As the transfer window closed last season and we all marvelled at the fact that we’re now a club captained by Granit Xhaka, with hugely experienced players of the calibre of Reinildo, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete, and exciting young prospects of the potential of Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Chemsdine Talbi all wearing our famous red and white stripes, I wrote a piece on here entitled “Are Sunderland Aiming To Thrive And Not Just Survive?”
Now, I don’t claim to be any sort of Nostradamus but that
article did include the following…
Is this really planning just to cling on to Premier League status this season?
I am beginning to wonder if Kyril Louis Dreyfus, Kristjaan Speakman and Florent Ghisolfi might have an altogether more ambitious vision for our club than just survival in the coming months.
Do they believe that we can surprise the established elite with whom we are now rubbing shoulders, surpass the very low expectations which have become the norm for teams arriving from the Championship in recent years, and join the cadre of teams challenging in the top half of the Premier League?
Apparently they did!
In the wake of the Lens game, the normally reserved Régis Le Bris spoke emphatically about the future of Wilson Isidor, firmly quashing any prospect of the hugely popular Haitian international striker leaving the club. But it was what else he said that struck me, as his words may have accidentally revealed the thinking behind the scenes at Sunderland.
There is no speculation, you can write it.
He is staying, absolutely. He’s happy, he knows his role. Obviously with fifty five games we can’t afford to play with one striker….”
Fifty five games? A remarkably exact figure from a studious and precise individual.
There are thirty eight Premier League fixtures and last season, Aston Villa played fifteen matches to win the Europa League. If Sunderland’s cup focus is on that competition, it would indicate that they’re not expecting to play any more than one game in each of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Did Le Bris’ comments unintentionally reveal what Kyril-Louis Dreyfus and the club hierarchy are aiming for?
There’s plenty of unrest in some quarters about the lack of transfer activity on Wearside. I’m not getting at all anxious — the assured debut performance from Thomas Meunier at Lens demonstrates that quality is being prioritised above all, with the Belgian bringing a wealth of experience to add to that of the seasoned internationals who arrived a year ago.
What also should give reassurance to anyone worried about our squad is what’s happening up the road, with an exodus of their best players apparently not keen to don the hideous barcode monstrosity that Adidas foisted upon them!
Just a few miles south, we’re only parting company with those deemed surplus to requirements. We also have an absence of turmoil in the dugout, with Le Bris beginning his third season at the Stadium of Light, having delivered promotion in his first season and Europa League qualification in his second.
We’re already in a far stronger position than this time last year.
Twelve months ago, there were lots of question marks — could our promotion-winning heroes Dan Ballard, Trai Hume, Chris Rigg, Enzo Le Fée, Wilson Isidor and Luke O’Nien make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League?
How would new signings Robin Roefs, Sadiki, Talbi, Diarra and Brian Brobbey cope with the transition from being exciting prospects in the Dutch, Belgian and French leagues to the demanding environment of top level English football?
Did Reinildo and Xhaka still have the legs to compete in the physically demanding Premier League?
All those questions have all been categorically answered, and all those doubts totally removed!
The late return of the Wearside World Cup stars has also provided an opportunity for Academy prospects to stake a claim for inclusion in the 1st team squad.
The likes of Tom Proctor and Jack Whittaker have enhanced their reputations but it’s Timur Tutierov who has showcased his skills to best effect. It was noticeable that the young Ukrainian was trusted enough by Le Bris to be thrown into the genuinely competitive atmosphere at Lens, and it would be no surprise to see him taking his place on the bench for Premier League and/or Europa League games.
Yes we need more depth in the squad but the transfer window doesn’t close for another three weeks.
Le Bris’ words indicate that, yet again, the Louis-Dreyfus regime has a clear plan for the coming season, and previous experience shows that they can be trusted to deliver.
