Sunderland must back up their midweek win at Huddersfield with a home victory against Cardiff City this weekend, insists Tony Mowbray. The Black Cats earned three points on the road on Wednesday night, which was only their second win in nine outings but which was also enough to lift them to 12th in the table.
But Mowbray says consistency is the key to success in the Championship, and while Sunderland are unlikely to be challenging for a top six place in their first season back in the second tier, a measure of consistency will be needed if they are to finish in midtable or above. Sunderland have yet to win back-to-back games this season, nor did they win two games in a row in their last campaign at this level in 2017-18, meaning the last time they won successive Championship games came in April and May 2007 when Roy Keane's side beat Burnley on Wearside and then won at Luton Town as they were promoted as champions.
"Any win is good in this league," said Mowbray. "We've talked to them and said that we have to find consistency, which sometimes is difficult.
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"We are not an ultra-young team. Last year I used to say a lot to the press at Blackburn [Mowbray's previous club], because statistically we were the second youngest team in that league and the youngest team - Barnsley - got relegated.
"It is difficult to find consistency with young players, yet I feel here that we have got more than enough to win football matches. It's just whether we can find the consistency to win back-to-back-to-back games.
"At Blackburn last year we won eight on the bounce at one stage, and it can catapult you from nowhere - we went all the way up to second place. So we need consistency, and that's why this weekend is an important game for us because on the back of winning away from home you have to try and follow it up with a victory at home."
Sunderland face a Cardiff team that saw a major turnover of players in the summer, and which changed coach in mid-September when Steve Morison was sacked with Mark Hudson installed as caretaker-manager - a position he still holds. Mowbray said: "We're playing against Cardiff who have had a big turnaround of players.
"I was so used to them having big huge central defenders - Aden Flint and [Sean] Morrison would normally be playing, massive human beings who are really powerful and strong. They would have a huge cenntre-forward, be very direct, long throws.
"But there has been a huge change of personnel over the summer, I think someone told me there was something like 16 new signings, and they play more football now, they have a new identity. I know that Middlesbrough were 3-0 down against Cardiff by half-time a while back, so we have to be very mindful of their strengths.
"They move the ball around the football pitch well, and they have some good quality. It's another tough game in the Championship, and we have to go and compete, give the best account of ourselves, and hope that our creative players have good days."
Sunderland will have Jack Clarke available again after he served a one-game suspension that ruled him out at Huddersfield after accumulating five bookings this season. But three more Sunderland players - Alex Pritchard, Luke O'Nien, and Dennis Cirkin - are on four bookings and must navigate their way through tomorrow's game without picking up another card, or they will miss out on next Friday's trip to Birmingham.
Tomorrow's game marks the cut-off point for five bookings, after which they will no longer find themselves walking a disciplinary tightrope. Mowbray said: "The main thing is to pick a team that you think can win the game and that's what we'll do - you can't not pick someone because he is one booking away.
"In my mind it is about picking the right team for the game and hoping that they manage the situation. If they don't manage it, they'll miss the Birmingham game next Friday.
"We have to try and win the home game. It is a great opportunity for us to win at home in front of our own supporters, and be really positive. We try to play on the front foot, we play aggressively, run forward. attack as much as we can, and be positive.
"I think when you play for this football club and there is an expectation from the support-base, you have to give them something to get excited about. We have to get them out of their seats."
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