Sunderland fans might have anticipated an up-and-down start to this Championship season, as the Black Cats group grew accustomed to the fresh managerial methods of Regis Le Bris.
However, it's been all smooth sailing at the Stadium of Light so far, with four wins from four impressively picked up in the league, as the Wearside outfit convincingly beat Portsmouth 3-1 last time out.
Jobe Bellingham has impressed in flashes so far during what is still the infancy of the campaign, with Le Bris well aware that the promising youngster will be key to his side keeping their electric winning form up.
Bellingham's performances this season
Assisting Jack Clarke's final-ever goal for the Black Cats on the opening day away at Cardiff City, Bellingham hasn't picked up any more goal contributions yet, apart from playing his part in that last-minute strike versus the Bluebirds being powered home by the now Ipswich Town winger.
It's not as if he's taken a back-seat, however, when it comes to trying to leave his mark on contests though, with a mightily impressive 7.8 duels won on average per game this season, as Le Bris goes about toughening up the 18-year-old starlet.
The new French Black Cats boss will want to see Bellingham attempt more efforts in games moving forward though, away from his battling nature shining through, having netted seven league goals last season for his Wearside employers.
So far this campaign, the likes of Eliezer Mayenda and Romaine Mundle have been taking up more of the spotlight when it comes to firing home key strikes, whilst Bellingham grows into being more of an all-rounder centrally.
Still, he will hope he has more strikes like the one above up his sleeve across the course of the full Championship campaign, with the likes of Dan Neil and Chris Rigg also capable of striking fear into defences when venturing forward as his midfield teammates.
There was even a likelihood, at one stage, that Bellingham could have been joined by a former Champions League winner in the middle of the park as out-there options were assessed in the transfer window, but this spectacular move never get off the ground.
Naby Keita's failed move to Sunderland
As per football journalist Ed Aarons, Le Bris' men couldn't agree terms with forgotten ex-Liverpool man Naby Keita towards the end of the window, with a move to Istanbul Basaksehir now very much in the works.
Keita could well have reignited his playing days in England with the Black Cats, with the move seen as a coup if it did actually come to fruition, regardless of his time with the Reds petering out.
Season
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
22/23
8
0
0
21/22
23
3
1
20/21
10
0
0
19/20
18
2
3
18/19
25
2
1
Never really becoming a key part of the jigsaw at Anfield, with recurring injury problems constantly stopping him in his tracks, Keita – who once cost the Reds a whopping £48m – did shine at points with seven goals and five assists tallied up from 87 Premier League clashes.
Capable of playing in a holding role, whilst also even prepared to line up down the left wing, the Guinea international's versatility would have also been useful to the Championship promotion hopefuls as the season dragged on.
Liverpool great Virgil Van Dijk even described the former Reds number eight as being "world class" during the early stages of his career at Anfield, and he could well have been a great partner for Bellingham in the centre of the park on Wearside, as another energetic and skilful midfielder with an eye for goal.
Unfortunately, no such audacious move happened, as the one-time Premier League winner now relocates to Turkey.
Le Bris won't be too disheartened by this development, as he now attempts to drill his ideas even more into the confident camp he has at his disposal, with a lengthy international break now in full swing.
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ByKelan Sarson