Have Sunderland really improved under O'Neill?

Failure to beat the 10 men of Norwich last weekend has ensured Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland really are in a relegation fight.

A combination of dull football, lack of goals and without a win since the 19^th January is far from the recipe for success. When you throw into the mix season ending injuries to both Steven Fletcher and captain Lee Cattermole, survival really is in doubt.

O’Neill’s appointment in December 2011 was the catalyst behind an incredible rise from 17^th to the top half of the Premier League. The feat was made all the more impressive given the fact it was achieved in just two short months. However since then the club have struggled and have won just seven of their last 38 Premier League games. Meaning should the season have started at the time of Sunderland’s decline, they would have been relegated.

Home matches against Manchester United and Everton are sandwiched with trips Chelsea and local rivals Newcastle, a daunting fixture list for any side! After these four games Sunderland, in all likelihood will find themselves below the dreaded relegation line, which beggars the question, have they really improved under O’Neill?

The sales of Darren Bent and Jordan Henderson severely hampered former manager Steve Bruce. And although numerous faces came through the Stadium of Light doors, not many commanded a high transfer fee. Despite a poor start to the season, Bruce deserved more time, with the high turnover of players always ensuring developing his side that season would take time.

It took Sunderland 18 months to really replace Bent

The people’s choice was then appointed in the form of the O’Neill, who supported the club as a boy. In the short-term it worked, Sunderland were never in any danger of going down.

However this was the season Sunderland were supposed to kick-on, which evidently they haven’t. Big name and money signings arrived in the form of Adam Johnson and Fletcher, meaning expectation levels at The Stadium of Light were high. Whilst Fletcher has done the business for the Black Cats, scoring a third of the clubs Premier League goals, his fellow capture hasn't done so well.

Johnson promised much and given frequent game time, many expected him to flourish at Sunderland. Yet inconsistency has blighted his season, a theme common amongst young British wingers.

O’Neill has struggled to address Sunderland’s real problems in the three transfer window’s available to him. The sale of Michael Turner to Norwich was strange. Turner is a solid if not spectacular Premier League centre half. Yet the injury prone Wes Brown is yet to feature this season, whilst the likes of Carlos Cuellar and Titus Bramble have proven to be inconsistent at best. 

Turner has helped Norwich keep nine Premier League clean sheets

The lack of a real creative playmaker has heavily exposed how unimaginative the Sunderland midfield is. Stephane Sessengon has the ability to be this, however similar to Johnson, a real lack of consistency has blighted his season. Having seen Sunderland a few times this season, I can assure you they aren’t the most pleasing on the eye. It’s not that they play long football, but their inability to string a succession of passes together is all too obvious. 

With just eight games remaining, Sunderland are only four points clear of Wigan in 18th, who also have a game in hand of the Mackems!

You only need to read O’Neill’s CV to see he’s a very good manager. However for some reason it’s not working at Sunderland at the moment. Neil Warnock once said it was harder to manage a club you supported and maybe that’s proving the case for O’Neill. 

Sunderland to push for top half finish.

Sunderland’s transfer activity really picked up as the window went on, and the additions of Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson were brilliant. Martin O’Neill also added experience in the form of Carlos Cuellar and Louis Saha, both of whom were out of contract with their previous clubs.

Johnson will get more first-team action with his new club

O’Neill came in last year and turned Sunderland’s season around. Under Steve Bruce it appeared the Black Cats would be in a fight against survival; however the former Aston Villa manager made an immediate impact, as the club won seven out of the first 10 games under O’Neill to propel them from 17^th to 8^th! A poor end to the season saw Sunderland fail to win any of their last seven League games and eventually finished 13^th, but things looked a hell of a light brighter then they did at the start of December.

In Fletcher’s first game for his new club, he scored two goals, both superbly taken, and having scored goals for a struggling Wolves side last year, I expect Fletcher to at least get double figures, and maybe even get close to the 24 League goals a certain Darren Bent scored for Sunderland in the 2009-10 campaign. Johnson, their other key signing is also another one who should have a good year given a run in the side, something he never get close to at Manchester City.

