Two goals from Cristhian Stuani did much more than merely win the Wear-Tees derby. Quite apart from securing Middlesbrough’s first victory since their return to Premier League combat, the ruthless Uruguayan offered Ellis Short, Sunderland’s watching owner, a timely reminder that without substantial investment by the end of the month his club will surely be in acute danger of relegation.
This was not the home debut David Moyes had hoped for when he succeeded Sam Allardyce last month but Sunderland’s new manager deserves praise for making the best of some extremely threadbare resources.
A chronic lack of significant summer investment had already left them short in every department before Younès Kaboul defected to Watford on Friday and Lamine Koné to all intents went on strike with a mysterious back injury in an attempt to force through a transfer to Everton.
Moyes told the Ivory Coast defender to stay away on Sunday but he and Kaboul were much missed. Indeed, when John O’Shea succumbed to a groin injury, Jack Rodwell was forced to deputise at the back. This reshuffle left Moyes without a recognised central midfielder on the pitch for the majority of the team’s second successive defeat.
Asked about a growing consensus that Sunderland will inevitably be involved in yet another relegation fight this season, their brutally realistic, extremely downbeat manager did not disagree. “They’re probably right,” he said. “That’s what they’ve had for the last four years, so why should it change? I don’t think we can hide the facts – yes, that will probably be the case.
“People will be flat because they’re hoping something is going to dramatically change here – but it can’t, can it? Getting the right players at the right price in the transfer market is difficult.”
Aitor Karanka cut a contrasting figure. “We have a lot of quality players,” Boro’s manager said. “We’ve shown we’re ready for the Premier League.” Karanka adores rotation and duly refreshed his right flank where Stuani replaced Albert Adomah. It swiftly proved an inspired switch, with the South American giving Boro the lead against the run of play.
That goal originated with a slapdash concession of possession on the part of Papy Djilobodji. Making his Premier League debut following an £8m switch from Chelsea, the Senegal centre-half subsequently saw Stuani collect Álvaro Negredo’s pass around 25 yards out and advance to the edge of the area before sending an unstoppable right-foot shot swerving beyond Vito Mannone and into the top corner. It was a glorious finish but Djilobodji had neglected to close the attacking midfielder down.
Yet if Boro fans were heartened by the knowledge their team has never lost when Stuani has scored, they must have been slightly unnerved to see Sunderland’s Manchester United loanee, Adnan Januzaj, causing Karanka’s defence – and George Friend in particular – numerous problems from his right-wing station. Friend seemed nonplussed by the Belgian’s fancy footwork but was reprieved by his lack of end product.
Although Jermain Defoe did deposit the ball in the back of the net, that disallowed goal was well offside and the tide already appeared to be turning against Moyes.
Even before O’Shea hobbled off the Scot must have been alarmed by the way Donald Love, his young right-back, struggled against Stewart Downing.
O’Shea was replaced by Steven Pienaar, newly signed on a one-year contract, with Rodwell dropping back into central defence. Unfortunately for Rodwell, he was soon duped by Negredo in the preamble to Stuani’s second goal.
It started with an excellent reverse pass from Adam Forshaw who, having played a one-two with Gastón Ramírez, supplied Negredo. He sold Rodwell a dummy before cueing up the unattended Stuani to dispatch a cushioned, close- range shot into the roof of the net.
At this point Brad Guzan, Boro’s goalkeeper who was deputising for Víctor Valdés, was underemployed as Sunderland launched far too many aimless long balls for Antonio Barragán and Ben Gibson to gobble up.
Indeed as the home side were loudly booed off at half-time the cover of Legion of Light, the club magazine, appeared especially unfortunate. Adorned by a large picture of Koné it inquired: “Is David The Moyesiah?”
No messiah could expect to succeed with a central midfield as weak as Sunderland’s and, abandoning all pretence of fielding a proper one, Moyes replaced Paddy McNair with Jeremain Lens, a winger, for the second half.
The only puzzle was why Wahbi Khazri remained on the bench. After all, the £9m Tunisia winger proved a key reason why the Wearsiders avoided relegation last season. Without him Sunderland flattered to deceive as Boro retreated into their defensive shells and ceded plenty of possession. Granted Lynden Gooch saw a shot blocked by Emilio Nsue, fine defending on Gibson’s part denied Defoe and Guzan saved Patrick van Aanholt’s stinging drive smartly but it all smacked of papering over profound cracks.
Eventually, though, Boro retreated far too deep and suddenly seemed unable to escape their own penalty area, let alone their own half. When Guzan failed to hold Duncan Watmore’s low shot, Van Aanholt redirected the loose ball into the back of the net.
With the impressive Pienaar somehow holding the midfield together, Watmore showing real menace and Gooch winning some impressive tackles, a pacey Sunderland temporarily exceeded the sum of their parts but even so Guzan should not have spilled Watmore’s shot.
“We’ve got some good young players and actually played quite well at times,” said Moyes. “But we have to turn things round.”
Man of the match Cristhian Stuani (Middlesbrough)
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