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The Season Ahead Part Sixteen : Sunderland
Published by Ian John on September 17, 2009
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Prospects for 2009 :
With the appointment of Steve Bruce and the signing of some exciting players, such as Frazer Campbell, Lorik Cana and Lee Cattermole, seems to have galvanised Wearside once again after the club seemed to fall into a semi catatonic state under the guidance of Ricky Sbragia following the departure of Roy Keane. Bruce seems to have many fans with his management style and he will be hoping for big things from the North East’s only remaining Premier League side. Certainly after a decent start of 3 wins in five league games, including a 4-1 thumping of Hull City, the omens look good.
2009 is a big season for :
Frazer Campbell. The former Manchester United striker arrived for big money following a fine spell on loan two seasons ago with Hull City, where he fired the goals to bring them into the Premier League, and a somewhat disappointing spell with Tottenham where he was the makeweight in the deal for Dimitar Berbatov. Campbell was never really given a chance at United and Bruce was very happy to land the striker after he showed flashes of true brilliance, particularly for the England u21 side. Along with strike partner Kenwyne Jones, Campbell will be hoping to reproduce his best form for the black cats and prove that he can score goals regularly at Premier League level.
Guaranteed to irritate in 2009 :
Is anyone else bored of Sunderland’s fans gloating about the demise of Middlesbrough and in particular Newcastle? I mean I am all for rivalry, it is what makes the game as exciting and polarising as it is, but the unadulterated glee that so man Sunderland fans have for the plight of their neighbours does bore me a bit. The rest of football knew that both Newcastle and Middlesbrough were an accident waiting to happen, so why Sunderland were so surprised, considering they were in the same boat not so long ago, is beyond us.
Things they’ll moan about in 2009 : Steve Bruce is a good manager who gets the most from his players. He is also a first rate moaner and has learned from his master, Sir Alex, on how to slyly put the pressure on officials by pointing out all their mistakes and the fact that in the past four years Mr Smith, refereeing their next game with Stoke, has denied them four clear penalty claims. Every team moans about the referee but Bruce’s complaints always seem longer than most and often he seems to miss the rather obvious point that it wasn’t the referee’s fault his team played dreadfully.
Song that sums up their chances in 2009 : “I’m a believer” by the Monkees
A solid start, an improved squad and a manager with a proven pedigree. Things seem to be finally on the up for the wearsiders. Admittedly, there is still a lot this team has to prove and they’ve taken a gamble or two on the way, but the signs are good. I can see Sunderland not only being safe from the drop, but safely ensconced mid table, even pushing into the top half. Given their woes in recent times, that would be a fine first season for Bruce and a solid foundation upon which to build the team.
Image Courtesy of ***sherman sum2000*** at Flickr.com
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