It’s no secret that Sunderland tend to get their season off to a slow start, but even by their standards, their start to this season has been catastrophic. The Black Cats now hold the record for the worst ever start to a Premier League season and things are looking bleak for the Wearsiders.
But can their next two games throw them a lifeline? David Moyes and his men travel to Bournemouth at the weekend and then face Hull on home soil after the international break, and right-back Billy Jones thinks the two games will be decisive to the club’s season.
Fresh from injury, and back in the team at the expense of Javier Manquillo, Jones must help his side get some points on board, and fast. He said: “Both within the club and outside, you look at the games and think these are the must-wins."
He went on to say that these games are the games that "let you catch the teams ahead of you or maybe even take you beyond them.”
Jones made his first start of the season during his side’s 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal, but he isn’t prepared to brush over the cracks: “We know the situation we’re in now isn’t good," but the defender was confident that things could be turned round. Jones added that if Sunderland can win at the weekend and "follow it up with another one at home against Hull, the whole outlook changes.”
The defender wasn’t shy to acknowledge Sunderland’s poor start to the last few seasons, but took hope from their previous revivals vy saying the gap may be larger than it was last year, but it was still "big last year and we managed to catch it up and go beyond."
The right back concluded by admitting Sunderland don’t want to leave it until the last third of the season like they have done previously. "We want to do it now and crack on, and there’s an opportunity at Bournemouth away and with Hull at home.”