In a season in which Sunderland continue to exceed all expectations and with a real air of excitement as they go into their final two games of the season with a genuine chance of reaching the play-offs, there has been one constant. The calm, experienced, unflappable, presence of Tony Mowbray has ensured that feet have been anchored firmly to the ground, no-one has been allowed to get carried away.
Start to talk up Sunderland's play-off chances and Mowbray will turn the conversation to his satisfaction that the team has stayed clear of the relegation scrap. Sometimes after a thumping victory he has seemed as happy with the clean sheet as with the goals.
A 40-odd year career in football has taught Mowbray about the pitfalls of riding the waves of emotion - he prefers to remain level-headed, calling it his 'self-defence mechanism''. Bad times will inevitably follow good, and vice-versa.
