Don Goodman 'optimistic' on Sunderland promotion chances

Sunderland have made the perfect start to their Championship season, but can they turn that into a promotion challenge? One expert certainly belies so.

Sunderland - Can they maintain a promotion push? / IMAGO / Focus Images

Sunderland fans should be ‘optimistic’ about their chances of promotion this season, according to Sky Sports Championship expert and former Black Cats striker Don Goodman.

It has been a perfect start for new boss Regis Le Bris, winning four games out of four against Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Portsmouth.

The latter two of those came after selling top player Jack Clarke as well, a decision which many feared would end the club’s chances of maintaining a promotion push.

Asked whether the Sunderland can still get promoted without Jack Clarke, Goodman exclusively told Sunderland Nation via the sportsbooks experts at Oddspedia : “Before a ball was kicked, I wasn’t convinced that they could get promoted with Jack Clarke.

“It was one of those - nobody had heard of Regis Le Bris, they'd been without a striker for at least three or four transfer windows and they haven't brought one in. They were a bunch of young, talented players that probably needed a little bit of experience and guidance around them on the pitch.

“That is why I believe Tony Mowbray ended up leaving the building because he felt he needed a little bit of experience. It wasn't forthcoming as Sunderland have this policy of only signing young players.

“Before a ball was kicked, I wasn't sure that Sunderland would be in the mix for a top six finish. Having said all of that, I had no clue what to expect from at least 70% of the teams and I would say that this season's championship gives clubs like Sunderland a much better chance.”

The Championship certainly looks like a less hostile place this season compared to last. Three established Premier League clubs in Leicester, Southampton and Leeds dropped into the second tier last year with budgets that blew the rest out of the water.

Add Ipswich into that who had caught the momentum of an enormous wave from somewhere, and it was hard to see anyone muscling in on the promotion picture.

“I think that last season was probably the strongest top end as a collective,” Goodman said. “I'm not saying that they were the best teams I've ever seen in the Championship, the four of them that were up there contesting that automatic promotion, but what I am saying is that, as a group of four, I've never seen anything as strong.

“They were four brilliant teams and ultimately one of them had to miss out and that was Leeds United. I don't believe the championship is as strong this time around.”

The relegated teams this year are Burnley, who have had a large turnobver of players and who Sunderland have already beaten, Sheffield United, who are strong but coming off an enormously traumatic season and have takeover drama hanging over them, and Luton, who are yet to win a game this season.

“I think Burnley have got their issues,” Goodman explained. “I think anybody that watched the Burnley-Sunderland, game would see that. There’s been a bit of turmoil in terms of players leaving the building or looking to leave the building, so I think Sunderland played them at the perfect time.

“But take nothing away from Sunderland. They controlled the game. They were excellent and they really restricted Burnley who had stuck nine goals past Luton and Cardiff in the first two games!

“Luton haven't got off to the greatest start and I thought Sheffield United were going to be the weakest of the three, although I like their transfer business. I don't think those three are as strong having been relegated from the Premier League as Leeds, Leicester and Southampton were.

“My point is that I think there's a real opportunity for quite a few clubs that some might not have fancied, like a Sunderland, to have a real good go and it couldn't have started any better.

“I know they've lost Jack Clarke and I think he'd be a miss to anybody at this level, but look at how well Romaine Mundle has done since Jack has gone. He's a brilliant, brilliant player but I've got no doubt that they can advance forward and make progress without him.

“At this stage, I'd be optimistic for Sunderland. It's still very early and there’ll be tougher tests to come.

“I thought Sheffield Wednesday were going to test Sunderland a lot more but they were brilliant, they just ran all over them, that was very easy, and then they followed up the Burnley win and did a really good job at Fratton Park making a potentially tough game pretty easy!”

Due to the international break, Sunderland fans now have best part of two weeks to enjoy being top of the league.

However, can they keep they’re perfect start going once the Championship resumes?

“Yeah! They've got Plymouth, then Middlesboro,” Goodman said. “Plymouth away, you don't know what you're gonna get but let's put it this way, they're going into those two games with the maximum amount of confidence possible. 

“After Plymouth, it gets a goof bit harder in terms of Middlesboro coming to town. I’m really looking forward to the Middlesboro game and despite an inconsistent start, I still think that they'll be up there.

“So I think that they will give Sunderland possibly their hardest test, but Sunderland winning the first four against that opposition has been hugely impressive.”