Sunderland have twenty-three points from fourteen matches following our deserved draw away to Liverpool in midweek. It was a match that again made us feel proud of this team – and a little sense of 'what could have been' as we had some good chances to win.
Writing about a 1-1 draw with the reigning English champions eighteen months after we finished sixteenth in the Championship is remarkable, but it is what it is. Many of us, myself included, are starting to dream about what might be possible for this generation of players, but if you're the kind of person who stays grounded and chalks up every point toward the historically magical forty-point survival mark, don't worry.
There's probably a part of every Sunderland fan just hoping to get to that point as soon as possible, and things aren't going too badly for us. We have already surpassed Southampton and Ipswich on points totals last season and are just two points behind Leicester with twenty-three games left.
Relegation probably won't be an issue this season, but I'm happy every time we pick up points and close the gap to the magic number. Some say that the forty points needed to survive is outdated these days, and given that the last two seasons saw teams survive on thirty-two and thirty-eight points, you can see why.
More than likely, forty will be more than enough to avoid a fall this season. Wolves came away with two points from a possible forty-two, while Burnley are losing in five games.
We were constantly looking up rather than down, and although we remained in the top six after the draw at Anfield, it was hard not to look at the other end of the table. This gap makes for a good read until we get to forty points, or a stage where relegation is even less likely than it is now.
When that moment comes – and it looks like we might not be too far into the New Year if we're lucky – we can really start to stretch ourselves and see what's possible. Until then, every step closer to the magic amount must and will be celebrated.
Regis Le Bris and some players often talked about reaching this magic number even after winning. This is instilled in everyone at the club and although there is hope of getting into the top half of the team, I like the balanced approach mixed with optimism. After all, there's nothing wrong with wishful thinking.
Whether the glass is half full or half empty, it's hard not to be excited about how well this season has gone. We are approaching the halfway point and have rarely fallen outside the top eight after spending several weeks in the Champions League.
We're going to have some tough times ahead, but even before the trip to Manchester City, we'd picked up more points from our visits to Anfield and the Etihad than many predicted when the games came out. It is now well known that we are not afraid of anyone, and this is not going to change anytime soon.
