Sunderland's win over Birmingham City ensured the Black Cats would head into the World Cup break on a positive note, having adjusted well to life back in the Championship. The past few weeks have been somewhat of a rollercoaster for Tony Mowbray and his side, with injuries playing a big part in team selection.
It's fair to say that the Wearsiders' boss hasn't been able to play his full-strength team since arriving at the Stadium of Light, but they remain just four points off the play-off picture. A downturn in form coincided with the loss of both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms to injury, but Sunderland are still within touching distance of a play-off berth.
The Black Cats have one of the youngest teams in the division and at times, that naivety has told, but for the vast majority of the campaign, they've been highly competitive. Things are certainly looking positive heading into the World Cup break on the back of three points.
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Tony Mowbray will now have an opportunity to get players back from injury, give first-team players some much-needed rest and have valuable time to get more of his ideas across to the team. The win over Birmingham on Friday evening, was a gritty, battling performance with Sunderland showing they're capable of winning games in a different way.
However, away from the field there was one moment that supporters may have missed. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus was spotted at St. Andrew's conversing with New York Red Bulls boss Gerhard Struber.
The reason behind Struber's presence at the game is unclear, and it certainly doesn't mean the club are looking to replace Mowbray. But, it does point to a valuable skill the Sunderland owner possesses - his ability to network.
Louis-Dreyfus has been around football since a very young age and one look at his Instagram shows him rubbing shoulders with Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, Frank Ribery and Floyd Mayweather. The Black Cats owner has spoken recently about his admiration for the way Bundesliga sides are run, with Red Bull having ownership of RB Leipzig.
The Red Bull group has invested into five football teams across the globe and you can bet that Louis-Dreyfus wasted no time in asking Struber about how things work across the pond in New York. The pair sitting together could be nothing but coincidence, but the young Frenchman has shown maturity beyond his years so far when it comes to rebuilding the club behind the scenes.
Prior to his arrival, there was a consensus that Sunderland would return to the top flight if guided by the right people. Promotion back to the Championship was the first hurdle to overcome, and now building a new platform in the Championship is the next step.
The new look recruitment model has seen the Wearsiders unearth Jewison Bennette from the depths of Costa Rica, while Amad Diallo finally looks to be finding his feet in English football after a big-money move to Manchester United. The club are going about things the right way by building relationships with the likes of the Red Devils, while also exploring parts of the world where they won't have to compete with some of the big boys for potential talents.
The Black Cats growing network is one to keep a close eye on throughout the rest of the season and during the next few seasons.
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