at Reading but is gradually growing in confidence and our last game against Stoke was probably his best performance so far. Other new arrivals in midfield such as Mamadou Loum and Tyrese Fornah have perhaps made more of an impact, but Hendrick’s experience is important and it seems like there’s more to come from him.
And what about former Boro keeper Joe Lumley?
Lumley came with pretty worrying reviews from Boro fans, but barring an absolute horror show away at Rotherham, everyone has been pleasantly surprised. He’s an excellent communicator and therefore pretty commanding of his box, which we haven’t had in a while. He also shows real passion, geeing fans up behind his goal, which is always great to see from a loanee. A top class shit-houser too.
How's gaffer Paul Ince done since arriving?
He wasn’t a popular appointment when he took caretaker in charge in February, mostly because he hadn’t managed in eight years. He did enough to keep the club in the Championship, which was certainly an achievement considering we were at rock bottom confidence-wise when he came in, but three straight defeats toward the end of the season meant there weren’t too many fans desperate to see him stay. Nonetheless, he was given the job full time and his popularity has soared in recent weeks thanks to our excellent start to the campaign. As mentioned, he has got this group of players working so hard and also responding well to adversity – we have won both games immediately after our 4-0 defeats. There’s a lot of people, myself included, eating humble pie right now.
Who's been your best player so far this season?
Paul’s son, Tom. It would be easy to say that he is only in the team because of his dad, but he has genuinely been exceptional so far. Most fans probably remember Ince Jr as a winger, but he has played almost exclusively in the centre this season – whether that be in the number 10 role or as a striker. He typifies the hard-working nature of this team and leads the press from the front. Against Stoke he won more tackles and made more blocks than anyone else on the pitch, which shows you how much he contributes aside from a threat going forward.
Does the team have any weaknesses we can exploit?
Reading don’t particularly like having the ball. It is no coincidence that all five of our wins this season have come with less possession than our opposition. We are much more comfortable working hard out of possession and pressing intently. So if you give these players the ball, they’re not always sure what to do with it or how to create chances. I have sung his praises, but Lumley does remain a slight worry just because we know he has a howler in him. One mistake and his confidence could be shot and the back three in front of him contains Tom McIntyre (23 years old) and Tom Holmes (22) who are still guilty of showing their inexperience at times.
Which Sunderland player worries you the most now Ross Stewart is injured?
Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts both seem to be players that have had underwhelming careers after being tipped for big things, but still have that raw talent so could suddenly have a game where they are unstoppable for 90 minutes. I have to say that Stewart’s absence is a huge boost for us though and gives me much more confidence.
What's your score prediction for the match? Who will get the goals?
Our home form so far this season has been perfect - with four wins from four league games at the SCL Stadium – and I think that will continue on Wednesday night. While I expect it to be a hard-fought and fairly even game, I’m backing us to take a 1-0 win. Lucas Joao to score.
It's still early, but where do you reckon both sides will finish this season?
Probably around the same place, lower mid-table. We’ve made an incredible start but I would be surprised if we are able to keep it up throughout the campaign, particularly as it remains a pretty thin squad that might not have it in them to cope with the demands of a play-off battle. But considering that we were heavy favourites for relegation at the start of the season, something like 17th would be a great achievement.
When Sunderland came up I felt they were the best-equipped of the promoted teams to survive and that remains the case. I’m a fan of Alex Neil and thought he did a superb job, but I won’t dwell on him too much as Tony Mowbray was overachieving at Blackburn and is a very decent replacement. I see that results have been fairly inconsistent so far which isn’t too much of a surprise, so I think we may be near each other come May.
And finally, where is the best place for SAFC fans to grab a pre-match pint?
I’m happy to admit that the SCL Stadium is one of the worst grounds in the country for away fans as it’s an hour’s walk from the town centre and is sat in the middle of an industrial estate. The Three Guineas right next to Reading Station is the designated away fans pub but the fanzone at the stadium has been growing in popularity in recent years and there’s a good atmosphere before games where away fans are welcome. It’s outside the East Stand. There is a West Berkshire Brewery truck and a few decent food options too. I’ll warn you that it’s not that cheap though.
