At full time on Saturday, after Sunderland played out a fragmented and at times frustrating draw against a QPR side who backed up an excellent result at Turf Moor with an equally impressive result against the Lads, the consensus seemed to be “Nothing special, Nothing”. too bad, so let’s move on to Preston and see if we can be slightly better.”

The infernal phrase ‘typical Sunderland’ thankfully didn’t gain any traction, and post-match analysis was fairly quiet as we reflected on a match in which we fell short recent performances, but also did not collapse when the match took an unexpected turn in the second half.

Having played the last thirty minutes of the match without Jobe after the brilliant midfielder saw red for an unusual and ill-timed challenge, the fact that we managed to hold on when in the past we might have given up the lead and then collapsing to defeat was a mark of the growing mental strength of this team under the tutelage of Régis Le Bris.

Such results are indicative of what is shaping up to be a wildly open and unpredictable championship campaign, with any team pining for their chances on any given day, but such results will be par for the course and make it without any doubt things even more exciting. the season is unfolding.

As we have seen at regular intervals during this new campaign, Le Bris has instilled a mindset that there are no such things as lost causes and there is always something to be gained from a match, no matter what. or the rigor of the test.

However, the Frenchman also clearly understands that bumps in the road are inevitable and that it really helps not to view every game we don’t win as a disaster.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Evidence of this increasingly worrying mindset has been on display numerous times this season.

From how we responded to defeats at Plymouth and Watford with wins next time out, to stubborn persistence against Leeds, to how to get a dramatic draw, to how we used the best shots from Luton before responding with two thunderous blasts from us at Kenilworth Road. , we let the rest of the league know that we were no pushover and that taking three points in a clash against Sunderland wouldn’t be easy.

The bottom line is that win, lose or draw, you know this team will chase everything and will never give us anything less than their maximum.

Whether it is home or away, in an open match or a more brutal match, they will never give up and apply themselves diligently at all times.

This won’t always lead to a winning result, but it will also allow us to snatch results when things look hopeless and we look like we’re about to leave the field empty-handed – which can and will make all the difference. in a race for promotion.

In Sunderland circles there is a proud history when it comes to displaying a never-say-die spirit.

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Our last four promoted teams all shared a multitude of traits: they were led by harsh and abrasive bosses (of whom Le Bris broke the mold with his understated charm and studious approach to the game), they could hurt opposing teams in different ways. manners, and they were made up of players who would fight until the very end of each game.

Although the Le Bris era is still in its infancy, I see similar traits starting to emerge in our current team.

As we all know, technical skills aren’t worth much without the attitude that supports them, and either way, we feel like we’re making good progress as our kids continue to mature and their teammates more experienced are leading the way.

Saturday may not have been the successful trip to west London we might have hoped for, but the Hoops will no doubt thwart many teams in the tight confines of Loftus Road and it was good to see plenty of our fans didn’t seem too discouraged afterward. , not to mention that we should not neglect an eighth clean sheet in thirteen league matches.

We are fine.

We are in a good position, and if we can adapt to deal with the absences of Jobe and quite possibly Chris Rigg for the midweek trip to Deepdale (could this be an opportunity for Adil Aouchiche to claim a claim?), we have every chance of being able to do so. take three points in what will undoubtedly be a tricky clash with a team who appear to be somewhat reborn under new boss Paul Heckingbottom.