A lot has changed at Sunderland since Preston final day high

Sunderland had done it. They’d breached the play-off door which felt as though it had been slammed and sealed shut ahead of the final day of the season and knocked it over, throwing Millwall back out in the process with a 3-0 win over Preston North End.

Time is of the essence in football and it’s often difficult not to get too caught up in the nostalgia when looking back on certain periods, particularly when put into the context of how quickly those periods pass us by in the moment. But when you see a recognisable shift as big as Sunderland’s over the course of the last year since that day at Deepdale, it becomes even harder not to reminisce, followed by the inquest as to where it all went wrong.

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A rain-swept Tony Mowbray exuded pride and emotion at Sunderland’s achievement in sealing a top six spot and a crack at promotion to the Premier League. That it didn’t happen almost became immaterial, such was the way in which Mowbray had picked up an inexperienced team in limbo and guided them to the precipice of the top flight. Amad Diallo, Alex Pritchard and Jack Clarke were the names on the scoresheet but there was an entire squad list of players who deserved credit for their endeavours last season.

Sunderland’s brand of football was easy on the eye and effective enough to hold them amongst the divisions best. "Blackburn helped us and we got the job done. If you finish sixth after 46 games, that's where you deserve to finish,” Mowbray had said. The talent, and the potential, was always there within Sunderland’s squad, it still is. But it was Mowbray’s guidance, with the benefit of another season of hindsight since, which took Sunderland to the play-offs.

Sunderland enjoyed a memorable win over Preston North End to reach the Championship play-offs

Mowbray arrived in a period of turmoil given Alex Neil’s decision to walk out of the Stadium of Light less than a month into the club’s return to the Championship. Neil was the one who finally ended Sunderland’s peril in League One with a memorable play-off final win over Wycombe Wanderers only for a disagreement in the club's philosophy and contract negotiations to see the Scot leave. Given the rapport he had built up within the squad, and the success achieved coupled with a bright start to life back in the Championship, it left a number of players questioning their outlook of the club.

For Mowbray to step in and pick up those pieces and nurture them the way he did deserves huge credit.

There were individuals; Amad, Patrick Roberts, Clarke and Ross Stewart, and there was the team; goals at Reading, Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion evidence enough of how these components all came together in style. Those goals continued at Deepdale with three of their best of the season saved for one afternoon inside 45 joyous, memorable minutes.

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Amad had already found a place in the hearts of Sunderland supporters, with the feeling very much mutual in the Manchester United star, and that grew even greater when the Ivorian found the top corner of Freddie Woodman’s net nine minutes into the second half against Preston on the final day of last season.

It was another fine example of the individual talent Sunderland had within their ranks last year and the confidence they possessed.

Sunderland's opening goal against Preston North End came from a moment of inspiration from Amad Diallo (Image: Wyscout)

As Roberts tried to find a pass through the defence to Pierre Ekwah, the ball hits the defender and invertedly tees up Amad, who needs no second invitation.

The winger had scored wonderful goals earlier in the campaign, twice against Birmingham City, at Wigan Athletic and at Coventry City, to name but a few, and he would do so a week later in the first leg of the play-off semi-final with Luton Town, but this remained, arguably, his best.

As the ball fell back to the winger he curled an unstoppable effort beyond Woodman to give Sunderland the lead they craved and a goal which would open the floodgates.

Ali McCann's interception fell kindly for Amad Diallo to curl a spectacular first time effort beyond Freddie Woodman (Image: Wyscout)

At that point, despite being in front, Sunderland remained outside the top six with Millwall 3-2 up on Blackburn Rovers.

As the clock moved over the hour mark in both games at Deepdale and the Den, things changed dramatically.

Sunderland sensed blood and soon doubled their lead as they started to pick apart a Preston side with nothing left to play for in the season. And it was a combination of their work rate and quick, counter-attacking instincts before another fine finish from Pritchard which extended their advantage.

The goal came courtesy of a turnover in possession by Ryan Ledson on the halfway line as Ekwah wins a tackle that falls at the feet of Amad.

Pierre Ekwah won back possession for Sunderland which led to the counter-attack for their second goal against Preston North End (Image: Wyscout)

Amad, with a number of defenders surrounding him, frees Clarke down the left and the winger does what we saw him do all last season, and this, when driving at the defence and looking to cut inside onto his right foot.

Amad Diallo takes possession from Pierre Ekwah's interception and finds Jack Clarke on the wing as Sunderland threaten at speed (Image: Wyscout)

Clarke makes it to the edge of the penalty area before he is faced by three Preston defenders which, again, shows how dangerous he can be in drawing in several of the opposition to create space elsewhere.

It left a huge gap on the right of the penalty area where Pritchard arrives out of shot.

