Our series of 2015-16 Premier League team previews continue as Ryan Menezes takes a look at Sunderland’s chances for the season ahead.
Summer signings
The Black Cats, on the face of it, have mustered a positive transfer window thus far. Four new players have been brought in, strengthening a squad that only managed to avoid relegation on the penultimate matchday of last season.
Manager Dick Advocaat has moved swiftly to improve a defence which was so often found wanting last season with the signings of Liverpool’s Sebastian Coates and former Tottenham captain Younes Kaboul, while promising young Celtic defender Adam Matthews has also joined the club.
The most heralded summer signing has been that of Netherlands international Jeremain Lens from Dynamo Kiev. The experienced Dutchman has scored goals wherever he has played in the past and with the Black Cats managing a poultry 31 goals from 38 league games last season, an average of less than one goal per game, the reinforcement of a proven striker will attempt to lighten the load off the shoulders of January signing Jermain Defoe.
Last season
The 2014-15 campaign was forgettable for the Sunderland faithful. An extremely tough start saw the Black Cats fail to win any of their first six league games which included five draws. An embarrassing 8-0 defeat to Southampton in mid-October was one of the major low points as the pressure on then-manager Gus Poyet began to tell. There was little upturn in fortunes as the season entered its midway point and despite the January addition of Defoe, the Black Cats went on to win just one of 12 matches, which ultimately saw the sacking of Gus Poyet with Sunderland in the relegation zone.
Up stepped Advocaat. The experienced Dutchman took charge of the side in a perilous position in the relegation zone with no signs of its form guide changing, but there was an immediate response from the players. Advocaat brought about a revolution with Sunderland, who eventually survived on the penultimate Premier League game with a draw against Arsenal.
It was the minimum requirement for Sunderland to hold onto their Premier League status, but no progress was made. A disappointing campaign overall.
Manager
Sixty-seven-year-old Advocaat is a prudent, heavily experienced and highly successful manager with over 30 years of success at club and international level. The Dutchman is known for a more traditionalist approach with a hard-nosed attitude.
Advocaat is a manager that instils discipline and work-rate from his players and it was no surprise to see Sunderland defensively much stronger after his arrival, with the former Netherlands boss preferring a typically sound defensive mindset with a propensity for counter-attacking football.
Having initially rebuffed the offer of a new deal and retiring at the end of last season, Advocaat made a dramatic u-turn and has committed to the club for the foreseeable future. Advocaat will know that a poor start to the new season will test the patience of those at the Stadium of Light, despite endearing himself to the fans last term.
Strengths
One of the major strengths of this Sunderland squad, which cannot be boasted by each of their relegation rivals, is that this Black Cats squad features plenty of experienced heads. Experienced members of the side such as Defoe, Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Sebastian Larsson, in particular, have the experience and quality necessary to give them the edge over their rivals. One or two more additions between now and the end of the current transfer window could be the difference between whether or not the team is embroiled in another relegation battle this coming season.
Weaknesses
Sunderland found the net just 31 times in 38 matches last season, and the side is crying out for more attacking talent to improve this statistic. Sunderland have a solid foundation in this department with Defoe accompanied by tried-and-tested Premier League strike partners Danny Graham and Steven Fletcher, while Sunderland fans will be expecting big things from new signing Lens. The news of Connor Wickham’s departure to Crystal Palace in a reported £9 million deal is a significant blow to the club’s attacking options but will offer Advocaat a chance to use those funds to further strengthen the area.
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Key Player
Ex-Spurs and Portsmouth man Defoe is a player who is the marquee player for Sunderland. He has shown for many years now that he is one of the best finishers in the business and it will be up to the 32-year-old Englishman to score the goals to garner the Black Cats enough points to stave off the threat of relegation. Defoe is a player that can excite and causes defences many problems with his pace and finishing ability and will be Sunderland’s number one striker this season. If he can have a big year and get himself into double figures for league goals, it will go a long way to securing Sunderland an improvement on last season and survival.
Best XI
(4-2-3-1): Pantilimon (GK); Jones, Coates, Kaboul, van Aanholt; Cattermole, Rodwell; Lens, Larsson, Johnson; Defoe.
Prediction
It has been a relatively strong transfer window for Sunderland which bodes well for the season ahead. However, the squad still needs one or two new additions in order to seriously improve from last season’s poor 16th place finish. Another striker, having sold Wickham, is a must, while it is imperative for the Black Cats to improve on last season’s home form. Sunderland managed just four wins at the Stadium of Light from 19 matches last season. That return is not good enough and the home ground needs to become a fortress, a place no one wants to visit. A mid-table position come May will prove significant progress has been made under Dick Advocaat, while another relegation battle is expected on Wearside. A lower mid-table finish should be expected.
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