2024 has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Sunderland, who’ve experienced some devastating lows and some exciting new highs.
Sunderland in the second half of the 2023/24 season were shocking. Under Michael Beale and then Mike Dodds, the Black Cats won just five Championship games after the turn of the year, eventually finishing in 16th place of the table and just six points above the drop zone.
A four-month search process for a new and permanent manager beset the first half of Sunderland’s 2024. But Regis Le Bris was appointed in June and Sunderland have had a very positive six months since.
The Black Cats sit in 4th place of the Championship table and have 43 points to their name already, with Sunderland coming from behind to beat Norwich City in their last outing.
2025 looks like it could be a very positive year for Sunderland who have momentum going into the New Year, and several injured players returning to fitness in January as well.
Here we look at the five things Sunderland have learned in 2024…
There is a life after Jack Clarke for Sunderland
Jack Clarke‘s 15 Championship goals last time round arguably kept Sunderland in the division.
It was inevitable that he’d leave during the summer and fans harboured many fears about how the club would fare without him.
But since Clarke’s £20million move to Ipswich Town, Sunderland look better for it. They’re much more of a team now and don’t rely solely on one player for goals, albeit the Black Cats don’t have an out and out goal scorer right now.
Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson have both stepped up whilst Clarke has struggled with Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Jobe Bellingham is a top, top player
The 2023/24 season was Jobe Bellingham‘s first full season in senior football. He featured 45 times in the Championship and scored seven goals, receiving mixed reviews from fans throughout.
But now, there’s no doubting that Bellingham is a class act. He’s scored the winning goals in each of Sunderland’s last two fixtures and Bellingham is a target for Real Madrid ahead of January, highlighting his quality and potential.
2024 has been a defining year for Bellingham, who’ll surely look back on the year as one that set him up for a bright career.
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The Sunderland academy is one of the best in England
Sunderland’s youth academy is now at the heart of the club. It’s producing some quality players like Chris Rigg who’s bound to net the club a sizeable transfer fee in 2025.
But there’s more: goalkeeper Matty Young continues to turn heads, Harrison Jones is knocking on the door of the first-team and striker Trey Ogunsuyi is a target for Liverpool going into 2025.
Then there’s Watson who’s bided his time after impressing for the youth sides, now becoming a key player for Le Bris’ first-team.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman have a very good thing going
Especially when Sunderland were without a manager, and constantly missing out on key targets, Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman were coming under huge scrutiny.
But the pair are now being hailed for their work. Louis-Dreyfus is investing just enough money to keep the team competitive whilst holding firm on those players in demand, only settling for fees that meet the club’s valuation.
Speakman meanwhile has earned praise for his continued good work in the transfer market. He continues to find gems across the UK and Europe which Le Bris is helping to become very valuable assets.
Although Speakman has had some mixed results with the players he’s signed, on the whole, he’s put together a very exciting and valuable team.
Sunderland need a manager with communication skills
Sunderland have had quite an array of managers over the last two years or so. Beale though was by far the most unpopular, and it brought his tenure to an end after just 12 games.
Beale antagonised Sunderland fans with some of his comments in the media. It doomed his spell with the club early on and made it clear to any incoming manager that they’d need to build a good relationship with the fans.
Le Bris has done that. Not only are his side playing positive football, but Le Bris himself has spoken very fondly of the club and the fans, giving him a platform for the squad to go out and get results.