While others spend their summers firefighting, Sunderland are quietly and calmly building. Stable ownership, a united dressing room and a coaching staff fully invested in the project have turned the club into one players want to join and more importantly, want to remain.
In years gone by, the reality was very much the opposite; Sunderland were always the club that paid over the odds for bang average players that didn’t want to live in the North East but wanted to chase the bright lights of London,
or live in the mansions of Cheshire.
Gone are the days of Lee Congerton, Roberto de Fanti and Jim Rodwell struggling through transfer windows under the stewardship of Ellis Short, Stewart Donald and — pardon my French — Charlie Methven, as well as paying over the odds for players like Modibo Diakite, Jozy Altidore, Jack Rodwell and Will Grigg.
Since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus took over, bringing in Kristjaan Speakman alongside a new transfer model, focussing on bringing in young players, realising their potential and selling at a profit, the whole culture of the club has done a full 180, with a squad full of players that want to be at the club, and fewer and fewer instances of our top players searching for moves elsewhere.
Whilst we had a concerning week or so given Chelsea’s pursuit of Granit Xhaka in June, the club showed tremendous resolve in keeping hold of the captain and of convincing him that Sunderland is the right place to be.
In the past, a summer such as this would’ve seen numerous players — Xhaka included — pushing for moves to the so-called bigger clubs, either leaving Sunderland chasing shadows in trying replace them or being left with unhappy players stinking the place out every week (Lamine Kone ringing any bells?)
Off the field, Régis Le Bris speaks like a coach fully invested in a long-term project rather than someone passing through. Florent Ghisolfi arrived with a clear brief and has also fully embraced the challenge as well as life in the North East. The club’s aim is clear: develop talent, improve the squad and build sustainably.
Another thing to look at is the way players leave the club in recent years, leaving with respect and love for the club, rather than relief. Eliezer Mayenda and Dennis Cirkin both posting very touching goodbyes on their social medias, showing the impact the club and supporters have had on both of them.
It’s time for me to say goodbye…. and it isn’t easy.
Three years ago, I arrived at Sunderland as a young player with big dreams. Today, I leave with memories and emotions that I will carry with me forever.
I had the privilege of wearing this shirt, sharing unforgettable moments with my teammates and experience that magical day at Wembley with all of you, when we helped bring Sunderland back where it belongs: the Premier League.
I would like to thank Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to join this incredible club. I will always be grateful. Thank you to my team mates, the staff and everyone who works so hard every day to make this club what it is.
And finally…
To you, the supporters. From day one, you believed in me. Season after season, you stood by me. I arrived here as Eliezer. I leave as your “Big Man”. I’ll carry that name with me forever.
You have to experience Sunderland to truly understand what “Sunderland ‘Til I Die” really means. As I leave this club, one thing is certain: Sunderland will always be a part of me. Thank you for everything. HA’WAY THE LADS.
Eliezer Mayenda. Your Big Man.
These things may seem small to some people, but it matters more than many realise.
Recruitment is about much more than wages and bonuses. Footballers and agents talk, and what we’ve done with the likes of Jobe Bellingham, developing players before finding a good move that works not only for the club but the player themselves, is a message that’ll be passed around the footballing world and will convince many agents that Sunderland is the right place for their clients to play football.
At Sunderland, every single person from the ownership down to the academy is united in their vision to take the club to the top and to maximise the potential of this massive footballing institution.
For supporters of a certain age, this is perhaps the strangest feeling of any in recent years — confidence in the people running the club.
Half of us still expect the next crisis to appear around every corner, yet Sunderland keep improving, and supporting the club keeps getting better year by year. We’re finally becoming what we’ve always had the potential to be: a well-run football club competing at the top of English and European football.
A club players want to play for. A place where players want to stay in order to improve themselves and the club.
A contrast to many clubs throughout football, where players push for moves and look to move on to bigger and better things. Where managers leave clubs in the lurch weeks before seasons begin and supporters and local journalists melt down at a lack of resolve to keep their best players.
Sunderland are becoming the envy of many, with the phrase “doing a Sunderland” taking on a whole new meaning in recent years. Now we need to build and keep riding the wave of momentum, moving forward year by year until we reach the top.
