Phil Smith’s Sunderland tour diary: Transfer drama and what I’ve noticed about the big changes behind the scenes….
Phil Smith reports from Sunderland’s pre-season camp in Portugal and reflects on the 1-1 draw with Sevilla
With Reinildo Mandava checking in to watch his new team mates at Estádio Algarve on Saturday night, all eyes were on whether he would be soon be joined by summer signing number seven.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport.
As it happens, it’s the announcement that now looks like it will never be made. Sunderland had agreed a £17.5 million fee with Sassuolo for forward Armand Laurienté and the 26-year-old’s arrival appeared a mere formality. Things change quickly in football but even so this was a highly irregular sequence of events. A huge amount of work goes into a deal of this magnitude and with these kinds of numbers, which tells you that this was a major development at the last moment. It also tells us something about the increasingly high stakes for Sunderland as they return to the top transfer markets following promotion. With figures of this level involved, the risks are significant and it is telling that they have ultimately opted to walk away. Everything has to be right given the potential liabilities and on this occasion, it wasn’t. For what it’s worth, sources at both ends of the deal have indicated that there is no lingering bad feeling as Laurienté returns to Italy. Time will tell, but there are also no suggestions that this is brinkmanship and that a deal could be revisited. Everyone seems to be moving on quickly.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport
The world of football moves fast and now the discussion around Sunderland has gone from wondering if they have too many wingers to worrying about a lack of depth, given that Romaine Mundle will miss at least the opening chunk of the season after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injuries from last season. Sunderland had been paying close attention to Mundle ever since he returned for the play-off campaign earlier this year, hoping that they might be able to avoid surgery. The initial signs were promising as the winger returned for pre-season, but after taking off for a sprint in training this week and when it became clear that he had a fresh issue, the decision was made to go for the operation in a bid to try and correct the issue for good. The surgery was successful and so while Sunderland will be without him for a while, the hope is that when fit again he’ll be able to put these issues behind him. The player wrote on social media that he was ‘devastated’ by the latest setback and the feeling within the camp is mutual given his popularity and quality.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport
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Two bits of bad news, then, from an otherwise positive few days for Sunderland.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport
While it’s fair to say Sevilla are not quite the force of recent times having finished 17th in La Liga last season, it was still pleasing to see Sunderland dominate the first half of their second pre-season friendly and for there to look like a reasonable level of cohesion in a team featuring so many new players. Sunderland’s midfield trio in particular were at times a joy to watch from high up in the Estádio Algarve press box, constantly rotating in a bid to find openings. Even in friendly games, you can see immediately and clearly that Sunderland have prioritised not just quality in their summer recruits but speed and athleticism.
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Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport.
It has been a positive start to the transfer window, but the way Sevilla were understandably able to take control of the second half was a reflection of how much work Sunderland have to do in the weeks ahead. Régis Le Bris fielded a back four of academy players and two of them were operating out of position. Well protected by a disciplined pairing of Dan Neil and Alan Browne they dug in well, but it’s an area of the pitch where Sunderland are quite clearly at this stage not Premier League ready. It’s not for the want of trying, Le Bris is splitting his time between coaching and working with the extensive transfer team out here in Portugal, with the club trying to get the balance right between waiting for the high-calibre target they need and understanding that reinforcements are required before the new season if Sunderland are to stand a chance of hitting the ground running.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport.
A word too for both sets of supporters. It’s a relatively short drive across the border for Sevilla fans but it was some sight to see them before the game opening up the boots of their cars and vans in the surrounds of the stadium, sharing beers and food and songs despite what has clearly been a testing time for the club. Sunderland have brought incredibly impressive numbers out, no surprise but also another reflection of the growing feel good factor. Those Sunderland fans may have been slightly bemused after going through a stringent security check on arrival to see a giant surfer flag and flares emerging from the Sevilla section at the start of the second half, but the noise was incredible and with the club’s social media team getting in on the fun, I suspect they’ve picked up a few new fans on Wearside. A low key highlight of the trip so far would also be Sunderland’s head coach given a big build up before his introduction from the PA operator, only to then be announced with booming relish as ‘Roger Le Bris’. Le Bris is never one to seek the limelight, and so I’m sure he saw the funny side.
The overriding feeling of being out here so far? Just the feeling of how much has changed so quickly.
Sunderland: Winger Romaine Mundle targeting play-off return – BBC Sport
Promotion has opened up another world for Sunderland. This is increasingly looking and feeling like an elite sporting environment, and people who’ve been around the club for a while have noted just how much the investment in infrastructure and backroom staff have lifted standards in the opening weeks of pre-season. The players who were already at the club know they now face a big fight for their place, highlighted by Le Bris’s selection last night.
The Laurienté and Mundle news further highlights that it will be anything but plain sailing for Sunderland this season but they are without doubt having a go.
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