Fan Letters: “This is our time to grow as a Premier League club!”

Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Are we in for a ride this season? However, can I put a slightly different slant on how things could actually play out as opposed to the more general view seemingly being aired at this time?

The populist talk is that the signings we’ve made “could be just enough for us to avoid relegation.” What a blinkered view from so-called experts.

We’ve signed almost a full team and some of the signings would walk into any team in the Premier League, let alone a newly-promoted side.

Granit Xhaka will bring on the

outstanding potential of players such as Chris Rigg and even Dan Neil, and we also have Harrison Jones on the cusp of making a genuine claim for a first-team place. Sure, we have AFCON to contend with, but so do the others and we’ve bought big in midfield to hopefully ride out the short storm should our players be leaving for the tournament.

I think we could actually be looking at a top-ten finish first time back.

I’m not going daft and screaming “Champions League glory”, but take a look at Nottingham Forest last year! At one stage, they looked nailed on for a brilliant top-four finish and they still eventually settled for what I would certainly say was a successful season.

Let’s not underestimate the vociferous crowd at the Stadium of Light.

Going back to Reidy’s time, teams used to dread coming here and some well-established visiting players would buckle in the white-hot cauldron atmosphere. Although we’re classed as a big club, some of the opinion holders out there still don’t quite get it.

When the Stadium of Light is rocking, there simply isn’t a ground in the UK that can match it. The whole place comes alive and that’s absolutely worth a point against any side out there.

So, let’s not go into the new season with the assumption that we’re hopefully going to finish fourth from bottom. Let’s give it a real go and let Xhaka inspire and kick backsides when necessary.

We’re not nailed on to go back down and this is our time at last. This is our time to grow as a Premier League club and steadily begin the aim for a higher finish each season going forward.

The potential of this great club has been completely untapped for decades and this is the beginning of the way back at last.

Peter Milton

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Peter. Thank you for your letter.

I’d love to think that with a new-look team, a revamped Stadium of Light and a fanbase feeling more optimistic about the future than we have in a long time, 2025/2026 could be a pivotal campaign in our recent history.

It’s also fair to say that the signings we’ve made certainly don’t hint at the club hierarchy being happy to merely tread water during our first top flight campaign in eight years — and that’s extremely promising.

Despite some underwhelming results in pre-season so far, I’m still feeling excited ahead of the opening game against West Ham, and if we can get some more new signings onboard during the next week (with the defence being the number one priority), there’s every chance we can kick things off with a good result.

Will it be tough? Yes. Should we be afraid? No. This is what we worked towards during those long years in League One, and the fact we’re back in the big time is something to be incredibly proud of!

Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Well, just two weeks before the big day.

Just a thought: if Robin Roefs is in goal and we win our first game, will we be ‘raising the Roefs’ off the stadium?

Sarge

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Sarge. Thank you for getting in touch.

I thought Roefs made a good first impression against Real Betis on Saturday and although it’ll be a big step up when West Ham arrive on the 16th, as debuts go, it was quite impressive.

He looked solid, commanding, reliable when claiming crosses and he also appeared to be quite vocal as well. All promising signs but it’s still early days, so we’ll see how he continues to develop.

Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Wow. Just wow. What a few weeks we’re having.

The excitement of the playoff semi-finals and the ultimate glory we all shared in with the heroics at Wembley. Thanks to everyone at the club — especially the players who truly fought ‘Til The End’.

And now, rather than expecting relegation, we have real hope of giving it a proper go in the Premier League, as more exciting players and backroom staff are recruited.

Credit to the chairman and board for all their hard work and endeavour to make our club truly great again.

Just want to mention our former chairman Sir Bob Murray, whose foresight and love for our club brought us the magnificent Stadium of Light — without which, maybe none of this would’ve happened.

Thanks, Bob. You did us proud and I believe you played no small part in our current success.

Edwin Grenfell

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Edwin. Thank you for your letter.

It’s certainly been a memorable summer and things haven’t been the same at Sunderland since Tommy Watson sent us to the Premier League with his late winner at Wembley.

Things have changed on so many levels and I agree that the club hierarchy deserves a lot of credit for the steps they’ve taken — on the field and off — to ensure we’re as ready as possible for our return to the top flight.

There’s still some work to do ahead of the first game of 2025/2026 against West Ham, but I don’t feel we’re a million miles away and hopefully, there’ll be some more breakthroughs in the transfer market during the coming week.

Photo by Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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