Since KLD and Speakman have taken the reins at Sunderland, fans and commentators have fixated on the term ‘model’. In the years since their ownership commenced, we have strategically invested in young
prospects that we have taken time to develop. One clear message I received from the interview on Monday night is that this way of how we do things has changed.
Since the play-off win over Sheffield United in May, the leadership has shown ambition in their recruitment. They have shown that they are nimble and willing to bend to change the direction with regard to our transfer policy. KLD said the club will ‘do whatever it takes’ to stay in the Premier League. He stated that ‘history has shown us that teams promoted have to do something special to stay in the Premier League’.
Sunderland spent big in the summer. We landed the targets we wanted. How much we spent was immaterial in a way, but importantly, we got what we needed.
KLD stated that the team put together needs to represent the community and the values that the club hold. Making fans proud is the goal. Well, so far, so good.
What the Future Holds?
The January window will soon be upon us. KLD alluded to the fact that the club will prepare for every eventuality. A lot will depend on where we sit in the table come December 31st, but a top-10 finish was mooted.
He paid tribute to our recruitment over the past few years, where there has been a heavy focus on purchasing young players and developing youth. He stated that having a young team with young players was in our DNA. It’s clear we will not sway from that. He also said that having experience was very important in our quest to stay up this year and singled out the likes of Xhaka and O’Nien and how valuable they are to morale and upholding the values the club holds.
At one point, he said, ‘We won’t go against our core beliefs’. Well, what does this mean? It means expect high-quality young additions. We had one of the youngest teams in the Championship last year. We have assembled a young team for the Premier League, sprinkled with added experience, to compete. We will look to add quality this January, no doubt, and I feel very confident that whoever is recruited will have been researched for their competencies both on the pitch as well as their character off it to enhance this already solid and together squad.
One thing that has been on my mind lately is how we deviate and adapt to utilise our academy. Our academy products had a platform in League One and the Championship to make appearances and, more importantly, make mistakes. I doubt many academy products will have the same opportunities to do that for SAFC in the Premier League. Developing our academy products will be key to our future. The only way I see us doing this is by utilising the loan system more than we have.
Although I am curious about who we will get in, I am even more intrigued as to what will happen with some of our youngsters in terms of loans. If developing youth is in the DNA of our club, I expect to see more of our academy products to get good loans to League One and Championship teams in the windows to come. It seems that Scotland has been used for the likes of Triantis, Mayenda, and most recently Ogunsuyi, and there is obviously a reason why that league has been selected.
I’m intrigued to see how we can strike a balance that allows us to develop youngsters at our club and provide them with a pathway to first-team football, while also being a competitive side in the Premier League. This will take time to do, but it’s clear that any successful club over the years have ensured that their academies play a vital role in its success. If it is in our DNA to have a youthful team, then they must be developed or bought. Buying all your youngsters isn’t sustainable, so developing will have to play a key role.
I am excited to see the incomings over the January window as we have a real opportunity to attract some of the best prospects in Europe. Still, perhaps I am even more excited to see some of the outgoings this January, as some of these may be as important to our future as some of the incomings.
