Premier League season preview: Sunderland
By James Dudko
David Moyes’ return to the Premier League may help an underachieving Sunderland squad avoid its annual fight against relegation.
Related Story: Premier League season preview: Southampton
INS: Papy Djilobodji (£8 million, Chelsea)
OUTS: Steve Harper (released), Wes Brown (released), Danny Graham (released), Martin Smith (released)
David Moyes, a master of mid-table security, is taking over a team that comes close to relegation every season. It’s an appointment destined to either push Sunderland out of the Premier League altogether or finally stabilize a club housing some talented players but too used to mediocrity (or worse) on the pitch.
Last season, under the guidance of now England manager Sam Allardyce, Sunderland finished just two points above the drop zone, in 17th place. That was actually one place and one point worse off than the previous season, when Dick Advocaat finished in charge.
Allardyce has actually left behind a more talented squad than the one he inherited. Some savvy operating in the transfer market netted quality players such as midfield general Jan Kirchhoff and powerful center-back Lamine Kone.
Keeping the latter has to be a priority for Moyes, but it won’t be easy with more than one Premier League club reportedly keen on the Ivory Coast defender. Everton made an £18 million bid that was promptly rejected, according to David Anderson of the Daily Mirror, who also noted Kone wants a new contract to stay with Sunderland.
Chelsea have also shown an interest in the former Lorient man, per Simon Jones of MailOnline. Sunderland may find it tougher to resist the financial pressure Blues owner Roman Abramovich could exert.
Perhaps mindful of the threat of losing Kone, Moyes is currently taking steps to recruit new options at the back. In fact, he’s even agreed a double deal worth up to £6 million for young Manchester United defenders Paddy McNair and Donald Love, per the Guardian‘s Louise Taylor.
Moyes has already added former Chelsea flop Papy Djilobodji to compete for playing time at the heart of the back four. If the Senegalese central defender can rediscover his pre-Stamford Bridge form he’ll add the pace and athleticism Sunderland have lacked at the back for too long.
In truth, more pace and dynamism are also needed up front, where an aging but still effective Jermain Defoe continues to defy father time to find the net regularly. The 33-year-old is still a deadly marksman, but he needs greater support and improved supply.
It’s a need that explains Moyes’ reported desire to reunite with United winger Adnan Januzaj. The Belgian appears set for a loan move to the Black Cats, according to Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News.
Januzaj has had his problems at United the last two years, notably a lack of commitment, but he thrived on Moyes’ watch, when he looked like a budding star unafraid to showcase his skills against the league’s biggest teams.
If Moyes can tap into Januzaj’s natural ability, he could provide the creative spark the Black Cats need in front of street-wise midfielder Jan Kirchhoff, who offers a useful complement of defensive nous and quality, assured passing.
Moyes should also enjoy working with left back Patrick van Aanholt. The Scot worked wonders with flying full-backs Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman during his Everton days, and should liberate Van Aanholt, who is a demon going forward.
Upping the pace of play should be Moyes’ priority. This team can be dangerous when everything clicks, the way it did in a vital late-season win over Norwich last term. Yet, performances like that one have been rare in recent seasons.
KEY PLAYER: Kirchhoff has to get the nod as Sunderland’s most important player in Moyes’ first season in charge. The German is less a destroyer and more a playmaker in front of the back four.
While he’s not shy of making a challenge, Kirchhoff really stands out whenever he has time to pick his passes. On those occasions, the 25-year-old Frankfurt native sprays the ball with accuracy and creative intent, always looking to play between the lines and find a player in space behind the opposition midfield.
Kirchhoff has the ability to dictate games and use his vision to quickly turn defense into attack, a vital trait for a team likely to absorb pressure and strike on the counter under Moyes’ guidance.
MANAGER: Last seen taking defending champions United from first to seventh in the 2013/14 season, Moyes is seeking to repair a damaged reputation. However, his fall from grace was more self-inflicted than inevitable.
During his years with Everton, Moyes proved he’s adept at getting a club operating on a relatively small budget to exceed expectations. He became a guarantee of mid-table (sometimes even higher) stability.
Yet, the second he moved to Old Trafford, Moyes left his element and invited the fall. Now he’s at a club where his standard formula will equal success, not underachievement.
Next: Premier League season preview: Everton
BEST CASE: Defoe keeps on scoring, while the Moyes effect helps Sunderland take points off some big teams and ensure safety well ahead of schedule.
WORST CASE: Moyes fails to repeat what worked at Everton, Defoe experiences a goal drought and Sunderland finally fall through the Premier League’s trap door.