Former Sunderland man Lee Cattermole once called Sunderland’s Premier League relegation after losing key man.
Sunderland currently find themselves high-flying in the Championship, currently sat 4th under current boss Regis Le Bris.
The French boss has brought about stability to the side that were often struggling in recent years, particularly in the 2023/24 Championship season, which saw Sunderland fall to 16th place.
It is safe to say that Black Cats fans have been through the mire in recent times, notably spending a few terms in League One, a real contrast to the second last season in the Premier League, where Sunderland stayed up terrifically. In fact, in that 2015/16 season, Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole could foresee the Black Cats having such a disastrous run of events after they were unable to keep hold of one key man.
Lee Cattermole envisaged Sam Allardyce departure would lead to Sunderland difficulty
The mastermind behind Sunderland’s 2015/16 survival, which saw noisy neighbours Newcastle United relegated as a result, was ultimately Sam Allardyce, who replaced Dick Advocaat after his winless start to the season, with the Black Cats planted at the summit of the Premier League table.
Allardyce’s arrival on Wearside sparked a brilliant season from Sunderland to avoid relegation, which sparked into life in his second game after the Black Cats notched a 3-0 home win against Newcastle.
During his time at the club, it was clear that he was having a major impact on the players, shown by the fact that Cattermole, for example, held the gaffer in such high stead. However, Cattermole looked at the knock-on effect of Allardyce moving on back in 2015, as, per The Guardian, he said: “That can only happen if we make sure he is still in a job come July. We need to keep hold of him and let him build the club. We have to trust Sam Allardyce, give him the reins and say: ‘Go and do your stuff’. At the moment, though, this isn’t Sam’s squad so we must do the best we can for him.”
Sam Allardyce departure was the start of the Black Cats’ derailing
The disastrous 2016/17 Premier League season under the stewardship of David Moyes was what led to a run of seasons that left Sunderland fans less than satisfied with their team’s performance.
Unfortunately for the Black Cats, this could have been avoidable, had Allardyce not taken up the role at England, as his departure was ultimately the source for the years of desperation for Sunderland.
The role that Allardyce played in that 2015/16 season cannot be underestimated, but his short term tenure at the club seemingly only delayed the inevitable relegation to the Championship.