Jack Clarke drives to the edge of the area and cuts inside, in what has become his trademark, drawing three Preston defenders before teeing up Alex Pritchard (Image: Wyscout)

Clarke’s pass beats the three defenders and finds Pritchard who is able to set himself. The midfielder has the option to find Roberts further over on the right, who is unmarked, but instead goes for goal by giving Woodman the eyes and reversing the shot back across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner.

Alex Pritchard has the option of Patrick Roberts to his right but gives the goalkeeper the eyes before reversing the ball into the bottom corner to double Sunderland's lead (Image: Wyscout)

It was clinical, it was decisive and it had bags of ability involved.

Two minutes later and Sunderland got the news they needed from elsewhere as Ben Brereton Diaz equalised for Blackburn in South London - Mowbray’s old team and old star player coming up trumps.

News of that goal soon filtered through in the stands at Deepdale, much to the delight of a huge away following, and only spurred Sunderland on further as they added a third to complete a 10-minute blitz of Preston with another goal that oozed quality.

Sunderland scored some exceptional team goals last season and this was another as they moved from their own right-back defensive area of the field to the back of the net in just four passes and 13 seconds.

When Trai Hume wins back possession to find Dan Neil it seems improbable it could be conceived as a counter-attacking, goalscoring opportunity. Neil has little time to execute as he is quickly counter-pressed by Preston before clipping a delicate chipped ball into Roberts.

Sunderland's third goal added to their collection of excellent goals in 2022-23 and began when Trai Hume won back possession for Dan Neil in their own defensive third of the field (Image: Wyscout)

Roberts, who linked up almost telepathically with Amad at times last season, flicked the ball first time into the path of the Manchester United loanee as Sunderland quickly moved through the lines.

With little time to think, Dan Neil clips a ball into Patrick Roberts who flicks first time into the path of Amad Diallo to take out Preston's first phase of pressing (Image: Wyscout)

Amad, like Roberts, made a first-time pass into the path of Joe Gelhardt as Sunderland had taken four players out of the equation within the blink of an eye and created an overload on the left side of the field.

Amad follows suit and plays a first time pass in-field to Joe Gelhardt who positions himself well up against the defender to spin and spread the play wide to Jack Clarke (Image: Wyscout)

Gelhardt positioned his body well to turn on Amad’s pass which opened the space to spread play wide into the path of Clarke who has acres of space to run into beyond the defence.

Joe Gelhardt draws in another Preston defender and times the execution of his pass to perfection to release Jack Clarke down the left in a similar position to moments ago for Alex Pritchard's goal (Image: Wyscout)

Clarke, as he did moments earlier when teeing up Pritchard, drives towards the edge of the area before cutting in-field onto his right foot, only this time he went for goal himself as he found the bottom corner in exquisite style. It was Mowbray’s Sunderland at their flamboyant best.

Jack Clarke cuts inside onto his right foot again but this time goes for goal himself and picks out the bottom corner as Sunderland enjoyed a memorable day at Deepdale to secure their top six spot (Image: Wyscout)

Sunderland’s job was done and when Diaz added a fourth for Blackburn before full-time, Sunderland had forced their way into the play-off picture.

It was a final day, and a season, which epitomised Mowbray’s mentality of their always being more to give. “When you think you’ve given everything, you can still give a little bit more,” he would say. He wrung every last drop from Sunderland.

Mowbray’s style was always heavily influenced by Sunderland’s attacking prowess with the likes of Clarke, Roberts and Amad. It would sometimes lead to the chaotic and nonsensical in games, but it was fun to watch and it was a brand that worked.

This season, Sunderland have strayed away from that – Mowbray himself, struggling to reignite the vibrancy of his squad last season during his 19 games after a summer transfer window which left plenty to be desired before being dismissed in December.

Mowbray’s battered, bruised and inexperienced Sunderland went on to narrowly lose in the play-off semi-final second leg at Kenilworth Road last year but, on that occasion, there was little more to give as Luton would go on and, ultimately, seal promotion to the Premier League.

Tony Mowbray guided Sunderland to a top six finish in the Championship last season (Image: PA)

Looking back on the anniversary of Sunderland’s win over Preston and the way the soap opera of the Championship final day played out 12-months ago it feels almost like a different team when you contrast that with the emotions of the final day of the 2023-24 season.

At Deepdale, there were 6,000 or more packed into a jubilant, defiant away end, reluctant to leave their self-acclaimed Lancashire base for the afternoon despite the pouring rain. After Sunderland ended this season with a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday to finish the campaign 10 places below that of last season, there was barely 6,000 inside the Stadium of Light to mourn a season of missed opportunity and self-destruction. 

Important days lie ahead for Sunderland and they will hope they can enjoy more days like that one at Preston next season rather than what has transpired in the year since.