Sunderland currently sit third in League One after 15 matches.
Sunderland could have quite easily continued to plummet down the divisions after back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and more recently the Championship.
But under Jack Ross the Black Cats have been excellent in League One so far this term, and four straight wins have got them into third with a game in hand on both Portsmouth and Peterborough United, who currently sit in the top two.
The Wearside team were the obvious title favourites heading into this season, but defender Jack Baldwin says he and his teammates thrive on the pressure of expectation in an interview with the Northern Echo.
When speaking about Sunderland’s recent success, Baldwin said: “At times we’ve had to dig in and defend for our lives, and as defenders, that’s what we love doing, putting our bodies on the line. I think that will instil some fear into other teams now that, ‘Actually, they mean business’.
“We’re looked at as one of the favourites, if not the favourites in this league, so the question’s there week in, week out and we’ve got a group of boys that thrive on that.”
Baldwin himself has been a major part of the continued success that is currently pleasing the Sunderland faithful, with the influential central defender often in the way of opposition shots and clearing danger no matter what.
The former Peterborough United man has won the hearts of the loyal Black Cats fans with his no-nonsense approach, and the 25-year-old will undoubtedly be an integral part in the success Ross and his side hope to achieve come May.
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