The latest defeat in a sorry season does not, of course, send us down again just yet. It does put us bottom as Burton won and it does make relegation even more probable than it was. Sunderland appear from messages seen from the Macron stadium to have put in plenty of bustle but with the usual lack of skill and penetration, Fletcher missing and missing badly with the chance that fell to him.
Pete Sixsmith met our associate editor John McCormick for the visit to Bolton, a longer trip for Sixer than Liverpool-based John. And what a long trip home it will seem …
20 February 2018 Bolton Wanderers (1) 1 Sunderland (0) 0 No lack of effort; just lacking quality
17 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Brentford 2 (2) Gets worse by the week. Relegation certs.
10 February 2018 Bristol City 3-3 Sunderland The most unlikely point of the season [but see what he was saying earlier]
3 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Ipswich Town 2 (2) Comfortably beaten by an ordinary Ipswich side
30 January 2018 Birmingham City 3 (2) Sunderland 1 (0) *worked hard but just not good enough
20 Januaury 2018 Sunderland 1 (1) Hull City 0 (0) Young players give us hope. O’Shea magnificent
13 January 2018 Cardiff City 4 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Nothing positive in yet another shocking performance
6 January 2018 Middlesbrough 2 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Our many weaknesses exposed far too easily
1 January 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Barnsley 1 (0) Brand new year but same old rubbish
December 30 Nottingham Forest 0 (0) Sunderland (1) 1 Huge win which shows the players care
December 26 Sheffield United 3 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Comprehensively beaten by a far superior side
December 23 Sunderland 1 (1) Birmingham City 1 (1) * Ten-man Brum hang on for a draw
December 16 Sunderland 1 (0) Fulham 0 (0) * Home win hoodoo over as Maja strikes
December 9 Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 0 *Tremendous defending earns a point at leaders
December 2 Sunderland 1 (0) Reading 3 (0) * Another day when basic errors prove costly
November 25 Burton Albion 0 (0) Sunderland 2 (0) Two goals, three points, and draught Bass
November 21 Aston Villa 2 (1) Sunderland 1 (0) Encouraging signs but need to be stronger
November 18 Sunderland 2 (1) Millwall 2 (2) An awful game compounded by comical goalkeeping
November 5 Middlesbrough 1 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Bottom of the league and deservedly so.
October 31 Sunderland 3 (1) Bolton Wanderers 3 (3) Neither the result nor performance good enough
October 28 Sunderland 1 (1) Bristol City 2 (1) Hopeless and clueless. Add embarrassing to that.
October 21 Brentford 3 (1) Sunderland 3 (3) * Two in front yet lucky to survive
October 14 Sunderland (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1 The elusive home win seems miles away
September 30 Preston North End (0) 2 Sunderland (1) 2 * Seriously entertaining and well worth the point
September 26 Ipswich Town 5 (2) Sunderland (1) 2 Sunderland’s defending plummets to unheard of depths
September 23 Sunderland 1 (0) Cardiff City 2 (1) Undoubtedly the worst Sunderland team I’ve watched
September 20 League Cup 3rd Round: Everton (1) 3 Sunderland (0) 0 * Never looked like scoring, let alone winning
September 16 Hull City 1 (0) Sunderland 1 (1) Hung on but not a sparkling performance
September 12 Sunderland 0 (0) Nottingham Forest 1 (o) Some improvement but we lack any punch
September 9 Sunderland 1 (0) Sheffield United 2 (1) no tactics, appalling team selection,
total embarrassment
August 26 Barnsley 3 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Alarm bells clanging after a dreadful performance
August 22 League Cup: Carlisle United (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 2 Classy finish by Gooch masks scrappy performance
August 19 SAFC 0 (0) Leeds United 2 (1) Weaknesses exposed by a solid Leeds team
August 16 Sheffield Wednesday (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Looked tired in second half. Decent point
August 13 Norwich City 1 (0) Sunderland 3 (1) Very well organised and three cracking goals
August 8 League Cup: Bury 0 (0) Sunderland (0) 1 Hardly convincing but a win’s a win
August 4 2017 Sunderland (1) 1 Derby County (1) 1 Encouraging second half. Something to build on
