Everton found themselves in a similar situation to Sunderland 11 years ago.
After nine games of the season, it is fair to say that things are currently looking worrisome for Sunderland and David Moyes.
They sit bottom of the Premier League, without a win and already five points from safety.
The former Everton and Manchester United manager is already the favourite to be sacked, and given the Black Cats’ record of removing managers quickly, it would not be surprising to see it happen.
There is cause for hope for Moyes and Sunderland, though, and that is the fact he has escaped a similar situation with Everton in the past.
After nine games of the 2005/06 season, the Toffees sat bottom of the table with just four points to their name.
They had managed just one win, one draw and lost the other seven to sit three points from safety. Their goal-difference was minus ten, exactly the same as Sunderland’s at the same stage this season.
It was not a campaign that ended in disaster, though, as they ended up comfortably avoiding relegation that year.
It took until the turn of the year for things to truly turn around with his team going seven games unbeaten across January, six of which they won.
The Blues finished 11th in the table that, 16 points from the bottom three and actually closer to a place in Europe than relegation.
It shows that Moyes has experience of such a situation and knows how to get a side out of it, but it can take time. More importantly, his Everton team comfortably finished in the top ten for the next seven seasons.
Of course, times have changed but perhaps Sunderland would be wise to take a look at the past before considering their future under Moyes’ leadership.
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