3 things we clearly learnt about Sunderland after their 2-2 draw v QPR | OneFootball

At half-time against Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, Sunderland fans were probably of the belief that Championship football was easier than they imagined as they raced into a 2-0 lead.

The Black Cats though were cruelly reminded of how football in general can be though, as following Ilias Chair’s 87th minute free-kick to pull a goal back for the visitors, a sublime header from goalkeeper Seny Dieng saw the Hoops travel back to London with a share of the spoils.

Let’s look at three things Sunderland will have learnt coming off the back of the four-goal thriller on Wearside.

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A more experienced goalkeeper is needed to challenge Patterson

Even though he came into the side in the second half of last season when Sunderland really needed a goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson may very well need some more experienced competition.

Despite being 22 years of age – not exactly a young pup nowadays – Patterson has a lack of senior experience and before last season he’d featured in just two cup games for the Black Cats.

Following a loan spell at Notts County in the fifth tier of English football though, Patterson was recalled from the Magpies drafted into the starting line-up following an illness to Ron-Thorben Hoffmann in February, and since then he has been the undisputed number one.

Whilst he looked like a safe pair of hands at the back end of last season, Patterson may just be starting to show some frailities.

For QPR’s equaliser from goalkeeper Dieng, Patterson wasn’t very commanding in his own six-yard box as he punched the initial corner away and back into danger, and when Chair whipped the ball back into the box, the Sunderland stopper decided to initially come off his line, before hesitating and stopping.

The damage was done though as Dieng looped a header over him and into the net, and it may make Neil go into the market for a new, more experienced pair of hands.

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Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips were a sensational partnership for Sunderland between 1997 and 2002, and whilst they scaled the heights of the Premier League together, it’s not exactly the same yet for Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms.

Quinn and Phillips did start out with the Black Cats in the second tier, and there could be another fledging duo at the Stadium of Light in Simms and Stewart, who like away at Bristol City last weekend, both got on the scoresheet again.

Stewart’s was a poachers effort whilst Everton loanee Simms capitalised on a diversion from a QPR player to slam the ball home from the edge of the box, and if he keeps netting like that then he’s going to be a popular figure on Wearside.

It’s early days, but the signs are good for the new ‘SAS’.

The lack of squad depth is worrying

Even though the majority of Sunderland’s best starting 11 looks solid enough for Championship level, the same probably cannot be said for the rest of the squad.

If Alex Neil is going to stick with a 3-5-2 formation, which may be needed if he wants to keep Simms and Stewart together, then he is going to need two more strikers to rotate and be back-ups to the pair as it’s going to be a long, tough season with a congested fixture list before the FIFA World Cup begins in November.

Dan Ballard’s injury as well is potentially a concerning one, but in defence with Aji Alese and Bailey Wright as back-up, Sunderland look fine there.

The midfield and also wing-back areas could do with bolstering, but perhaps the quality of depth showed by losing a two-goal lead in the dying moments of the game – that needs to change by the time September 2 comes around.