Tony Mowbray believes Sunderland have embarked on a similar journey to his former club Blackburn Rovers - and can catch up with them in double quick time. Mowbray took over at Blackburn in February 2017 and, while he could not save them from relegation, he led the Lancashire side out of League One and back to the Championship at the first time of asking, with Rovers going on to clock up second tier finishes of 15th, 11th, 15th, and then eighth under his guidance, and this season they are challenging for promotion.
He took over at Sunderland in August following the Black Cats' promotion to the Championship, and so far things have gone well with the Wearsiders sitting in midtable at the midway point of the season. While Blackburn have a four-year head-start on Sunderland in terms of their transition to a side capable of challenging for promotion to the Premier League, Mowbray believes the Black Cats are capable of making up that ground in 18 months to two years.
"Blackburn is a team that has been growing over the last four or five years from a League One scenario, and they have got better and better each year in my opinion, and here they are competing at the top end of the table," said Mowbray. "It's a good challenge for us, but it is a journey that our club is now on, I think, to be in their position hopefully pretty soon - the next 18 months, two years.
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"I feel you have to grow your club. It's difficult to come out of League One and think you're going to get promotion straightaway. That was never the case at Blackburn - they finished 15th, 11th, 15th, and eighth.
"I'm not saying that necessarily has to be the journey we go on, but you hope that there is improvement every year in this division. Stabilise, first and foremost, hopefully punch above your weight and do well, and that's still our aim - to finish higher than we might think we could.
"Blackburn and Sunderland are not similar in size because Sunderland get huge crowds and Blackburn don't necessarily get the numbers, but the way they [Blackburn] have grown the club in recent years is a good model. To not get too anxious finishing in midtable, to understand where you have come from, and the journey that you are on."
Mowbray's Sunderland side will take on Blackburn at the Stadium of Light on Boxing Day, on a day which traditionally produces one of the highest gates of the season. He said: "The Boxing Day fixture, the occasion of it, is generally one of the busiest ones of the year in most football clubs.
"Why? Because family come back home to see family, whether they are working away or living away, and they generally go to the match. It brings back memories of years gone by, so there are generally big attendances.
"So the team has to find a big performance against a side that is currently third in the division and doing pretty well. It's a big test for us but one that we are looking forward to."
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