Phil Smith: Further new faces needed but signs of Lee Johnson's philosophy beginning to take root as Sunderland fans gear up for return

Or at least, so we hope.

Sunderland's latest tilt at winning promotion from League One will begin with much anticipation, undoubtedly. Fans are back, and hopefully for good.

The visit of Wigan Athletic will for many see the welcome restart of traditions and routines decades old.

Against Lincoln City a mere 10,000 turned the Stadium of Light into a cauldron, doing their bit to try and produce a comeback that had seemed unlikely in the extreme just days earlier.

When the strains of 'Wise Men Say' begin to ring out just before 3pm on Saturday afternoon, there will not be a goosebump undisturbed.

Beyond that? Who knows. And therein lies the fear and the anxiety for many Sunderland supporters, concerned that their team may not be ready to put an end to this arduous journey through the third tier of English football.

The pre-season campaign itself has been broadly encouraging.

Though the Black Cats' business in the transfer market has been limited up to this point, those who have arrived have looked the part.

Callum Doyle's age and lack of experience means it is naive to expect a flawless campaign from the Manchester City loanee, but the precision and conviction in his distribution already looks to be a cut above much of what you normally see at this level.

In midfield Corry Evans has shown intelligence and composure, while there are a number of young players who have pressed their claims.

Elliot Embleton's output has been immensely encouraging, and Ross Stewart has brought a different dimension with his willingness to stretch the opposition defence.Aside from a week-long lay-off due to a pre-planned injection, Aiden McGeady has enjoyed his best and fullest pre-season programme since joining the club.

Even without Charlie Wyke, the assists have been flowing.

All of that means there has been a noticeable switch in style, signs of Lee Johnson' s philosophy beginning to take root.

As the head coach said himself after the win over Harrogate Town: "First and foremost, I want the footballing ability in my squad. "That to me today is starting to look like, in inverted commas, a Lee Johnson team.

"It’s the breaking of the lines with the passes, it’s the centre-half driving out from the back, it’s the number tens dropping into the space, it’s the overlaps from the full-backs. The highlights reel of that game today is what I want to get to in my mind’s eye."

The gaps in this squad remain too great to ignore all the same.

Most notably, the defensive rebuild that began with the arrival of Doyle is still very much in its early stages at best.

When Johnson's first-choice defence finally begins to settle the season will be comfortably underway, key points already won and lost.

And while Stewart's all-round game bodes well for the campaign ahead, questions over Will Grigg's long-term future means that the other crucial part of the pitch is an unsettled one.

Heightening that uncertainty is the recognition that this could be the strongest division since Sunderland's first campaign at this level in 2018/19.

After a season of significant off-field struggle Sheffield Wednesday have recruited well under a respected manager.

Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic have invested heavily, powered by new ownership who have made no secret of their intention to get back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Add to that already ferociously competitive mix teams like Rotherham, who are never far away at this level, and Oxford United, who invariably push towards the top.

There are many others you could add to the conversation.

The Black Cats have every reason to believe they should be able to compete at the very top.

Though the additions to the squad that still need to happen are obvious, this has in many ways been the most settled pre-season campaign Sunderland have enjoyed since their relegation.

In 2018/19 they possessed a strong squad in some areas, but it is easy to forget just what a patched-up side took to the field against Charlton Athletic: only five would go on to face the same opponent at Wembley in the play-off final.

A year later Sunderland's pre-season had been marred by a summer in which Mark Campbell failed to conclude his takeover deal. Jack Ross and his squad set out to try and reach a target of 100 points set by the ownership, but with little substantive investment.

Last season Phil Parkinson had reasonably continuity in terms of his squad and favoured XI, but the divide between club and supporters off the field remained a chasm and uncertainty over the future at boardroom level clouded everything.

Sunderland have that sense of stability and direction now, though it is fair to say that many supporters still feel as if Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and his new regime are yet to really show their hand.

The expectation is of significant late moves in the market, which will accelerate the move to a younger and more athletic squad.

Right now the sense is that judging the campaign ahead will be challenging until the transfer window shuts at the end of August.

Until then, it is up to Johnson to try and eke everything he can out of the promising core of players who have enjoyed a largely fruitful pre-season campaign.

After three years Wearside is understandably wary, and it is up to the new regime to prove that this time it really will be different.

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