Sunderland – Beware the Black Cats crossing
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
Bruce has once again lamented with the club fro new signings and he did get yet another list of new entries. All are very good material for a club like Sunderland and if Bruce can get to grips with the team soon enough, something which should not be that difficult now that he has settled in well, the Black cats can bring some bad luck to many sides this season.
Manager: Bruce
Tactics: 4-4-2
Players In: Larsson, Gardner, O’Shea, Vaughan, Brown, Dong-Won Ji
Players Out: Zhirkov
Current Probable Formation: Gordon, O’Shea, Brown, Turner, Bardsley, Richardson, Gardner, Cattermole, Larsson, Sessegnon, Gyan
It’s true, Sunderland had to make the Henderson sacrifice but they did not give away their talented player for free. They pocketed good money and made very good use of it. Bruce is one to keep insisting for new faces and he once again got his way. Last season though he did not manage to start off well enough considering the money spent. Things turned even worse in the second part when Bent’s sale to Aston Villa took its toll on a team which depended way too much on his goals.
To make matters worse the manager had to contend with a very long list of injuries, especially at the back. It was an unlucky season overall but the Black cats still managed to finish in the top half.
This season, hoping that injuries don’t keep haunting Bruce, he is expected to go one better. Money was spent and the management will not tolerate any excuses. If he misguides the ship he’s off.
With the worst now over, however, and considering that Bruce is not that bad a manager, I would expect Sunderland to really make their mark on the league this season. The foundations had been laid last season. During the summer good players have been brought on board. Larsson, Vaughan and Gardner had been protagonists with their respective clubs last season. Had they not been relegated it would have been far more difficult for any club to get their hands on these priced assets. The former is a creative winger which will aim to replicate what Richardson does on the opposite wing. The others are very good at moving the ball around. Whenever Gardner was missing for Birmingham it reflected in their more mediocre football. Vaughan also played an important part in the Blackpool side which surprised with its offensive football, producing moments of excellence when he partnered in the middle of the park with Adam.
Last season’s January signing Sessegnon had been brought amidst much doubts from fans. They were used to Bent and were more knowledgeable about what they were losing on when selling the English striker rather than on what they were bringing to the squad. Sessegnon eventually revealed himself a very valuable player possessing great pace and technique. He immediately clicked on with Gyan and will therefore be the natural partner for the Ghana striker in Bruce’s starting eleven.
The defence was last season the origin of most headaches for Bruce. He had injuries to point his finger at but nonetheless he insisted on bringing on new faces and unsurprisingly he went shopping at his old club Manchester United. United rejects O’Shea and Brown were his choices. The latter is not of high enough quality to make it into the ranks at United. He had been filling holes for years but he may have pounced at the chance of getting some regular football, hoping that he can regain an England shirt. O’Shea is not a constant enough player in his performances but he can provide very decent service as a right-back. The two go on to strengthen a defence composed of Turner, Bramble, Bardsley and Anton Ferdinand.
Frazier Campbell and Lee Cattermole in attack and midfield respectively should not be dismissed either, with the former the second choice behind Gyan – at least until Bruce gets his way and pushes the club to spend on another striker – and the latter the guard dog in front of the defence.
Predicted finishing position: 7th
By sacrificing Henderson Bruce has managed to bring on the right players to make the team competitive. They should aim to establish a solid home form initially and I would not rule out the occasional surprise away win that helps them on in the table. They have quality in midfield and in attack, with their defence and keeper above average.
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