It would appear that change is the constant of this summer in the Premier League.
They are all at it. City. Chelsea. Liverpool. Spurs. Villa. Palace. Bournemouth. Fulham. Forest. The Mags.
Everywhere you look, clubs are ripping things up: new head coaches, major outgoings, and overpriced, expensive gambles being brought in.
And then there’s us.
We have recruited one player so far. He is 35 years old (or young, whichever way you look at it), but has bags of experience. He will strengthen us, no doubt,
in terms of the experience that he brings to our European adventure. His addition is, so far, our only addition.
Pundits are writing us off. Some fans are worried. Should we be?
Does recruiting one player so far make this window a disaster? Some would think yes, but actually, in a time when all other clubs in the league are changing personnel, is having continuity and a settled squad going to be a differential?
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…”
Kipling’s famous line feels extremely apt for where Sunderland are right now.
The sentiment of this poem is to stay calm when others panic, be patient and resilient, trust yourself even when doubted and take risks without being destroyed by failure.
All these points ring true in a market that is, in no uncertain terms, mad, and where overpaying for talent is the norm.
There is little value in the market at the moment, and if we are wanting ‘precise’ transfers, then that may mean waiting, haggling and being patient.
Well, in my opinion, so be it.
We are not the Sunderland of old. This is not a year ago, either, when we did actually need a whole new team to compete.
We got Europe last year. That same team is still here and raring to go. One year older, with more Premier League experience and with a whole season together. These connections and understanding are being massively underestimated.
On the transfer dealings, the Méthalie negotiations epitomise what we are now: a club that will not be messed around with.
Toulouse had a player with what seems like an undetected injury issue. We have highlighted this and will be renegotiating the deal. That’s fair. It’s a fierce market out there, and we seem to be handling it well.
On the other hand, we need to tread carefully, as agents, clubs and players across Europe will see what has happened with Méthalie and Laurienté last year.
Reputations can be built over these issues, and we will need to be careful we don’t build one as a club that negotiates using ‘dirty’ tactics. We will have to see over time how this one lands.
In defence of our club, a decade or so ago, our club got well and truly burnt by the Álvarez deal with Inter. We were sold a dud and had to pay for it over the years that followed.
This should never be repeated.
So I am with the regime on how this Méthalie deal has played out so far. That’s not weakness or dirty tactics. That’s a club refusing to be messed around.
To the fans who are worried about the lack of transfers, just because there isn’t movement (that we can see) in the immediate term doesn’t mean things aren’t happening.
We need to remember that holding on to all of our squad and a head coach, keeping them together and having that continuity will mean we are stronger than we were last year.
Any incomings would need time to settle in. Any precise signings would need to better us long term, and any new signings would be unlikely to stroll straight into our first team.
Building connections takes time.
Keeping the squad from last year together and keeping the head coach is a form of strength. When change is going on for pretty much every team in the league, continuity could be a huge factor in any success for us this year.
That same team is still here, still intact and ready to go.
That is the differential here that many pundits and fans seem to forget.
And right now, to me, Sunderland look like a club keeping their head while everyone else loses theirs.
