Sunderland's improvement in game management is one of the reasons why the club have started the season so strongly, according to captain Dan Neil.
The Black Cats are top of the Championship with four wins out of four, the only 100% record in the EFL.
While Regis le Bris' team have only conceded one goal in those four victories.
"It's the third year in the Championship for a lot of this team and that naivety is leaving the team a little bit," Neil, 22, said.
"We're starting to understand the game management, and that's a massive part of the reason why we've started the season so well defensively.