Sunderland were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa, and their former manager Steve Bruce, on Tuesday.
Chris Coleman’s reign at Sunderland might have started with a defeat but there was more than enough to give these disillusioned supporters reason to be cautiously optimistic.
Sunderland were as good in possession as they have been at any time in recent memory and they even took the game to Villa early on, Bryan Oviedo forcing a decent save from Sam Johnstone before the hosts took an early lead through Albert Adomah.
For the first time in many a week, The Black Cats played far better than a side bottom of the Championship. And Coleman’s opposite number, Villa boss Steve Bruce, was relatively impressed by the impact the former Wales manager already appears to have had on the Wearside strugglers.
“I have to say, I thought Sunderland were very decent. They rolled their sleeves up and had a go for the new manager,” Bruce, who managed Sunderland from 2009 to 2011, told the Birmingham Mail.
“It’s very difficult for Chris Coleman coming in. He’s got himself in a difficult situation there.
“But what I’ve seen from them today, is are they as low as they can get?”
An improved performance is all well and good, however, but Coleman will be fully aware that he needs to get points on the board as soon as possible if Sunderland are to ease the growing fears of successive relegations.
As it stands, The Black Cats have won one of 18 league games and, in the 2-2 home draw with Millwall on Saturday, became the first side in the history of English football to go 20 fixtures without a victory on home soil.
Sunderland travel to fellow strugglers Burton Albion on Saturday, however, and that could be the perfect fixture for Coleman to get a win under his belt.
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