It was a wonder the sun had bothered to come up over Fratton Park such were the grim predictions of doom and gloom for the Portsmouth.
In the event the campaign began all too expectantly - with a defeat and the kind of goal that suggests the fates have taken offence against the south coast club.
Fulham are never the greatest travellers but this was a reasonably comfortable first three points with which to signal their intent to improve on last season’s 7th-place finish.
With no Peter Crouch or Jermain Defoe Pompey are going to struggle to take chances. And with no Glen Johnson or Sol Campbell at the back their defence is going to be severely tested every week.
They are just four of the names sacrificed to the need to reduce the club’s crippling debt burden. Meanwhile there is no direction forthcoming from the boardroom while the proposed takeover of Sulaiman Al Fahim hangs in the balance.
Delayed in traffic (can the man not do anything on time?), the Dubai businessman – listed in the match programme as chairman and director but warranting no other mention – had just taken his seat when Pompey’s hopes took another blow.
The 13th minute indeed proved unlucky as an innocuous attempt by Clint Dempsey struck Bobby Zamora on the back and curled in a gentle arc inside David James’ left hand post
Before they could steady themselves the home side might have conceded another two in quick succession, firstly when Zamora was left alone to meet Danny Murphy’s free-kick. He enabled James to make the save while Andrew Johnson shot tamely over soon after.
Fortunate only to have the one goal to retrieve, Portsmouth began to produce more forceful football and engineered some worrying moments for the Fulham centre-backs. Frederic Piquionne, their new loan signing from Lyon, shot low to extend Mark Schwarzer. From Niko Kranjcar’s corner Nadir Belhadj, ideally placed, failed to make contact with his header.
A better chance fell to Younes Kaboul at the start of the second half after Piquionne and Hayden Mullins had combined to tee up the full-back.
This time the attempt ended up in the stand while at the other end Johnson inexplicably missed the target from a glorious opening. Late on both Marc Wilson and David Nugent were wasteful in front of goal.
Bolton Wanderers 0 Sunderland 1 at the Reebok Stadium
- Graham Chase
It was a chance that Harry Redknapp's wife, Sandra, might have struggled with and the confidence with which Darren Bent headed in with just four minutes gone here, summed up the transformation that has taken place for the forward, and his new club Sunderland , since the end of last season.
In the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures in mid-May, Bent was not involved in Redknapp's 18-man squad for a 2-1 win over Manchester City, while Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland scrapped their way to a point at the Reebok that would keep them in the top flight.
Ellis Short's takeover was completed and three months on, and with Bent, who joined in a protracted £10 million move earlier this month, one of just four additions to the Sunderland squad made by the new manager Steve Bruce, the team in red and white looked completely reinvigorated in the opening period as they swept past a Bolton Wanderers team that looked all too similar to last season's vintage.
Another new signing, Lee Cattermole was probably even more impressive as he dominated the centre of the field. From the start, they stretched Bolton and it was no surprise when they moved in front in just the fifth minute. The inventive Steed Malbranque clipped a cross to the far post and Bent rose higher than Paul Robinson to aim a header back across goal and past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
The visitors spent much of the opening period toying with Gary Megson's side and, but for poor finishing and some fine saves from Jaaskelainen, should have been well ahead at the interval. Kieran Richardson and Bent were both denied after slick passing moves and Kenwyne Jones failed to hit the target with a couple of headers.
Bolton showed just why Megson is so desperate to recruit a striker and barely threatened until the Sunderland goalkeeper Martin Fulop pulled off an impressive reaction save from Gary Cahill's header.
There was a little more from the hosts after the interval and Kevin Davies' back-header was swatted away by Fulop and Johan Elmander also missed with a sliced shot.
With few options on the bench, Bolton applied plenty of pressure but Fulop blocked Sean Davis from close range in added time as Sunderland held on for a significant victory.