Tony Mowbray wants Sunderland to be 'unplayable' when they are at their best as he looks to build a side that combines silk and steel. The Black Cats have shown their silky side numerous times this season with their attacking approach earning plaudits, as players such as Amad, Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke have taken centre-stage.
But they have also demonstrated steel to dig in and pick up points, with last weekend's draw against Millwall at The Den a prime example. And yesterday they showed another aspect to their game as they found a way to win against Reading at the Stadium of Light despite not being at their best, and with the Royals determined to slow the game down and run down the clock at every opportunity almost from kick-off.
Mowbray believes the demands of Sunderland's previous two games - against Millwall, followed by the midweek FA Cup fourth round replay defeat at home to Premier League Fulham - had a bearing on their performance against Reading, with ten players starting all three games. "We're trying to grow the team and hopefully in 18 months' time we're a really tight unit and on our best days, we're unplayable," said Mowbray.
