IF SUNDERLAND’S start to the season was designed to deliberately lower expectations on Wearside, then it has worked perfectly.

Opening with a 4-2 defeat at a Leicester side that stayed up by the skin of its teeth, and following it with the meek submission at home to newly promoted Norwich City, whatever followed that would be sweet relief from the dross that was served up in their first two games.

So, while a 1-1 draw with Swansea City may well be an underwhelming result in the grand scheme of things, it was encouraging enough to suggest that this season may not be the long trainwreck into relegation that many pundits have predicted.

It was not encouraging enough to imply that all of Sunderland’s problems are solved, either. The truth, as always, is somewhere between the two extremes.

Yes, this was an improvement. And yes, the players showed a bit of fight, some battle, some spirit. It gave the supporters who have been there through thick and thin - mostly thin – something to get excited about, rather than treating their Saturday afternoon’s entertainment with fear.

But the problems that manifested themselves in the opening two fixtures of this embryonic Premier League season have not been completely solved.

Sunderland are still lacking defensively. Patrick van Aanholt, as improved as he was on Saturday, needs competition for his shirt. John O’Shea may not have the legs to compete with the league’s nippier strikers, but is the only one capable of organising the backline. Jermain Defoe is an awkward choice on the wing. Yann M’Vila was excellent, but is only one headbutt on a teenager away from being a liability.

Sunderland’s failings in the games prior to Saturday were the result of a perfect storm. A weak squad and a lack of fitness owing to an exhausting round-the-world pre-season expedition. One can be solved with the chequebook, the other will take time. And, on the evidence of Saturday’s performance, the Black Cats are at least moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.