The sun was still shining when we crossed the Keel Crossing, but the memory of that humiliating defeat to Nottingham Forest was already fading in the rearview mirror. After a thoroughly bizarre and shocking home loss that left everyone scratching their heads, it was time to face another Midlands side—this time, already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers. That Forest game had felt completely out of step with the electric atmosphere that had filled the streets before kick-off, with red and white stripes everywhere and songs echoing through the air. But as any seasoned fan knows, you have to put those days behind you and move on quickly.

The trip to Molineux had all the makings of a classic banana skin, especially coming off the back of that defeat. But sometimes the best way to steady the ship is to face a wounded opponent. Wolves had enjoyed a brief mid-season revival, bloodying the noses of several top sides before fading back into their early-season struggles. Even lowly Spurs had managed to notch a win against them, which made this feel like a golden opportunity for Sunderland to turn things around and regain some pride as the season winds down.

Now, let's talk about the pre-match logistics. Wolverhampton city centre has an infamous reputation as a "home fans only" stronghold—a small-minded policy that we've never quite understood. It only drives away thousands of potential customers to nearby rivals, depriving local venues of much-needed income in these tough times for the hospitality industry. Sunderland fans, in particular, are known to be prolific supporters of local hostelries, and we're generally a good-natured bunch. It's ridiculous that fans aren't able to mingle freely like they do before Sunderland home games.

So, we opted to start our matchday in Birmingham instead, returning to the Figure of Eight beer garden—one of the best sun traps in the city centre. Its reputation was slightly tarnished at the weekend after seeing a rather questionable sight, but the pints were cold and the company was good. Let's just hope that whoever wins the Championship playoffs and replaces Wolves has a more progressive pub policy. Even Boro at least let us use their Popworld...