The 33-year-old’s statistics so far this term for the Black Cats speak for themselves.
Amazing how one result can instantly lift the mood around a football club after a bit of a shaky period.
There had been murmurs of discontent among the Sunderland fanbase ahead of Tuesday’s League One game with Gillingham due to three consecutive draws but a solid 4-2 win has gone a long way to lifting some of those clouds.
As it stands, the Black Cats have not lost a game since before Christmas (Sky Sports) and, as the January signings continue to bed in, the combination of the two harbours well for the business end of the season.
Should Sunderland win their game in hand, they will be just one point behind second-placed Barnsley, and the two teams will meet later on in the season, so there is plenty of scope for renewed optimism at the moment.
Going back to the January incomings, one made by the Wearsiders is genuinely looking like he could be the signing of the winter window – we’re talking of course about returning hero Grant Leadbitter.
Aside from being a local lad who came through the ranks at the SoL, has already enjoyed one bright spell at senior level, has deep emotional and sentimental connections to the club and is just a really nice guy, there’s also the small matter of on-pitch statistics.
Leadbitter’s set piece delivery has been nothing short of sensational, with two corners both leading to goals against the Gills, and his tally of four assists in his last five games (Transfermarkt) speaks volumes in terms of providing ammunition from which his teammates can get the goals and make the team a much bigger threat.
Ratings from two local publications – the Sunderland Echo and the Northern Echo – also agree with how crucial he is, giving him 8 out of 10 and the former pointing out he was substituted to a standing ovation, and he is bound to get even more plaudits if he turns out to be the catalyst for a return to the Championship.
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