By Michael Conroy
I have supported Sunderland for 39 years, and the majority of those 39 years have drifted from mediocre to horrific. Of course, there has been the odd moment to keep me clicking through the turnstile;
the hope of nothing else. The Phillips and Quinn era was undoubtedly a high point, where everything just seemed to click, and only David Beckham could rival Nicky Summerbee’s crossing accuracy, but it faded. It burned brightly for a moment and then flickered to a glowing ember. We bounced back down to earth and then spent the next however many years surviving or failing to survive before the great decline. Anchored in the swamps of League One for far too long.
When we beat Sheffield United, of course I was elated, but at the back of my head, there was this inevitable doubt. The gulf between the Championship and the Premier League had been perfectly demonstrated by the three promoted teams that season, and we seemed ill-equipped to fare much better. Then the summer happened.
Watching any Sunderland game this season, you will see that quality in the middle. The metronome to the team’s rhythm, always available when we have the ball, always disrupting when we don’t. Granit Xhaka covers more distance than most Premier League players, despite being typecast as over the hill. What’s remarkable is that he rarely moves far away from the central rectangle of the pitch. He covers the vast majority of his miles commanding the middle of the pitch. We have an absolute gem in him, and it’s this that makes it all so exciting. Why did he sign for us?
A lot has been said about Kyril’s tenacity in pursuing this deal. The countless calls, some of which were ignored at first. The private jet sent to go and collect him. The bargaining with his club. The high fee with no resale value. But all of that just gets him in the room; you still have to convince him. There has been mention of him getting the experience of picking people up through tough times; he has ambitions of coaching. There has also been mention of the fact that he wanted one last shot at the Premier League, unfinished business, if you like. I dare say those things are part of it.
What is often discussed but rarely explored is “the project”. Now I don’t know what the project is; I assume it’s survival, consolidation, qualification, and beyond, but barring a few clubs who can ignore the first two of those, that is probably the project for every club in the Premier League. Anyone can say they have that project. To bring in a player like Granit Xhaka, he has to believe you. So after Granit disembarked from Kyril’s private jet and sat down with him, he was presented with evidence that the project is real.
That steps have been taken already, and it’s not a pipe dream. And that’s the exciting part. If Granit Xhaka has seen enough to know that the project is real, then this … all this … is just the start.
Arsenal fans sitting behind keyboards, many of whom have probably never set foot in their home stadium, mocked us for celebrating a draw. Of course, we’re going to celebrate that! Arsenal have one of the finest squads ever assembled in the Premier League. It shouldn’t even be a contest. That’s why we celebrate a draw.
At the moment, they look like champions-elect and are amongst the favourites for the Champions League. That puts them at the same level as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG. It’s not that long ago we were playing Morecambe in the league; you can absolutely bank on us celebrating a draw. But that project, the one that Granit Xhaka believes in, that project means we won’t always be celebrating a draw against Arsenal. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has turned this club around completely, not just in terms of league position but in terms of stature.
David Bruce was a brilliant appointment on the commercial side, the recruitment team, hell, even the team who repainted the concourses.
After years of neglect and patchwork signings, it feels as though we now have direction. What a time to be alive.
