Dusan Tadic penalty seals win for Southampton at Sunderland

As the second half unfolded Sam Allardyce started scratching his head. Repeatedly. It is safe to assume this had nothing to do with the Sunderland manager’s choice of shampoo and was all about the dawning realisation that heis facing possibly his biggest managerial challenge.

In some ways, and particularly in defence, the Wearsiders have clearly improved since he replaced Dick Advocaat. But all things are relative; Allardyce has now lost three of his first four games in charge and, seemingly super-glued into the relegation zone, Sunderland have won one Premier League game all season.
Despite the slender scoreline, Southampton merited victory on a day when Maarten Stekelenburg had only one serious save to make and Yann M’Vila’s lapse of judgment in needlessly felling Ryan Bertrand prompted a penalty impeccably converted by Dusan Tadic’s left foot.

Ronald Koeman is limping slightly after surgery to repair a ruptured achilles tendon but his side moved with a freedom and fluency Sunderland struggled to contain. “We had a lot of possession and if we have the ball they can’t score,” said Southampton’s manager. “We like to enjoy ourselves, if you enjoy the way you play you’ll win a lot of games.”

It is a long time, and several managers, since Sunderland fans have derived any sustained pleasure from observing their team in action and sure enough, watching Allardyce’s charges was once again, a somewhat gruelling experience.

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