Sunderland's Youthful Gamble: A Championship Rollercoaster Awaits
With a new manager and a squad brimming with young talent, Sunderland's Championship campaign promises to be a thrilling ride full of potential and uncertainty.
Written by: Eirik Aase (Follow me on Twitter/X)
It's been several years since "Sunderland 'Til I Die" graced our TV screens. Viewers got a behind-the-scenes look at a club in disarray, and it was no surprise when Sunderland went from a strong Premier League club to a League One struggler. Down in the third tier, it took a whole four seasons before promotion to the Championship finally became a reality. Back in the Championship, Sunderland secured a playoff spot and a mid-table finish, and the club seems to be on the right track.
The young and wealthy owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, has helped this great club appear forward-thinking and innovative. In recent seasons, they've had a clear strategy when it comes to recruitment, mainly focusing on young players with resale potential. They're looking for diamonds in the rough, in markets where other clubs struggle, while also making shrewd signings from within the Championship.
This approach has resulted in Sunderland currently boasting a young and exciting squad, with several players who could be sold for large sums in the future. They're securing the club's financial future wisely, while the quality of the squad continues to improve. While some clubs have a few young players who could suddenly take the league by storm, this Sunderland team has a whole host of players who could quickly become key players at this level.
The risk of relying so heavily on young players and resale value is the potential loss of continuity from season to season, as well as an inexperienced squad. Many young players need time and trust before they can truly blossom, especially those from abroad. Even though it takes time to achieve success with this strategy, there's no doubt that Sunderland has something exciting brewing.
The Manager
The search for a new Sunderland manager took several months, but this summer, a new man finally entered the gates of the Stadium of Light. Regis Le Bris is the man who will lead the Black Cats this season, and he's likely an unknown figure to most Championship followers. The Frenchman comes to Sunderland after leading the French club Lorient in recent seasons.
He led Lorient for two seasons, finishing 10th in the top tier of France in his first season, but suffering relegation to Ligue 2 this season. After the season ended, Le Bris agreed with Lorient to part ways before heading to England. Le Bris played senior football for Rennes, Laval, and Ronse, while also earning youth caps for France. He's known for developing young players, and at his summer press conference, he expressed his desire to have Sunderland play fast, attacking football with a high, intense press.
The Squad
Between the sticks at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland has one of the league's best goalkeepers. Anthony Patterson, now 24 years old, is entering his third consecutive season in the Championship as the clear first choice for the Black Cats. The Englishman has been linked with Premier League clubs on several occasions, but for now, it seems he'll be staying put. This summer, Simon Moore has joined as a backup for Patterson. Moore has plenty of experience at this level, having played for Coventry City and Sheffield United in recent years, and even has caps for Isle of Wight on his resume. Additionally, Blondy Nna Noukeu has arrived from Stoke City this summer.
Every club should have a player that the fans love to have on their team but is hated by opposing fans for their tough and borderline playing style. Sunderland has such a player, and his name is Luke O'Nien. The 29-year-old has been a key figure for Sunderland for six seasons and is, in my opinion, a very good player at this level. He can be used in several positions, but last season, he exclusively played as a centre half. The same goes for Dan Ballard, who signed a new contract with the club this summer. The 24-year-old has been a strong player in the Championship for both Millwall and Sunderland, and several Sunderland supporters feared losing Ballard this summer before he signed the new contract.
Behind O'Nien and Ballard in the pecking order, we find Jensen Seelt and Nectarios Triantis. Seelt can also fill in at full-back, while it will be interesting to see how much trust Leo Hjelde will receive. The Norwegian is most comfortable as a center-back, but it's difficult to get playing time there if O'Nien and Ballard stay injury-free. Therefore, Hjelde mostly played at left-back last spring. In that position, Sunderland has both Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese as good alternatives, with Cirkin often impressing me with his offensive contributions.
On the right side of defense, we find one of the Championship's most exciting right-backs in Trai Hume. The Northern Irish international was brought in from Linfield in January 2022 and has become a good player in the Championship. Hume is a player who can still take further steps this season, while Niall Huggins and Timothee Pembele can contribute if needed.
"Young and exciting" are the keywords for Sunderland's central midfield options. Jobe Bellingham was signed last summer and showed glimpses of good play in his debut season at the Stadium of Light. The younger Bellingham brother demonstrated that he has potential to play much higher than the Championship, although his performances varied a bit throughout the winter, as they should when you're 18 years old. Dan Neil, now 22 years old, is also predicted to have a future at a higher level than the Championship. He will be a key figure in midfield this season as well, and it will be interesting to see if Pierre Ekwah can take further steps. He's also 22 years old and has several youth caps for France. His compatriot Adil Aouchiche didn't get as much playing time last season but is also in the mix.
This summer, Alan Browne has been brought in from Preston North End. Browne was the captain at Preston and has been a consistently good player in the Championship for several seasons. He can play most roles in midfield and has even performed well at wing-back for Preston. Chris Rigg is the super talent that fans hope will make huge strides this season. Rigg is only 17 years old but still got plenty of playing time in the Championship last season. This summer, Rigg signed a new contract with the club, and I liked what I saw of him when I attended some of Sunderland's pre-season friendlies. Jay Matete and Elliot Embleton have struggled with injuries in the past year, and I'm unsure if they'll be heavily involved this season.
On the wings, Sunderland has two technically skilled players in Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke. In my opinion, Clarke was perhaps the league's best player last season, and it was noticeable how much weaker Sunderland became when Clarke was out with an injury for a period in the spring. Clarke is constantly linked with Premier League clubs, and I'm not sure if the Black Cats can hold onto their key player until the transfer window closes. Roberts is a player who can be world-class one game but disappear the next. His peak level is sky-high, and it will be exciting to see if Sunderland's new manager can get the best out of the winger.
Abdoullah Ba, Jewison Bennette, Romaine Mundle, and Ian Poveda are other options who can contribute in attacking roles on the flanks. The latter showed very good form for Sheffield Wednesday during a loan spell there last season but also has a somewhat heavy injury history that Sunderland fans would rather not think about. Up front, things look quite thin at the moment. Eliezer Mayenda, Luis Semedo, and Nazariy Rusyn are all exciting players, but none of them have proven themselves good enough to start up top in the Championship. A new striker who can be a clear first choice is definitely on Sunderland's shopping list for the next month.
What Do I Think?
When I put together this table prediction, I usually have a feeling about where the teams will finish. Sunderland, however, is incredibly difficult to place this year. They have a new manager who is unknown in the Championship context and has had varying success in his previous job. They have a relatively young squad, but one that consists of very talented players.
The big question is whether many of these exciting young players will take the necessary steps under Regis Le Bris' leadership. If several of these promising youngsters go from being decent Championship players to being among the league's better players, I see no reason why the Black Cats shouldn't be fighting at the top of the table. They have good depth in most positions, although it looks a bit thin in terms of quality at the striker position.
What makes me steer clear of predicting a promotion push for Sunderland in this table prediction is the lack of a proper striker who can deliver up top, as well as the uncertainty surrounding both the manager and the many young players. Last season, there were many varying performances from this Sunderland team, and the same could easily happen this season as well.
The quality in the squad is good enough that Sunderland should stay well clear of any relegation battle, but I'm more unsure about where on the upper half of the table they'll be able to compete. At the time of writing, I think there are several other clubs around Sunderland who look at least as strong, but perhaps don't have the same top-level potential as Sunderland possesses. Nevertheless, I've chosen to place Sunderland at the bottom of this cluster of teams but wouldn't be surprised if the red and whites become one of the season's big positive surprises.
Prediction: 12th