Memories of Wembley in May are still fresh in many of our minds – the agonising wait as Sheffield United’s second goal was ruled out with the assistance of VAR, the hope when Eliezer Mayenda’s shot rocketed into the roof of the net, the elation as Tommy Watson’s beautifully caressed finish eluded the outstretched glove of Michael Cooper and nestled in the corner of the goal.
Even as we walked away and headed back to Son No. 2’s university digs, thoughts turned to the challenge that life back in the Premier
League would bring. First and foremost was just how much the club hierarchy would be prepared to invest to make our young team competitive in the top flight.
With the closure of the transfer window imminent, that question has already been emphatically answered. Even the most optimistic fans must have been shocked by the quality, cost, and sheer number of players recruited. Stuart Harvey’s scouting network has been active across France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Türkiye, in addition to the domestic market.
The youthful promise of prospects such as Diarra, Sadiki, Talbi, Roefs, and Guiu has been balanced with Premier League experience in the form of Adingra, Masuaku, and, incredibly, Granit Xhaka. Top-level European know-how has been added with the acquisitions of Reinildo, Alderete, and Mukiele.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, with the counsel of Kristjaan Speakman and the newly arrived Florent Ghisolfi, has brandished the chequebook with a flourish, so much so that it is easy to overlook that Enzo Le Fée only became a permanent signing this summer.
It is not only the first-team squad that has undergone a transformation. While we were all focused on the next ‘Here we go’ from Fabrizio Romano to announce who would be next to sign on the dotted line, another transformation was taking place, out of sight, on the concourses of the Stadium of Light.
Kiosks that have been shuttered for years have been reopened, with a fresh range of match-day fare to tempt fans. There has been a long-overdue programme of redecoration and refurbishment, which has incorporated our club’s proud heritage, adorning the spaces where we gather before the match and at half-time. Added to the lighting and sound system that were introduced last season, we again have a stadium befitting a Premier League club.
So everything is set for success. Or perhaps not. The challenge of Premier League football has changed immeasurably since we were last here. I won’t dwell on the fate of Championship teams who have arrived in the Premier League in the last two seasons.
Our approach to recruitment has been compared to that of Nottingham Forest before their 2022/23 season back in the top flight. Despite investing over £140 million, Forest survived by the skin of their teeth, finishing 16th, just four points above the relegation spots. The following season, they were even closer to losing their Premier League status, scraping into 17th place.
Realistically, that is likely to be the scenario that Sunderland will face this season. In spite of the millions splashed on bringing in new talent, we are going to be scrapping and scrambling for every point that will bring us closer to survival in May.
As fans, we now have a huge part to play. Régis Le Bris has spoken about the importance of it. After the West Ham game, Graham Potter talked about the atmosphere in the Stadium of Light.
The disappointment of the result against Burnley and, to a lesser extent, the EFL Cup exit at the hands of Huddersfield have already prompted murmurings in some quarters of the fanbase.
However disappointed we are, as supporters, we have to be better than that. If our club is to stand any chance of survival this season, we have to be united – united behind the team on the day, united behind every player in the squad, and united behind Régis Le Bris and his coaching team.
As last season’s fixtures petered out, and Le Bris opted to rest and rotate in preparation for the play-offs, there was an obvious dip in atmosphere. Even with our play-off position secured, unease in the crowd transmitted itself to whichever players were put on the field of play, both during the match and on social media afterwards.
The treatment of Tommy Watson in particular was, in my view, absolutely despicable. I hope those who engaged in it endured a feeling of shame, as the player they had subjected to such uncalled-for vitriol delivered promotion for them.
As a fanbase, we have to be better than that. This season brings a challenge the like of which the club has never faced before. Survival will represent a massive achievement.
I am opening myself up to be branded a ‘happy clapper’ by those who choose to be ‘edgy’ on social media, but I genuinely cannot conceive what more KLD and the club hierarchy could have delivered in the last few months – promotion, investment in the squad, quality in playing and coaching staff, and a stadium that once again befits a Premier League team.
Now it is our turn – as fans, we can turn the Stadium of Light into a fortress. Brentford may be an unfashionable side, but they are a comfortably established top-tier side. The SoL needs to be a cauldron, and our opponents should feel the heat!
We are playing the best teams in England, and there are going to be some results that will be really hard to take – Leeds found that out against Arsenal last week.
As fans, we need to step up now, replicate the atmosphere against West Ham, and prove that we are the best supporters in the Premier League.
And we need to do it every home game, ‘til the end. Ha’way the lads!
