Sunderland has gone from Premier League perennials to a League One outfit in a heart bit. This season, they are on a mission to reclaim a spot in the English Championship.
An Undefeated start to the season for The Black Cats
Sunderland are unbeaten to start the campaign, winning four and drawing the other two contests they’ve played in. The successful first month has seen 22-year-old U.S. midfielder Lynden Gooch and manager Jack Ross get nominated for League One ‘Player of the Month’ and ‘Manager of the Month’.
Last night The Black Cats managed only to draw with Stoke City’s U21 side in the first match of the Checkatrade Trophy, a game that they went on to win on penalties to record their first two points in Group 1, which also includes Carlisle and Morecambe, two League Two sides.
Players on the rise: Charlie Wyke and Tom Flanagan
Charlie Wyke, who was one on the club’s major summer signings, impressed with his strength and ability to get to the ball on a consistent basis against Stoke U21. He came off the bench and scored the equaliser in the last league game against Oxford as well, showing he could play a key role in Sunderland’s League One efforts this season. 19-year-old Josh Maja has been the team’s most impressive player so far. He has already scored four times and could profit from Wyke’s hold up play. Their partnership could be similar to the one Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips once shared on Wearside.
Tom Flanagan, whose signing was met with minimal excitement, was one of the most consistent performers during the pre-season before getting injured. The versatile defender was excellent versus Stoke U21, likely earning himself a spot in the starting lineup of Saturday’s important fixture against direct promotion rival Fleetwood Town.
Sunderland – Fleetwood Town Bet365 Odds
Sunderland 1.72 (5/7)
Draw 3.6 (13/5)
Fleetwood Town 4.75 (15/4)
Sunderland’s missing players
Jack Ross won’t be able to count on Max Power, who earned a straight red card in the 1-1 draw with Oxford United. Papy Djilobodji and Didier Ndong will be absent as well. The highly-rated duo refused to show up for team workouts in search for transfers away from the club. Sunderland tried to arrange those transfers but didn’t succeed, blaming the players’ agents for kyboshing deals negotiated with European clubs because they wouldn’t receive a piece of the monetary pie.
As it stands Djilobodji is set to return to training but he will not be allowed to train with the first team, nor will he ever wear Sunderland’s red and white shirt again. Similar faith awaits Ndong if he ever decides to return. Since both players breached their contracts by not showing up for mandatory training camp, the club is withholding their salary payments until further notice.
Sunderland – Fleetwood Town Bet365 Odds