Are Sunderland sliding down that slope again?

Fail, sack, hire, survive, repeat.

Is this the cycle that Sunderland have got themselves into with managers? It seems that way.

Since Ellis Short disposed of Martin O'Neill, we've followed that exact pattern every season and survived. The problem is that every time we survive, we're giving more weight to the theory that it's a strategy that works. From O'Neill to Paolo Di Canio, then to Gus Poyet and now in to Dick Advocaat. The club must look mad from the outside.

I looked upon Chelsea as a similar madhouse when Roman Abramovich took over and seemed to sack a manager every 12 to 18 months but they've been right up there with the most successful clubs in the country for over ten years now.

I'd say that in the same way Chelsea as a club view a trophy every season as their measure of success, Sunderland as a club view survival in the Premier League as their absolute measure of success.

So, have Sunderland been successful over the last 5 years? In their own strange way - yes!

Looking back from here at the Di Canio and Poyet reigns there were massive highs and painful lows but we survived, we constantly beat Newcastle home and away and we had that cup run and the day out at Wembley (but I haven't forgotten the 8-0 at Southampton nor the transfer failures of Di Fanti.) And I hope that I can look back upon the reign of Dick Advocaat with the same fondness. With the highs (none so far this season) the lows (already Norwich and Bournemouth stand out) and that we survive.

It gets me thinking about what constitutes success for all but the top handful of clubs. We will never be a Champions League team, we will probably never get a better shot at cup success for a long time so surviving in the league and the annual home and away double over our nearest rivals is all we have to get excited about, collectively as a club. In separation, the fans want exciting football, thrilling matches and the club to show they care every now and again; the club (the owner) wants to make more money than last year, to stay in the league and continue the TV deal.

Mike Ashley, up the road, wants to keep the income rolling in - a Premier League club that passes the survival test and makes a profit every year - is that the level of success that we should aspire to?

I'm worried that Sunderland are getting left behind

It's that time of the year, as teams pout their squads together fore the upcoming season. Because of the Euros next summer, the Premier League starts really early this year, with the first round of matches starting on 8th August. This means that having your squad together early and getting them settled into a team plan is vital.

From Sunderland's point of view, the season that started with Paolo Di Canio as manager and we lost so many early games started the snowball effect that only a change of manager and an unbelievable run from Gus Poyet's men got us out of.

The club have stated that they want to move away from perennial relegation fights and towards the top 10. Dick Advocaat stated at the end of the season, when he hadn't decided whether he was staying or not, that we needed 4 or 5 quality signings to take us up the league and away from the bottom end. And as a fan I agree. Looking at the transfer business that teams with similar ambitions have conducted, I'm starting to worry about what we are doing and where we are being left behind. Sebastian Coates and Adam Matthews are good additions in my opinionj, but we need to be looking for another cetnre-back, a left midfielder/winger, a striker and probably another central midfielder. Let's have a look at what some of the other team have done so far this Summer-

Crystal Palace have signed Yohan Cabaye, which is a statement of major intent for the club.He is a talented player and will dictate the tempo of their game. Although he's never a player that we would have gone for, someone of his quality in central midfield would be a major boost to our club. I think that Jack Rodwell was perceived to be that type of player but injury and poor form haven't allowed him to show it.

Two signings for West Ham stand out so far, and that's Angelo Ogbonna from Juventus and Dimitri Payet from Marseille. Both look like they are quality players with experience of European competition. And both are players that look to have been targeted as part of the planning of the club - they've bought players where they need to strengthen. We, however are linked with Stewart Downing, who is being shifted on for Payet. It shows a lack of ambition and doesn't go any way to solving the problem we have with pace in our side.

Stoke City have made some very good signings and have pre-empted the loss of Asmir Begovic by promoting Jack Butland and buying Shay Given. Marco van Ginkel looks to be a promising prospect and the imminent arrival of Glen Johnson will bring in more experience. The return from injury of Bojan will be a massive boost to the club and will feel like a new signing.

Newcastle have been fairly quiet as well but have announced today that they've signed Georginio Wijnaldum, who looks a very good player and is one that we've been linked to. I think that Georginio Wijnaldum would be a massive step up from playing Connor Whickham on the left and it's a real shame that we've missed out on him - if indeed we were ever in for him.

Another team that have been quite busy is Aston Villa. They've spent the Fabian Delph money on Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye, got defender Micah Richards on a free transfer and converted Scott Sinclair's loan from Manchester City into a permanent deal. These all represent good value and Richards signing will probably gall Sunderland fans the most as he looked all set to join us last Summer before Gus Poyet's intervention. Again, the club have looked at where they need players and acted swiftly to get their targets.

Swansea have added Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew on a free transfer from Marseille in their move that has caught the eye the most, for me. This player is quality and adds pace to their counter-attacking style. He'll take some of the pressure off Bafetimbi Gomis after the departure of Wilfried Bony.

I know that there are always huge amounts of rumours at this time of year, and I don't expect (and I don't want) us to buy every player that we're linked with but so many that we're linked with look like a good match and then we find that they've signed somewhere else.

I'd like the squad out together before the first game and us to move forward at the start of the season by picking up the points that start to move us away from the likes of the promoted clubs, West Brom and Leicester, who I think are the candidates apart from us to be struggling. To do this, we need to replace the creaking old-timers in central defence, provide cover for Patrick van Aanholt at left-back, sort out the slow uninventive options at left attacking midfield and free up Defoe and a new strike partner to score goals. No small order - especially when there's only 27 days until the season starts.

 

How can so many managers 'lose the dressing room?'

Its just after half time, on Saturday 14th March 2015 and Sunderland are 0-4 down at home to Aston Villa, who are in the bottom three. Gus Poyet lost the majority of the fans with an attack on them earlier in the year, and now appears to have list the dressing room.

Yet another Sunderland manager faces the sack after finding that the team don't buy into his ideas and don't seem remotely interested in the pitch. The club look destined for relegation to the Chsmpionship, again. I haven't forgotten that the situation 12 months ago was far, far worse and they survived but lightning won't strike twice.

It's the fact that the team don't appear to have bought into Poyet's philosophy, possibly brought about by following the philosophy all season and getting previous little out of it. The style of play that he wants to put forward is possession over everything else. If points were awarded for possession statistics then Sunderland would be safe already. The real issue here is the fact that, the season after the players revolted against Paolo Di Canio, the players are not performing for Gus Poyet. The effort and concentration levels have been dire, and this is summed up by the fact that Seb Larsson didn't arrive in the pitch until 3 minutes into the second half - farcical.

Rumours have circulated about a large number of the Sunderland squad that are heavy drinkers and poor trainers. Add to this the recent run ins with the law of Nicklas Bendtner, Titus Bramble, Connor Wickham and Adam Johnson and Poyet's comments last year about a rotten core at the club come into more focus-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2603755/Gus-Poyet-hints-rotten-core-Sunderland-boss-refuses-rule-leaving-Black-Cats.html

I'm not sure who would want the job, and anyone who takes it would probably want to conduct a complete overhaul of the playing squad to root out this rogue element. I can't think of many first team players that is want to keep, and Ellis Short will have to dig deep again to help the club start again.