…………. at least we didn’t sign Cleverley!
Article by e-Sunderland's Ben MummeryClick here to follow e-Sunderland on Twitter!
Well well well!
The transfer window is now slammed shut, and Sunderland’s “business” is concluded for another summer. Gus Poyet and Lee Congerton’s efforts have seen a raft of players depart the club, and a trickle of new faces have made their way to Wearside.
Unsurprisingly, the fans have been reacting strongly, as we’ve come to expect over the years. Not a bunch to hold back their opinions, nor mince their words, the Red and White army have been voicing their opinions all over social media for the last few weeks, and there is a common thread – disappointment.
Let’s quickly break down our activity this summer:
In: Jack Rodwell (Manchester City), Will Buckley (Brighton & Hove Albion), Patrick van Aanholt (Chelsea), Jordi Gómez (Wigan Athletic), Billy Jones (West Bromwich Albion), Costel Pantilimon (Manchester City), Santiago Vergini (Estudiantes - Loan), Sebastien Coates (Liverpool - Loan), Ricky Alvarez (Inter Millan – Loan).
Out: Ignacio Scocco (Newell's Old Boys), Carlos Cuéllar (Norwich), Phil Bardsley (Stoke City), Jack Colback (Newcastle United ((and England!)) – BOOOOOO!!!!), Craig Gardner (West Bromwich Albion), Billy Knott (Bradford City), John Egan (Gillingham), Kieren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Louis Laing (Nottingham Forest), Reece Noble (Durham City), Oscar Ustari (Newell's Old Boys), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Pickford (Bradford City - Loan), Scott Harrison (Hartlepool United), Andrea Dossena, Jordan Laidler, Alejandro Rodriguez Gorrin, Jordan Watson.
It’s plain to see that there has been a fair bit of Deadwood stripped away from the body of the squad, which no fans have any real complaints about, the possible exception being Colback, but we’re not about to open that can of worms again!
The additions, if we’re honest, are not bad at all – in fact it’s fair to say that Poyet has improved the squad man for man.
There’s strength in the midfield with Rodwell, a bit of steel across the back with Jones and Coates, there’s pace in van Aanholt and creativity in Buckley, Alvarez and Gomez. No real complaints there either then!
But there are.
There is one thing missing from this list – GOALS!
Sunderland have been crying out for an out and out striker, a goal machine. A Phillips, a Bent, a Gyan, a Quinn. Ellis short threatened to unleash the purse strings a few weeks ago with a fourteen million pound bid for Fabio Borini, but when advances were knocked back, showed little ambition to pursue an alternative.
As deadline day loomed, Sunderland fans were happy enough with the names Alvarez and Coates, which were looking nailed on to sign, however all of the prayers being offered up were for an out and out center forward, preferably a certain Italian.
Borini had made his decision fairly clear in this writer’s eyes, that he had no intention of returning to the north east, however there were whispers that perhaps, just maybe, the deal could be back on.
In typical deadline day style, come mid-afternoon, the little Italian had gone from hero to villain, as he looked certain to sign for old “wobbly chops” at QPR, pinched from under our noses! Poached, his head tuned by the prospect of the bright lights and city living of the capital! After all, what have we up here in the frozen north that can compare to the metropolitan modern lifestyle for today’s rich young man and his super model girlfriend? (……… don’t say “The Bridges” please!)
Jacky White’s market and the Metro center were never going to be enough for Borini, and all looked done and dusted, until word trickled through that the deal had collapsed on “personal terms”. Harry stated that QPR were not able to “get anywhere near what the player is asking” – rumors flew that the twenty three year old was demanding up to ninety thousand pounds per week, excessive in anyone’s eyes.
This being the case, the former Chelsea, Roma, Parma, Swansea, Liverpool, AND Sunderland man has had to settle for the warmth and comfort of the Liverpool bench. A waste, or justice for his greed?
There are other unknown quantities about our signings, such as the acquisition of Alvarez.
The Inter Millan midfielder has been a regular in the Argentina squad, however has not started often, and was absent from the starting eleven during the recent world cup. Sources say that he’s a tricky, skillful attacking player, used to playing in the no. 10 role, which could benefit the goal-shy Fletcher enormously. (Speaking of goal shy, has anybody noticed that we’ve somehow managed to NOT sell Danny Graham?! JESUS!)
One positive, is that the squad looks ten times better at this stage than at the same time last season!
Another is that we have genuinely promising youngsters coming through the ranks in Honeyman, Mandron, Mavrias, to name but a few. There is a little group of young players about whom Gus has made it known publically that he means to introduce them to first team football in the near future, and perhaps this figured in the lack of investment in the transfer window?
After all, what must it do to the confidence of a youngster, if he knows a new player has just been bought to be above him in the pecking order?
The signings we’ve already seen have impressed on the whole. Rodwell still looks a shade away from full match fitness, however his skill and class are in no doubt. Patrick van Aarnolt looks to be a real jack in the box, with gas to burn (his defensive positioning could use a little work perhaps?). Buckley looks a real threat on the ball, making meaningful surges forward rather than looking to run the ball into the corners and waste a cross, and Gomez has impressed in a few cameos, as well as proving he can strike a ball with the best of ‘em!
If the new boys can add to this, then Sunderland could, with the guidance of Gus Poyet, be in decent shape.
Coates needs to inject a little pace into the back four, for while Brown and O’Shea’s reading of the game is in no doubt, they’re no spring chickens! If Alvarez, Giaccherini, Johnson, Gomez, Buckley, Larsson and the likes can start to string some creative momentum together, then we could be looking at feeding Wickham and Fletcher some meaningful ball to hit the goal with.
On reflection, while the transfer window seemed to lack a little ambition in terms of quantity, there can be no denying that those that have arrived had added to the quality of the squad. This, combined with the shedding of some dead weight, can hopefully provide some focus going forward. A smaller squad isn’t necessarily a terrible thing, as more attention to detail can be worked on in training, with greater emphasis on the individual role.
Time will tell, and while Sunderland fans will rue the lack of a new striker, hopefully what we’ve brought in will bring out the best in what we already have.
It could have been worse, we could have ended up with Ben Arfa!!!
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