Prica looks the part
11:46am Friday 1st February 2008
THE PREMIER League table is much more of an attractive proposition now. Thanks to our 2-0 victory over Birmingham in midweek, we sit proudly in 14th place, with a little, just a little, bit of daylight between us and the bottom three.
Don't get me wrong. We're not out of the woods yet. But we're doing everything right in terms of beating the teams around us.
Last month's victory against Bolton was a great help too, and with us yet to face Wigan and Middlesbrough at home in the league as well as a trip to Fulham, the ball is in our court.
If Tuesday's performance was an athlete, it was a Sally Gunnell.
Not particularly very good to look at but cleared a hurdle all right.
Mind you, Birmingham made it a bit easy for us. It was by no means a vintage performance from Sunderland, but the Blues managed to completely outdo us in their ineptitude.
Their defence made ours look like the greatest set of defenders ever seen, and it could have been more than two had Mark Halsey not spotted new boy Rade Prica's crafty handball en route to hooking the ball home.
Speaking of Prica, he was very good for us on Tuesday. He took his goal well, and showed lots of promise from a lad who is very new to the Premier League.
So new, in fact, that he didn't know that you're not allowed to launch yourself into the North-West Corner when you score.
He'll learn. But I thought the same about Ross Wallace - and he was still doing it this season before he was dropped!
Another new lad, Phil Bardsley, got about his business quietly and for the first time in a long while, we looked solid on the right side of defence.
He deserved his man of the match plaudits. He's not one to go pulling up trees, but a calm head will stand us in good stead for this run-in.
As you will all know, the transfer window has now slammed shut, but leaping through it hoping not to get his hefty posterior jammed in the frame came Andy Reid, former Tottenham winger who was, until yesterday, plying his trade at Championship side Charlton Athletic.
We tried to get him last season but he chose the Addicks, who were then, of course, in the Premier League.
He has been Athletic's top performer this season and I hope he'll carry that form up into the Premier League.
The second bit of great business was to send Greg Halford bundling down the A1 in the opposite direction.
Hopefully he'll get himself a sat-nav system, as he's looked like a lost boy at Sunderland for the last six months.
Our squad is looking healthier, but I really thought that Roy Keane would bring in an orthodox right-winger as cover for Carlos Edwards.
We have competition in all places at the club, except for the right side of midfield. And I thought that would be Keane's first port of call.
We've got Liverpool tomorrow, who are enduring a torrid time as their hopes of a Premier League title continue to crash and burn.
Their chances of a Champions League place are diminishing too.
But, knowing our luck, they'll find their feet right enough against us.