Sunderland pulled off another impressive comeback this weekend to beat Norwich City, and Luke O’Nien knows exactly how the Black Cats managed it.
In the last four games, Sunderland have had to fight back from a deficit, and they’ve done so admirably and effectively, picking up ten points from losing positions over the last fortnight.
Regis Le Bris’ side have shown a resilience and gritty determination that simply wasn’t there previously, and they are maintaining their unlikely challenge for the Championship title as things stand.
The win against Norwich also maintained Sunderland’s unbeaten home record this season, and Luke O’Nien has explained how they managed it.
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Sunderland needed to be aggressive to beat Norwich
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo after the game, O’Nien cited a slight tactical change and switch in mindset at half time that helped the Black Cats claim another win at the Stadium of Light.
“The way we play, there’s never a time when it feels like you need to change a lot. It’s little tweaks here and there, like you’re talking five yards with different people,” he said. “There were a couple of changes that we did, we went slightly more aggressive in the press.”
It wasn’t just changes made by the players that affected the game, though, with O’Nien admitting the weather also had an impact. He added: “I think the momentum… the wind pushing towards their goal, that equally played a part.
“We made a couple of changes, not massively, but I thought we were quite dominant in the second half, thought we had a lot of momentum and, it was a good second half for us.”
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We are seeing a different side to Sunderland of late, and it could seal promotion
The turnaround in Sunderland’s fortunes on the pitch since that dismal six-game run without a win has been quite remarkable, and proves the Black Cats are genuine title contenders.
With Sunderland’s incredible comeback against Swansea, we saw Le Bris’ young squad have the resilience and the right attitude to keep fighting in games, and that will serve them well for the rest of the season.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 22 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 48 |
| 2 |  LeedsLeeds | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 41 | 15 | 26 | 45 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 22 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 44 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 18 | 16 | 43 |
| 5 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 18 | 7 | 37 |
| 6 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 28 | 10 | 35 |
It would be easy to get demoralised looking at the form and the squad depth of both Sheffield United and Leeds United and think the Championship title race is over already, but make no mistake, Sunderland will keep pushing right until the end of the season.
It’s great to see a more aggressive side coming out of late, too, and all of these behavioural traits are going to be key to determining where Sunderland finish this term.