IT might have looked out of place in a world of tiki-taka, gegenpressing and false number nines, but Sunderland’s opening goal at Norwich City on Sunday could still be described as a thing of beauty.

Jason Steele booted the ball upfield, James Vaughan leapt above his marker to flick it on, and Lewis Grabban outpaced the last Norwich defender to slot a simple finish past Angus Gunn. Classic route-one stuff, and worth as much as any other goal no matter how much it might offend the football purists.

Simon Grayson doesn’t want Sunderland to be a long-ball team, but when he sends out his side at Sheffield Wednesday tonight, he is likely to line them up in a 4-4-2 formation that has slipped out of fashion in the last few seasons.

Aiden McGeady and George Honeyman perform the role of out-and-out wingers, with Vaughan and Grabban forming a two-man attack. Out of possession, the forwards are expected to track back to support their midfielders, but when Sunderland are on the attack, Grayson will be encouraging both to cause a problem in the box.

It is a system he utilised effectively during his four promotion successes in League One, and while the majority of top-flight clubs might prefer to play a lone striker, fielding a two-man attack has proved a successful policy in the Championship in recent seasons.

“Over the last few years, Burnley and Brighton have both gone up playing 4-4-2, or 4-4-1-1 out of possession,” said the Sunderland boss, who has no new injury problems to contend with ahead of tonight’s trip to Hillsborough. “I’ve never been set in stone in terms of playing one particular system. At Preston we’d play 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2, and that could all be in one game. That’s how I am.

“I’d like to think we’re flexible and adaptable, but at this moment in time, with what we’ve got and what we need to do on the pitch, we need to ask a lot of questions of the opposition and by doing that you probably play with two up front.

“Out of possession, they have to work equally as hard as the other lads to make it difficult, and it (the work rate of the front two) is not something we take lightly.

“We have to work on situations and do a lot of work with the players on the shape of the team and what we’re going to do with and without the ball. So far it’s working well, but there will be occasions I’m sure over the next few weeks and months when we play different systems. Hopefully, when we do that, we will still get positive results.”

Ultimately, of course, your system is only ever as good as the players playing within it, and both Grabban and Vaughan have made successful starts to their Sunderland careers.

Grabban, who was signed on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, goes into tonight’s game as the Championship’s joint leading goalscorer, with his weekend brace at Norwich making it three goals from two league appearances.

Vaughan, a £500,000 purchase from Bury, is yet to open his account for the Black Cats, but he set up Grabban’s opening goal superbly at the weekend and has caused a succession of problems thanks to his energy, work rate and ability in the air.

“I think the pair of them have a good understanding at this moment in time,” said Grayson. “It’s not been easy so far in terms of us having limited funds available, but Lewis is on loan and hungry to play.

“He was desperate to come, even though he could have taken the easy option and stayed on the south coast. He’s uprooted and come to the other end of the country.

“James jumped at the chance (to join Sunderland), and he’s somebody I’ve worked with in the past at Huddersfield. He’s been given a second chance at this level. They’ve got the hunger and desire, and that’s what I’m trying to do with every player we bring into the club. We have to put the heart and soul back into the football club, and the supporters appreciate that. It’s a working-class city that demands that.”

The pair’s efforts have not gone unnoticed by their team-mates either, and as Sunderland’s supplier-in-chief, McGeady is especially appreciative of their goalscoring talents.

The Republic of Ireland international provided a sublime cross for Grabban’s second goal at Norwich, and is clearly enjoying himself after completing a £250,000 switch from Everton earlier in the summer.

He set up a number of goals for Jordan Hugill when he was playing under Grayson at Preston last season, and has clearly been instructed to be as positive as possible as he looks to strike up a similar relationship with Grabban and Vaughan.

“So far, the Celtic game aside, it has been really promising, and it can only get better,” said McGeady. “Vaughany works really hard, if he keeps working hard like that the goals will come.

“Lewis has obviously started really well and George (Honeyman) has kind of come from nowhere and had a really positive impact, so in all aspects it’s been good.

“For me to get the ball out wide, it’s great to know if I get half a yard with either foot, I can put the ball in the box and those two will attack it.

“You saw with the third goal (at Norwich) - it was a just a good ball in, the two lads were in there and Grabs got on the end of it. There’s more to come.”

Sunderland (probable, 4-4-2): Steele; Jones, Browning, Kone, Galloway; Honeyman, Cattermole, Ndong, McGeady; Vaughan, Grabban.