Sunderland’s squad have been given the highest of praise by Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman.
The Black Cats have undergone a recent rough patch in terms of results, seeing them drop from the summit of the Championship, to 5th in the league, now five points away from table-toppers Sheffield United.
Sunderland have been up against the cosh in regards to results, but performances have still been of a top standard, and much of that comes to the characters that are in-and-around the squad, particularly in defence and midfield for Regis Le Bris’ side.
The early stages of the season showed that there are many leaders within the side, and despite the recent poor form, the individuals are still there to get them back on track. That is something that Kristjaan Speakman certainly mirrors with his beliefs in the side, who has recently shown his support for Le Bris’ side, although results haven’t gone their way recently.
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Kristjaan Speakman praises Sunderland squad despite recent poor form
Speakman sought to make very few changes to the squad in regards to the summer transfer window, barring a late flurry of activity towards the business end of the period.
It is clear that he has full trust in his squad to deliver this season, whether that means promotion, achieving a play-off spot, or quite simply just building on last season’s unsatisfactory 16th place finish.
He explained the ‘positives’ behind the current squad, and why they are a perfect squad to have at Sunderland via the SAFC X page, where he said: “I think you’re in a really special place when the players are driving it. And here we’ve got a lot of players driving the performances on and around the pitch… in the training facility.
“So I think that’s really positive and puts us in a really good spot.”
Kristjaan Speakman comments could give away January transfer plan
Many signs are pointing towards Sunderland potentially having a rather quiet January window, however these comments from Speakman could be the nail in that coffin.
The Black Cats certainly need reinforcements in the upcoming transfer window, with there being a significant lack of depth at left-back, defensive midfield and in the wide areas arguably, but the fact that Le Bris and Speakman look set to continue the 2024/25 campaign with only minimal numbers of further recruits could cause issues further down the line.
The recent injury crisis that Sunderland have undergone suggests that Le Bris’ squad haven’t quite been able to handle it, as seen by the tangible product on the pitch, and this must be noticed by the hierarchy as a clear indicator that bodies are needed through the door in January.