'Hoping for brilliant end to what's been brilliant season'
[BBC] [Getty Images] Sunderland really couldn't have done much more against Manchester United on Saturday in what was a thoroughly dominant performance - that is, of course, except hit the back of the net! It's been a common frustration of mine with the team at times this season that we aren't quite as clinical as other sides at this level. If you think back to the game against Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago, they'd had five shots on target in the first half and were 4-0 up.
It feels like with us that we need five or six clear-cut chances in a game in order to stick one of them away and at this level that's just not good enough unfortunately. Yet I don't want to be too critical of the team's performance because other than our ability to convert our chances, we were excellent. There was only ever one team in the game, and I don't remember Manchester United ever really having a spell of dominance, which is a testament to how well we did.
Enzo Le Fee and Granit Xhaka were on a different wavelength from any of the midfield players in opposition shirts and our pressing and harrying made them visibly uncomfortable. It was great to see us mixing it with one of the best sides in the league this season and it was once again proof of what we're capable of. Any hopes of qualifying for Europe seem a distant memory, but all we can do is fight and battle like we did on Saturday in these final two games and from then our fate is in the lap of the gods.
We certainly aren't on the beach yet and I'm hoping for a brilliant end to what has been a brilliant season from Sunderland. Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report