Sunderland started the summer transfer window very well, bringing in the likes of Luis Hemir Semedo and Jobe Bellingham right off the bat.
Things looked very promising for the team that almost won promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, with a manager at the helm that knew exactly how to handle this very youthful and naive squad.
Though the future no longer looked as bright when it reached the penultimate day of the window and everything appeared to be crumbling on Wearside.
Ross Stewart looked to be landing a big money move to Southampton despite injury, Lynden Gooch off to Stoke, while there was talk of Danny Batth, Jack Clarke, Dan Neil, Patrick Roberts and Alex Pritchard all leaving the club.
We were also yet to sign a new striker, with Nazariy Rusyn’s transfer saga dragging out for even longer, while talk of bringing in any other signings had gone quiet.
Fans were beginning to panic. We had already lost two of our opening four matches in the Championship and now we could lose some of the players that guided us to the play-offs in the first place.
But all we needed was some patience.
Sunderland turned things around on transfer deadline day
While at one point it looked like we could even keep Stewart, the Scot ended up being our only real casualty and even that had its positives. Stewart looked set to leave on a free next summer anyway, so to rake in around £10 million for an injured striker seemed a great deal.
To keep Roberts is a huge boost for Tony Mowbray, who would have most definitely been a bigger loss than Stewart.
But to see the likes of Mason Burstow, an AC Milan target, as well as another couple of former PSG stars and the long awaited Rusyn, all arrive on Wearside in the final hours of the window was a relief for everyone.
It almost feels like a new chapter parting ways with one of the Championship’s best strikers and transforming our threadbare squad with some fresh faces.
Things are looking up again at the Stadium of Light and let’s kick it off in classic Sunderland style by getting battered by the Saints.