Sunderland Season Preview 2021/22: Fourth time lucky?

Sunderland head into their fourth straight season in League One but under new ownership and with a summer under Lee Johnson’s belt, will this be the campaign that sees them win promotion?

Let’s get the elephant in the room out the way to kick this off. Are Sunderland too big for League One? Yes. Do they have a divine right to win the division? No. Should they do better given their resources? Yes, but football is rarely that simple.

The Black Cats managed to make the playoffs last season but a poor first leg against Lincoln was too much to overturn at the Stadium of Light and that was that. They had been chasing automatic promotion back in early April having gone 12 unbeaten and looked in the driving seat, but a poor run of results put pay to their hopes and it was followed more post-season heartache.

They aren’t having to completely rebuild this summer, but nine departures has meant they require players in a number of positions. Lee Johnson is determined to get the right characters and he has the backing of the majority of the supporters.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus got his takeover through and the Black Cats can hopefully push forward now following a season of unrest. They will be aiming for an automatic promotion push again this year but League One is looking particularly tough for the coming campaign.

Sunderland have Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich, Charlton, Portsmouth, and Wigan for company not to mention a host of other clubs with a strong case to be amongst the elite at the top of the division.

The Black Cats are looking to bring in young talent with sell-on potential but are refusing to be pushed into paying above market value which, although frustrating for supporters, is a much better policy for longer-term success.

There are a few holes still to fill, but Sunderland head into the 2021/22 campaign in decent shape and with a much brighter future to look forward to.

The Squad

With Charlie Wyke leaving the onus will be on Ross Stewart to bag a few goals and help fill the void left by the 30-goal striker. According to the data, the Black Cats created a lot of high-quality chances last season so having players that can put the ball in the net is ital. As it stands, they are far too light in that area.

The big news of the summer, and arguably most important, was Luke O’Nien signing a new deal to remain at the Stadium of Light. The dynamic midfielder come full-back is a really good player. His versatility alone gives Lee Johnson more options but as a CM he has a lot of energy allowing others to be more adventurous and create overloads in the final third. Elliott Embleton should be more involved this season and it would not be a surprise to see him finally fulfill his potential in a Sunderland shirt. He showed his class when on loan at Grimsby and Blackpool, now it’s time to bring it to the Stadium of Light.

Aiden McGeady is also staying and despite his age, he is still a class act. 16 assists last season was made even more impressive by the fact he didn’t really start playing until December following Phil Parkinson’s exit.

Lee Burge remains the main goalkeeper, which is not going to sit well with many Sunderland fans. Although he is a good shot-stopper, he doesn’t always instill confidence and another option is needed.

Corey Evans is a nice addition in midfield. Brother of defender Jonny, the 30-year-old has been playing most of his football higher than this level and that is bound to show across the coming campaign.

Alex Pritchard will add nice balance and offer more class going forward. The former Tottenham youth player arrives from Huddersfield Town, a club that signed him in the Premier League for a substantial fee thought to be around £11m.

There needs to be more additions to this team before the start of the campaign. With a lack of strikers, Will Grigg is unlikely to feature and will surely move elsewhere, and a lack of depth in defence, there is a limit to what this group can achieve, but new players will almost certainly arrive before 07 August.

Newcomer to watch: Callum Doyle

After failing to sign Dion Sanderson, Sunderland needed to find another defender to bolster the ranks ahead of the new campaign. They went out and signed Callum Doyle on loan from Manchester City.

Unbelievably, he’s only 17 yet plays like a man far more mature in his years. He was part of the Man City U23 side that won the title last season and could be a cracking addition if his displays in pre-season are anything to go by.

Verdict

Lee Johnson is a talented coach who knows this level and it feels like he understands what needs to be done to achieve success. For those who watch a lot of football in League One, they may not be favorites for promotion but if they make signings in the right places they should be a playoff team.

The problem is this summer has been a bit sluggish for the Black Cats and, right now, this is undermining confidence in how far this side can go in 2021/22. A lot of work still needs to be done but a strong core, under new ownership has given them something to build on.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football