Defensively Sunderland have a number of injury prone players; however in the form of John O’Shea and Wes Brown, both of whom fall into that injury prone bracket, they have two quality defenders with Champions League experience. The addition of Cuellar from Aston Villa is one that has slipped under the radar, as his versatility and solid defensive work will ensure he plays regularly for Sunderland this year.

Key player: Stephane Sessegnon – The Benin international is technically superb and should feature off Fletcher in a good looking forward line for Sunderland. His creativity shone through even during the disappointing periods of the Black Cats season, and if he can improve his goal tally then Sunderland should have a good year.

Sessegnon is a class act!

Prediction: 12^th – Before the additions of Fletcher and Johnson I did worry for Sunderland as I wasn’t sure where the goals would come from, and to be fair they’ve only scored twice so far this year, and both were from the man Fletcher! But with these two excellent additions they’ll be fine and Martin O’Neill will probably get them close to a top half finish!

View from a fan – Glenn Kidger @glenn_safc

What would be a brilliant year?
A great season would be finishing in the top eight as well as seeing Fletcher top the goal scoring charts.

What would be a nightmare season?
A nightmare year would be seeing our best players injured and losing against the scum Newcastle!

How would you rate your transfer window?

I am very happy with what Martin O’Neill has done this window, some quality transfers have been added and good money has been spent!

Do you have the right man in charge?
O’Neill is definitely the right man for the job! He plays mind games with the opposition and catches them on the attack.

Is Steven Fletcher worth the £12million Sunderland paid?
Fletcher is certainly worth the money! He’ll prove himself, and started brilliant with the double against Swansea.

Michael Gray interview

Michael Gray is most commonly known for his time at boyhood club Sunderland, in which they reached the dizzy heights of 7^th in the Premiership in successive seasons. Gray also played for Blackburn, Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday, as well as loan spells at Celtic and Leeds United (twice). The full-back also won three caps for England, with one of his caps whilst impressing in the second tier of English Football.

How does the Tyne Wear derby compare to any other football game you have played in?

It’s all about the passion and bragging rights. It was a game you just don't want to lose. Especially being a local lad.

You represented England whilst playing in then the Division 1; did you ever feel like you had to leave Sunderland to maintain your England place?

No because I knew that Sunderland was a team going places! It was just amazing to represent your country. I was so proud.

You played in arguably the best play-off final match ever, unfortunately missing a penalty in the 4-4 epic with Charlton, what were your feelings when you missed? And how did you recover to help win the Title the following season?

We came back stronger and it made me want to succeed even more! My passion was playing for my hometown team in the Premiership, which I was fortunate enough to achieve.

The first year in the Premiership saw Sunderland 7th, including a 2-1 win at Newcastle! And the following year, you repeated the 7th place finish and again winning at St.James's park, how tough was it to follow up them two seasons?

It was tough. Expectations were so high and the squad was the same. We needed new players but they never came. It’s a big shame really we didn’t push on.

Around that time there was rumors of you joining Newcastle, I take it they were never going to become reality?

Me joining my fiercest rivals would never have happened!

You just missed out on England's Euro 2000 campaign, so when Phil Neville, playing in your position, gave away the penalty which knocked England out; how did you feel towards him? Gutted or the old If I was playing that wouldn't have happened!

People make mistakes all the time. It could have been me but unfortunately I wasn't picked.

Is it true you rejected a contract at Manchester United to choose your boyhood club in Sunderland?

Yes I turned them down to play for Sunderland. It might have had something to do with Ryan Giggs playing the same position.

During your short period at Celtic you did play in the Old Firm Derby, how does it compare to the Tyne-Wear derby?

Both derbies are amazing to play in.  I wouldn’t like to choose between them. I’ve had great memories from both!