One eye-opening Sunderland statistic has been revealed that shows a fantastic achievement by Kristjaan Speakman.
The Black Cats are currently gearing up for a clash with Derby County, where they will be looking to respond from their 0-0 draw away at Burnley with a win.
The goalless bout away at Turf Moor saw Sunderland miss two glorious opportunities from the spot to break the deadlock, with Wilson Isidor’s efforts being saved by James Trafford on both occasions.
Despite the result, Sunderland will feel content that they managed to match a promotion candidate across the pitch, and even feel as though they should have came away with more, something that is remarkable when you look into one statistic from the weekend that truly outlines how well Regis Le Bris and his side have done so far this season.
Sunderland team value compared to longevity outline incredible Kristjaan Speakman job
It is clear that, compared to fellow promotion candidates Burnley, Leeds United and Sheffield United, Sunderland do not have the financial freedom to dish out eight-figure fees for players, and pack their side with top-level proven and experienced players.
Sunderland also don’t have the freedom that comes with parachute payments, making the Black Cats’ 2024/25 season so far that much more special, coming up against three sides that have been in the Premier League in the last two seasons.
This has been highlighted by James Copley, via X, who has named the permanent signings on the pitch for Sunderland’s clash against Burnley, with the eight names accumulating a total of £3.9million in fees paid by Kristjaan Speakman.
For what is a tiny compared to the average Championship club, it is spectacular that the Black Cats’ permanent signings on the pitch against Burnley have accumulated a total 1,055 appearances, with Luke O’Nien tallying the most with 289.
- READ MORE: Sunderland transfer round-up: Matija Frigan deal is close and Wilson Isidor future already decided
Sunderland quality compared to fee spent outlines the brilliance of Kristjaan Speakman long term thinking
In recent years, since Speakman took over as Director of Football, he has always had his doubters and those that opposed his way of approaching transfers, particularly after the 2023/24 Championship season, where a squad made up of his youthful signings staggered to a lowly 16th place finish.
However, this season has proven that the Black Cats have all the quality needed to mount a promotion push, and that is after spending such a small amount in the past.
Looking at the starting 11 that faced Burnley at the weekend, three of the players were graduates from the academy, whilst another five were arguably signed as long term options that have been nurtured brilliantly. When things have gone wrong for Sunderland, they haven’t simply thrown the chequebook at the issues and hoped to solve it with bolster signings, but have instead shown immense patience in letting the current crop of players prosper into the talents they expected them to be.