Chris Mepham praises Sunderland for overcoming ‘massive test’ with unusual win vs Sheffield United
Sunderland pulled off a hugely important victory against Sheffield United on New Year’s Day, and Chris Mepham has admitted they did it despite not playing well.
Many had expected this top-of-the-table clash to come down to whichever team could be the best on the night, but it didn’t exactly play out according to plan.
Sunderland came into the game on the back of a disappointing defeat to Stoke City, and were trailing Sheffield United by five points.
Regis Le Bris’ side were seemingly out of the title race, but dragged themselves back into it with the impressive win at the Stadium of Light to preserve their unbeaten home record.
Chris Mepham admits Sunderland weren’t at their best against Sheffield United
Speaking to Sky Sports after the 2-1 win against the Blades, Chris Mepham was full of praise for the way his team managed to grab three points against their promotion rivals, while admitting the team did not play particularly well.
“It’s a massive shift, especially the way the last couple of weeks have gone for us. We’ve had two tough results. It was a massive test for us tonight. A lot of character was needed.
“We had to dig deep at times, which we knew we would. In the end, we’ve had games where we’ve played well and not got the results. It’s nice to not play so well and still get the three points.”
