Sunderland very nearly made it to the promotion party in League One last season. Nearly, but not quite.
Inconsistency, when it rose up, was what condemned them to a 4th place finish and a loss in the play-offs.
Still, the Black Cats are under new ownership with billionaire youngster Kyril Louis-Dreyfus at the helm. Backed by the level of money he has access to, fans of the Wearsiders are expecting change.
The trouble is, change is often slow and Sunderland have definitely shown signs of that this summer window. Whilst their rivals have been pinging in their orders and signing players, Sunderland (below) have made just one signing:
🥁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴…
Introducing, @Pritch_93 ✍️
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 9, 2021
That signing is former Huddersfield Town midfielder Alex Pritchard. 28-year-old Pritchard has signed up at the Stadium of Light on a two-year deal after his three-and-half-year stint at the West Yorkshire club.
Pritchard was released by the Terriers at the end of his deal, Sunderland picking him up from the free-agent pile. He first made his way in football at Spurs, leaving them after a series of loans for Norwich City in early August 2016.
Two years later he was on the move again, this time for another big-money fee to Huddersfield Town. Reports at the time put the fee in the region of £14million.
Comment: Pritchard an Elastoplast over Wyke wound
It’s encouraging that Sunderland have made their first signing in Pritchard – it’s a start. But, that is all it is.
Sunderland need much more than that, much more than ‘a start’. They have lost the likes of Max Power, Chris Maguire and Josh Scowen to divisional rivals.
However, much more telling is that they have lost their main threat from last season in Charlie Wyke. Wyke knew where the back of the net was – adding 25 League One goals across the season.
He’s left the Black Cats on a free and has headed to what was a struggling Wigan outfit last season. With Wyke in their ranks, the Latics shouldn’t struggle next season.
Struggle – that is what Sunderland will do next season if they do not replace Charlie Wyke. Alex Pritchard is not that replacement. In fact, Sunderland signing him is merely papering over the cracks that have widened since Wyke’s departure.
