2013/14 Season Review: June/July

June​

• 9th June: Sunderland announce the appointment of Roberto Di Fanti as Director of football and Valentino Angeloni is the club’s new Chief Scout
  
  
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• 19th June:

Fixture lists are announced as Sunderland face one of the toughest pre Christmas run ins in the history of the Premier League.
AUGUST
Aug 17: Fulham (h)
Aug 24: Southampton (a)
Aug 31: Crystal Palace (a)
SEPTEMBER
Sep 14: Arsenal (h)
Sep 21: West Bromwich Albion (a)
Sep 28: Liverpool (h)
OCTOBER
Oct 5: Manchester United (h)
Oct 19: Swansea City (a)
Oct 26: Newcastle United (h)
NOVEMBER
Nov 2: Hull City (a)
Nov 9: Manchester City (h)
Nov 23: Stoke City (a)
Nov 30: Aston Villa (a)
DECEMBER
Dec 3: Chelsea (h)
Dec 7: Tottenham Hotspur (h)
Dec 14: West Ham United (a)
Dec 21: Norwich City (h)
Dec 26: Everton (a)
Dec 28: Cardiff City (a)
JANUARY
Jan 1: Aston Villa (h)
Jan 11: Fulham (a)
Jan 18: Southampton (h)
Jan 28: Stoke City (h)
FEBRUARY
Feb 1: Newcastle United (a)
Feb 8: Hull City (h)
Feb 12: Manchester City (a)
Feb 22: Arsenal (a)
MARCH
Mar 1: West Bromwich Albion (h)
Mar 8: Liverpool (a)
Mar 15: Crystal Palace (h)
Mar 22: Norwich City (a)
Mar 29: West Ham United (h)
APRIL
April 5: Tottenham Hotspur (a)
April 12: Everton (h)
April 19: Chelsea (a)
April 26: Cardiff City (h)
MAY
May 3: Manchester United (a)
May 11: Swansea City (h)

Transfers​

• Work on the summer recruitment process commenced instantly, with players Valentin Roberge, Adilson Tavares Varela (Cabral), Modibo Diakité, Duncan Watmore and David Moberg Karlsson set to join the club in July.

• 25th June: Simon Mignolet agrees to Join liverpool in a initial 9m deal raising to 11m.

• 27th June: Sunderland begain persute of long term target Gino Perruzzi.

• 28th June: Ahmed Elmohamady completes a 2m move to Hull City

July​

• 1st July - July14th: Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio begains his task of carving Sunderland out of stone with his famous two week Itallian Boot camp.

"The players will walk down, go in the dressing room, change and train. It's the best place to go for a pre-season. Chievo Verona used it for many years as a base so it's amazing for the players, there is something in the hotel for them to gel together.

"It will help the players stick together, enjoy the moment and especially work, work, work, work, hard, hard and hard because this year will be harder than last year for sure.

"You will see the fittest Sunderland team that has ever been."
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• 13th July: Sessegnon runs riot in Sunderland's first pre season game against an Italian local XI 13-1, full match report here.

• 23rd July: Sunderland add three more itallians to it's scouting staff in Assimo Mirabelli, Franco Pulin and Raphael Papone.

• 24th July:Sunderland start Barclays Asia Trophy with a 3-1 win over Spurs to progress to the Final. Match report here

• 27th July: Sunderland lose Barclays Asia Trophy Final going down 1-0 to Man City. Match report here

Transfers​

• 1st July: Sunderland officially confirm the release of Titus Bramble, Matthew Kilgallon, Ben Wilson, Adam Reed and Ryan Noble.

• 1st July: Sunderland welcomed new signings Mobido Diakite, Cabral, Valentin Roberge and David Moberg Karlsson to the club on free transfers (Karlsson comanding a small tribunral fee)

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• 3rd July: Sunderland sign Arsenals 3rd choice keeper, Italian Vito Mannone for 2m and the Itallian keeper instantly states his intentions.
  
  “I’m a fighter and I want to fight,” he said. “If I don’t have the chance to fight, then it’s a bit of problem. I’m not a guy who likes to stand there and look at things from the outside. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not a person who can be happy like that.
  
  “As soon as the chance (to join Sunderland) came, I was always going to take it because it’s a great club and a great opportunity for me.
  
  “I just want to get on the bike and start riding.”

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• 9th July: Sunderland completed the signing of American striker Jozy Altidore from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on a four-year deal for £6million.

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• 10th July: Sunderland completed the signing of Le Havre midfielder El-Hadji Ba on a free transfer who Joined youngster Duncan Watmore in the Development Squad.
  
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• 16th July: Sunderland completed the signing of midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini from European giants Juventus for a fee of 6.5m

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• 19th July: Failed striker Danny Graham Joins Hull City on a season long loan.

• 28th July: Alfred N'Diaye seals a season long loan move to Turkish outfit Eskişehirspor

 

Early days of hope and glory...

Not a clue of the trauma's, high's and low's to come!

 

Gino Perruzzi - it makes me laugh to read that name now.

 

Not a clue fella, huge restructuring made it an exciting time. We knew there could be problems but couldn't have imagined how bad it would get. We got carried away.