ITHICS fanzine: “For a team who’s only been beaten twice, Sunderland have some miserable fans!”

We have had eleven 1-1 draws this season - that’s quite a symmetrical number given both digits in the number eleven are 1s! More than half those draws have come in the last two months, or six weeks.

Since beating Bradford 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day we have drawn each game 1-1, apart from single goal victories against Blackpool on New Year’s Day and Wimbledon on the 2^{nd of} February - so although it can’t be said that the wheels have fallen off, the inability to kill teams off is a definite concern.

On the bright side, we remain unbeaten during this period, and we have scored in each game. We still have only lost twice this season and other teams have started to fall away.

Portsmouth’s deterioration has been spectacular. Luton have been relentless, but they are due a sticky patch. If this is our sticky patch, I’ll take that.

The performance on Tuesday night was a marked improvement as of late, and hopefully things will improve. Jack Ross has a proven record in Scotland. Let’s let him get on with it.

Sunderland AFC

Predictably, the fans are restless, or some sections of the supporters are. I saw one tweet by a fella who was resigned to us ending up in the play-offs on the basis of Tuesday night’s result.

We currently lie in fourth place, ten points off top spot with two games in hand. Luton have built up a six-point gap from second. If we win both our games (I know it doesn’t look likely at the moment) we’re two points behind Luton. Everyone’s saying how impressive Luton are, but we’ve drawn with them twice this season - and at the Stadium of Light even their fans were thankful for a fortuitous penalty which gave them their equaliser.

I keep saying “who’d have taken this situation at the beginning of the season?” - it wasn’t too long ago that we had just been relegated for the second time in a row, been through the rigors of an ownership change, new management and the complete overhaul of the team.

By most people’s reckoning, we had a good transfer window - but even after only his second game, Will Grigg is under fire with some fans for not scoring. Give the lad a chance!

The team doesn’t need this pressure from certain sections of the fanbase.

I am confident the team will click, start scoring more goals and finishing off teams.

We’ve got Accrington tomorrow night and that could be the start of a run; or the continuation of one, whichever way you look at it.

For a team who’s only been beaten twice, we have some pretty miserable fans.