WHEN you win just two of your final 15 games of the season, a fair amount of negativity is bound to creep in. No manager, no striker, no ambition and seemingly no plan. It is safe to say Sunderland were in a mess at the start of the summer.

Fast forward three months, and some of the problems remain unaddressed. The need for a new centre-forward is obvious, while Regis Le Bris still has to prove his coaching methods and philosophies can withstand the demands of a full season in the Championship. Holding on to key players, most notably Jack Clarke, beyond the end of the transfer window could also be a challenge.

Amid all the understandable doom and gloom that has provided the backdrop to much of this year, though, perhaps it has been easy to overlook the positives at Sunderland though, particularly when it comes to the strength of the squad that Le Bris has inherited. Yes, this is a team that plummeted down the table last season, seemingly unable to win a game. But it is also the bulk of the group that made it to the play-offs two seasons ago, playing some of the best football witnessed on Wearside for quite some years.

Anthony Patterson, Trai Hume, Dan Ballard, Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham, Clarke. There is a reason why Sunderland boast a number of players who have been attracting interest from Premier League clubs, and it is because those clubs think the players in question are capable of playing in the top-flight. Any of that septet would improve pretty much any other team in the Championship. Provided they remain fit, you don’t have to add too much else to create a team that should be more than capable of holding its own in a promotion battle.

“I can understand the doom and gloom that was there towards the end of last season,” said Neil, who skippered his hometown club for the first time since being awarded the armband on a permanent basis as they kicked off the new campaign with a 2-0 win at Cardiff at the weekend. “It was kind of the same for us as well because we weren’t picking up results and we were falling further and further away from where we wanted to be.

Sunderland midfielder Dan NeilSunderland midfielder Dan Neil (Image: Ian Horrocks)

“But the core of the squad has always been there. We know the talent that there is within the group, and this is most of the lads’ third year in the Championship. We’ve got two years of experience now, and I think everyone has grown into the league. We know what to expect from the league now. Obviously, we know the Championship can be unpredictable, but we have experienced a lot now and I think that will really help us.”

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The depth of quality within the Sunderland squad was apparent at the Cardiff City Stadium as the Black Cats claimed their first opening-day victory outside of League One since 2009.

Hume and Cirkin were both excellent at the back, alongside the outstanding Luke O’Nien, who opened the scoring with a close-range header but really caught the eye thanks to the defensive blocks and challenges that helped keep Cardiff at bay. Neil kept things ticking over nicely at the heart of midfield, and while Roberts and Bellingham were relatively quiet for long periods, they still produced occasional flashes of attacking brilliance that confirmed their quality.

Then, of course, there was Clarke, uncharacteristically quiet for 89 minutes, before bursting into life with the trademark cut inside and finish that sealed Sunderland’s victory. One game, one goal. The Black Cats’ talisman is up and running.

There haven’t been many additions so far this summer, but the one player to make his debut at the weekend, Alan Browne, already looks an astute addition. Industrious, energetic and keen to make thrusting runs forward rather than popping the ball off sideways, the free signing from Preston should be an ideal complement to Neil and Bellingham in Sunderland’s midfield mix.

“Alan’s got an unbelievable engine, unbelievable legs,” said Neil. “We knew that from when we played Preston previously. Every time we’ve come up against him, we’ve talked about the unbelievable engine he has.

Alan Browne on his Sunderland debutAlan Browne on his Sunderland debut (Image: Ian Horrocks)

“He’s a bit more of an experienced head in there as well, which helps us because me and Jobe are still young. We’ve got experience for our age, but Browny has been around for a long time. He’s a good leader on the pitch, and he’s got quality in possession as well. He did a few driving runs, and I thought him, Trai and Pat linked up really well on that right-hand side. I’m sure you’ll see more of that as the season goes on.”

On the opposite flank, the return of Cirkin in the left-back position was also a huge positive. The 22-year-old made just five starts in the whole of last season, with Sunderland undoubtedly missing his dynamic input in both the defensive and attacking phases of the game.

“I thought Dennis was absolutely brilliant, considering the amount of time he was out for last year,” said Neil. “To come into a tough game, against tough opposition, I thought he was absolutely excellent.

“He brings that different dimension from a full-back. Trai is very much touch, pass move, whereas Dennis will drive with the ball and drive aggressively. He’s also really good in the air, as you’ve seen. He scored a good number of goals towards the back end of the season two years ago, and that’s a weapon that we need to utilise. I thought he was excellent.”