Barnesy’s Blog: “I would urge Sunderland’s owners to tweak the model!”
“Now Sunderland needs to raise the bar. Be bold, brave, and prove itself not to be unbending in its approach to recruitment, but flexible and imaginative,” writes BBC’s Sunderland match commentator Nick Barnes.
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Nick Barnes Mar 14, 2024, 6:00am GMT
I’m writing this shortly after the news was confirmed that Jenson Seelt is the latest Sunderland player ruled out for a lengthy period with a knee injury. Mike Dodds must have wiped out the Black Cat population in the city, given the amount of bad luck he has had since taking the reins.
With a patched-up defence and a negligible forward line, there seems little doubt now that the season will peter out disappointingly and underwhelmingly.
The turning point was undoubtedly the sacking of Tony Mowbray. The whys and the wherefores can be chewed over elsewhere. The most important thing now is to make sure the summer recruitment on all fronts is done diligently, with the mistakes of the past few months ironed out and learned from.
Kyril Louis Dreyfus’s future plans are unknown, with rumours abounding that he is looking to move on. That may well be the case, and if it is so, the summer business of player recruitment and searching for a new head coach will still take precedence. I think we have to accept that Jack Clarke will move, and there’s a fair chance he’ll be joined by one or two others.
In fairness, that won’t be unexpected and fits the ‘project’, as long as the players signed to replace them are as good if not better than the one or more who depart. Therein lies the nub. It is clear the players currently at the club are not yet good enough. The past six matches have proved beyond doubt that the squad is weaker for the loss of Clarke and Ballard, two key performers, and Patrick Roberts can be added to that list.
One word keeps echoing in these past few weeks. From Marco Gabbiadini, from Gary Bennett, from fans — experience.
If there is a fundamental flaw in the ‘project’, it is unquestionably a lack of experience. The club will cite that there is experience in the squad. Bradley Dack, Corry Evans, and arguably Luke O’Nien, but two are injured. One long term and the other chronically so it would seem, with many saying when he signed from Blackburn he was injury-prone.
IF the ‘project’ is to succeed, then the parameters of recruitment have to change. Selling players will bring in a not inconsiderable income, and that should be used in part to raise the wage levels which will incentivise players to stay at Sunderland.
It will also allow the club to recruit one or two more experienced players. It won’t be lost on many that Keiffer Moore elected to move to Ipswich, who could offer higher wages and the prospect of Premier League football. Ipswich, who also signed Nathan Broadhead because Sunderland’s ambitions financially were a long way from those at Portman Road.
Sunderland is a huge club but not yet financially. Prudence is admirable, and I think most would applaud the owner’s ambitions not to let this club slip once again into the financial mire. This summer, though, is also huge if it is to push on and convince the fans the Premier League is not just a mirage but a solid ambition.
I would urge the ownership to tweak the model. The last four months have proved it needs addressing, and many will be kept on board if those tweaks, for example, a striker with competence, a midfielder with leadership, a centre half with presence are signed – with all due respect to the players currently in those roles, they will become better players alongside more experienced players.
Sunderland’s young guns can improve so far alongside each other and with good coaching, but fundamentally to improve longer term requires a blend of natural talent and experience.
We were shown a glimmer of the promised land last season when Clarke, Amad, Roberts, Neil, Patterson, et al. were in their pomp, but the key was Amad - a Premier League player earning many, many thousands a week.
Now Sunderland needs to raise the bar. Be bold, brave, and prove itself not to be unbending in its approach to recruitment, but flexible and imaginative.