Both games so far have seen Sunderland concede a relatively early goal, and go on to immediately lose all composure and confidence. The Black Cats have found themselves at 3-0 down in consecutive matches, leaving them with a virtually unassailable mountain to climb. Could John O'Shea's shift to the substitutes' bench be a factor in this? A player of his seniority and experience may perhaps deserved to be given more of a chance to retain his place in the starting line-up, rather than being demoted in favour of Sebastian Coates (who was only convincing at the end of last season, but looked incredibly poor in the months before) and new boy Younes Kaboul. Whatever the cause, it's the most urgent of Sunderland's many issues. Relegation is an inevitability if the team's heads drop as soon as a goal is conceded, particularly against teams of Leicester and Norwich's less-than-intimidating defensive prowess.
