1 day ago
While others spend their summers firefighting, Sunderland are quietly and calmly building. Stable ownership, a united dressing room and a coaching staff fully invested in the project have turned the club into one players want to join and more importantly, want to remain.
In years gone by, the reality was very much the opposite; Sunderland were always the club that paid over the odds for bang average players that didn't want to live in the North East but wanted to chase the bright lights of London, or live in the mansions of Cheshire.
Gone are the days of Lee Congerton, Roberto de Fanti and Jim Rodwell struggling through transfer windows under the stewardship of Ellis Short, Stewart Donald and — pardon my French — Charlie Methven, as well as paying over the odds for players like Modibo Diakite, Jozy Altidore, Jack Rodwell and Will Grigg.
Since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over, bringing in Kristjaan Speakman alongside a new transfer model, focussing on bringing in young players, realising their potential and selling at a profit, the whole culture of the club has done a full 180, with a squad full of players that want to be at the club, and fewer and fewer instances of our top players searching for moves elsewhere.
Whilst we had a concerning week or so given Chelsea's pursuit of Granit Xhaka in June, the club showed tremendous resolve in keeping hold of the captain and of convincing him that Sunderland is the right place to be.
#club #sunderland #rodwell #odds
In years gone by, the reality was very much the opposite; Sunderland were always the club that paid over the odds for bang average players that didn't want to live in the North East but wanted to chase the bright lights of London, or live in the mansions of Cheshire.
Gone are the days of Lee Congerton, Roberto de Fanti and Jim Rodwell struggling through transfer windows under the stewardship of Ellis Short, Stewart Donald and — pardon my French — Charlie Methven, as well as paying over the odds for players like Modibo Diakite, Jozy Altidore, Jack Rodwell and Will Grigg.
Since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over, bringing in Kristjaan Speakman alongside a new transfer model, focussing on bringing in young players, realising their potential and selling at a profit, the whole culture of the club has done a full 180, with a squad full of players that want to be at the club, and fewer and fewer instances of our top players searching for moves elsewhere.
Whilst we had a concerning week or so given Chelsea's pursuit of Granit Xhaka in June, the club showed tremendous resolve in keeping hold of the captain and of convincing him that Sunderland is the right place to be.
#club #sunderland #rodwell #odds
