FIVE games, eight points. These might still be extremely early days in the Championship season, but Sunderland are not just up and running following their promotion from League One last term, they are positively flourishing in their new surrounds.

Admittedly, five matches is a small sample size, but if the Black Cats were to replicate their current ratio of 1.6 points-per-game over the course of the whole campaign, they would finish with between 73 and 74 points. Last season, that would have been good enough to end up in seventh position.

Clearly, a lot is still to happen in the next eight-and-a-half months, and while the transfer window remains open for another week-and-a-half, there are justifiable concerns about the lack of depth in the current Sunderland squad and the potential for things to get significantly more difficult if injuries and suspensions bite.

For now, though, the strength of the club’s start is cause for considerable satisfaction. Prior to the opening weekend, there were understandable questions being asked about the ability of Sunderland’s younger players in particular to handle the demands of life at Championship level. Five games in, and any fears have been well and truly allayed.

“If you’d offered me the start we’ve had before the start of the season, then I would probably have said yes and taken it,” said Alex Neil, after Ross Stewart’s third goal of the campaign secured a second away victory at Stoke City. “As I was saying before the start, we’re a really unknown quantity at this level. The vast majority of the lads have never played at this level before.

“I had a look back at the Sheffield United game, and I think there were 16 players in total that took to the pitch. Of them, only five had played Championship football at any point of their career before the start of this season. All the other 11, the only games they had played were the games they had played in the first few games of this season. So, for them to acclimatise the way they have done and attack it so well is brilliant.

“But based on the games we’ve played, I’ve probably got a different outlook on it because I think we’ve merited more than we’ve got. The QPR one still hurts me to this day. That’s not going to go away for a long time. But we’re pleased with where we are. That said though, it’s still just the start of the season and there’s a long, long way to go.”

One of the major positives from the opening month of the campaign is the way in which a number of different players have assumed starring roles.

Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms have hogged the headlines, with their three goals apiece confirming the potency of their newly-formed attacking partnership, but Anthony Patterson has made some crucial saves, not least in the first half of Saturday’s game, Lynden Gooch has impressed as an attacking right-back, Alex Pritchard has slotted back into life in the Championship seamlessly and Jack Clarke shone brightest on the opening day.

At the weekend, it was the turn of Dennis Cirkin to steal the limelight, with the 20-year-old producing the kind of accomplished defensive display that belies his lack of experience at any level of senior football, let alone in the second tier.

Cirkin shone sporadically last season as both a left wing-back and a left-back in an orthodox back four, but his performances have been elevated to another level since he was positioned on the left-hand side of a back three.

Strong and dynamic enough to deal with his defensive responsibilities, Cirkin really comes into his own when he is able to stride up the pitch with the ball at his feet. Ideally, in a back three, the wide centre-halves should be comfortable in possession, slotting in as an extra midfielder when required. Cirkin, with his grounding as an attacking full-back, would appear to be ideal for the role.

“He’s tailor-made for that position in a three, and I think he feels more comfortable there too,” said Neil. “Sometimes at left-back, you don’t have the full pitch in your view, particularly if you’re bumped up high because what happens a lot of the time is that you end up playing with your back to goal when you’re receiving the ball.

“At the minute, every time Dennis gets it, the pictures are there, and his biggest strength is stepping into the game. When he steps in, he can really drive with a purpose. I thought there were three or four occasions in the second half where he literally drove 60 yards up the pitch and took us all the way to the other end of the field.

“He’s got good quality, he’s aggressive, he's good in the air, he covers the ground, and he can go one-versus-one defending on the flanks. He's got all the attributes to be really, really good in that space, and I thought he showed all of that here.”

With Cirkin to the fore, Sunderland repelled Stoke’s attacking threat during a first half that was shaded by the hosts until Stewart struck in first-half stoppage time. Released beyond the Potters defence by Jack Clarke’s through ball, Stewart slotted home an angled drive that Joe Bursik was unable to keep out despite getting a decent hand to the ball.

Dwight Gayle threatened in the second half with a lob that sailed over the bar, but Sunderland were a constant threat on the counter-attack, with Stewart, Simms and Elliot Embleton all going close to claiming a second goal.