Sunderland's Promotion Push: How the Young Guns Are Leading the Charge

Discover how Sunderland is mounting a serious promotion push under new manager Regis Le Bris, driven by a talented young squad.

Sunderland, a former Premier League mainstay, is making a concerted effort to return to the top flight after years of turmoil. The club's decline was marked by a double relegation, which saw them plummet to the third tier and ultimately reach their lowest league position in history.

Following a seven-year absence from the Premier League, the Black Cats are now mounting a serious challenge to reclaim their spot. Sunderland's struggles have been well-documented, including in the Netflix series “Sunderland 'Til I Die,” which initially aimed to capture the team's return to the Premier League after relegation to the Championship. Instead, the documentary inadvertently chronicled their second consecutive relegation to League One.

The Netflix documentary series “Sunderland 'Til I Die” continued to chronicle the club's journey, following them into their first season in the third tier. Initially, the show aimed to capture Sunderland's rise to automatic promotion, but instead, it documented their failure to achieve this goal.

The series returned for a third and final season, ultimately showcasing the club's successful promotion back to the Championship in 2022. However, Sunderland's subsequent performances were inconsistent, finishing sixth and losing in the playoffs, followed by a disappointing 16th-place finish last season. This lackluster performance left fans feeling frustrated, believing the club had taken a significant step backward.

This season, however, has brought a surprising turnaround under the guidance of relatively unknown manager Regis Le Bris. Sunderland has defied expectations, rising to fourth in the table and establishing themselves as legitimate promotion contenders. The question on everyone's mind is: what's behind this sudden resurgence?

A memorable scene from the documentary “Sunderland 'Til I Die” showcased former owner Stewart Donald's frantic efforts to sign seasoned striker Will Grigg on January deadline day. The deal was eventually completed for a reported £3 million, a then-league record. However, Grigg's tenure at Sunderland was underwhelming, scoring only eight goals in 62 appearances before departing on a free transfer.

Under the new ownership of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland's transfer approach has undergone a significant transformation. The club now prioritizes signing players aged 22 or younger, often for a fee, and supplements this strategy with selective, experienced signings on free transfers. This policy has yielded impressive results, attracting top young talent such as Trai Hume, Jobe Bellingham, Dennis Cirkin, and Dan Ballard. These players have developed into some of the league's best in their respective positions. Additionally, the club recently sold Jack Clarke for a reported £13.5 million, demonstrating the success of their youth-focused transfer strategy.

Sunderland's squad has been bolstered by a mix of talented youngsters and experienced players. Alongside recent signings, academy graduates Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, Tommy Watson, and Chris Rigg have formed a solid foundation, despite being a relatively young team. Last season, the average age of the squad was just 22.2, and although it has increased to 23.8 this season, they remain the youngest team in England's top two leagues.

While Sunderland's youthful energy initially yielded positive results, last season exposed the team's lack of experience and “know-how” across the pitch. This led to a decline in performances and results. However, the Black Cats have addressed this issue in the current season by adding seasoned players through loans and free transfers. Chris Mepham, Wilson Isidor, Alan Browne, Aaron Connolly, and Simon Moore have brought a combined total of over 1000 senior games of experience to the team.

The introduction of these experienced players has been instrumental in Sunderland's promotion push. The young players, now more developed after a couple of years, are flourishing alongside the new senior additions. The team's tactical acumen has improved, and mistakes that were prevalent in the past have been largely eradicated. Under Regis Le Bris' guidance, Sunderland's revamped squad is mounting a serious challenge for promotion.

Sunderland began the season in impressive fashion, securing nine victories in their first 12 league games. At the time, they boasted the division's best attacking record, which has since slipped to fourth-best. A key factor in their early success was a high-intensity press, spearheaded by young forward Eliezer Mayenda.

Mayenda's energetic pressing played a significant role in Sunderland's convincing wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth. However, his injury paved the way for Wilson Isidor to take his place. While Isidor has proven more clinical in front of goal, his pressing isn't as effective as Mayenda's. This has led to a subtle shift in Sunderland's style, with more crosses being delivered into the box for the 6'1 striker. Although this approach doesn't always yield results, Isidor's instinctive movement creates opportunities for himself and his teammates that weren't always present when Mayenda started.

Wilson Isidor has established himself as Sunderland's top scorer, netting five goals that showcase his versatility in front of goal. His strikes range from instinctive, poacher-style finishes to impressive, acrobatic volleys. The team's goalscoring burden is well distributed, with 17-year-old Chris Rigg contributing alongside other players like Jobe Bellingham and Romaine Mundle. Notably, Sunderland have had 14 different goalscorers this season, the second-highest total in the league.

Sunderland's defense has also been a crucial factor in their success, with Trai Hume, Dennis Cirkin, Chris Mepham, and either Dan Ballard or Luke O'Nien all contributing to an impressive 10 clean sheets. However, perhaps the most exciting aspect of the squad is the midfield trio consisting of club captain Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham, and Chris Rigg. With an average age of just 19.6, these three players have consistently impressed, often outperforming more experienced opponents. Bellingham and Rigg, in particular, are generating significant interest from top clubs worldwide, with Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester United reportedly scouting the talented youngsters.

Sunderland's recent form has experienced a slight dip, with only two wins in their last nine fixtures. However, it's worth noting that they've only suffered one loss during this period. This slump could be attributed to player fatigue due to a lack of rotation, which is the primary criticism of manager Regis Le Bris thus far.

Le Bris has been reluctant to utilize his bench or make significant changes to the team unless forced by injury. Notably, he has never used all five substitutions available to him and has only made four substitutions on five occasions. This approach may be a residual effect of the club's previous focus on signing young players. Le Bris acknowledged this, stating, “So far we didn’t use our five substitutions so much and I think this is because we have had talented players who are not yet quite ready for this level of competition.”

“Here, we have so far had a strong core of 11, 12 players then younger players who are very talented but who are not yet at the same level because of their inexperience.”

As January approaches, Sunderland is poised for a potential resurgence in form, bolstered by the impending return of several first-team players from injury. This timely boost could help the team capitalize on their recent ability to avoid defeats, adhering to the age-old football adage: “if you can't win, don't lose.”

Sunderland's recent draws, although not yielding maximum points, demonstrate the team's resilience. As their squad depth increases with the return of injured players, these draws could start translating into crucial victories. While the promotion race remains highly competitive, with Leeds, Sheffield United, and Burnley posing significant threats, Sunderland's prospects are beginning to look promising. With the team's components starting to fall into place, the Black Cats' aspirations for a Premier League return are gaining momentum.