Tony Mowbray's feet barely touched the ground when he first arrived at Sunderland. He walked into a club still reeling from the departure of Alex Neil, a head coach who had been feted as a hero by fans after he finally led the Black Cats out of the League One wilderness, only to be regarded as a turncoat when he left to take over at Stoke City just six games in to the new Championship season.
Appointed on August 30, Mowbray had no time to have a say on Sunderland's incoming transfer business. Less than 24 hours later, he oversaw a convincing 3-0 home win against Rotherham United which meant he got off on the right foot with supporters.
But in only his second game in charge, he had to contend with the loss of leading scorer Ross Stewart to a hamstring injury in the warm-up at Middlesbrough. And then less than half-an-hour into his third game at Reading in mid-September, Ellis Simms limped off with a toe injury and Mowbray has not had a senior centre-forward to call upon since.
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Welcome to Wearside, Tony! Mowbray is now ten games into his reign, and it is time to assess his first eight weeks in charge.
Under his charge, Sunderland have picked up 12 points from ten games - fewer per game than the eight points collected in the first six games, but still a decent return when injuries and the standard of opposition are taken into account. With Stewart and Simms missing for the last seven full games, it is no surprise that Sunderland have scored fewer goals per game - ten under Mowbray - than the eight they managed in their first six games.
But Mowbray has tightened up the defence, with Sunderland conceding 12 goals in ten games compared to nine in six outings under his predecessor. That is also reflected in the fact that his side has kept four clean sheets, compared to just one beforehand.
Mowbray took over with Sunderland 12th in the table - albeit at a very early stage in the campaign when league placings mean little - and today they are 14th, four points above the relegation zone but only six points from the play-off places. Sunderland's injury problems have not been limited to their strikers.
Mowbray had to manage without left-back Dennis Cirkin for a spell, more recently Aji Alese and Lynden Gooch have picked up injuries which continue to keep them on the sidelines, while key defender Dan Ballard suffered an injury in mid-August which has meant the new boss has not yet been able to pick him. Had Sunderland sustained fewer injuries, or to less influential players, or had a stronger squad, they might have been better able to cope, and had more points on the board.
As it is, Mowbray has had to play the hand he has been dealt. At least there is a light at the end of the tunnel, with Simms and possibly Gooch potentially available for this weekend's trip to Luton Town, while after that there are just three more games to struggle through before the World Cup break, and when the season resumes in early December the likes of Stewart, Ballard, and Alese, should be close to returning.
In addition to the injuries, Mowbray is having to find a way to integrate into his squad the youngsters who arrived at the end of the transfer window. Costa Rican winger Jewison Bennette and French midfielders Abdoullah Ba and Edouard Michut have shown flashes of their ability, but that teenage trio is still adapting to a new country, a new culture, and a new style of football in the Championship. On-loan Manchester United wideman Amad Diallo is also still settling in, although his weekend goal against Burnley will help in that regard.
They will get better and will play more of a role as the season wears on. In the meantime, Sunderland must continue to pick up points and stay clear of danger.
The early-season flirtation with the play-off places has faded and, while of course that is a disappointment, it was always unrealistic that Sunderland - in their first season back in the Championship - could keep up with teams that are well-established in the second tier. The truth is that Sunderland's current position just below midtable is a decent showing for any newly-promoted side.
Factor in the injuries and the youngsters' bedding-in period, and Mowbray will be content with the progress his side has made so far, and will be confident that they can build on that.
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