The writing may have been on the wall for the past five years, but it provides no comfort for Sunderland fans who know that their team will be playing Championship football next season. A fifth straight battle against the drop has proved to be one too many, with David Moyes unable to prevent a team who have been struggling to keep their head above water for a number of seasons from sinking. The 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light mathematically ended any hope of Sunderland pulling off another great escape as their ten-year stint in the Premier League is coming to an end. Moyes has already confirmed that he will remain at the club as manager following talks with chairman Ellis Short after what has been a hugely disappointing campaign, but while Bookmaker Ratings may consider Sunderland one of the favourites to come back straight up to the top flight, the Championship continues to prove itself as one of the toughest leagues to get out of.
Sunderland will face some soul searching as the inquest into where it has gone so badly wrong on Wearside this season will go on long into the summer. It may be the only way that the club are able to look forward and enjoy a much brighter future, with numerous problems to be addressed on and off the pitch. Some would argue that a considerable lack of investment in the squad has led to Sunderland’s demise, particularly last summer when it was clear that major changes were needed if the team were to avoid another relegation battle after Sam Allardyce left for England. Aside from record signing Didier N’Dong, signed from Lorient for £13.6 million, the rest of Moyes’ signing have failed to make an impact or, more importantly, be an improvement on the players that Sunderland already had. This, along with a distinct lack of confidence and inability to put together a strong run of results, has ultimately resulted in Sunderland being relegated with four games to spare.
Although Moyes has confirmed that he will be remain at the club next season, it remains to be seen whether a number of players will leave in the aftermath of dropping down into the Championship. Few would blame Jermaine Defoe, who tried everything in his power to keep Sunderland in the Premier League after scoring half of the team’s goals so far this season(fourteen from twenty-eight in the Premier League), for seeking a move away, given that he never received the support upfront that he was crying out for. The club will also find it difficult to hold onto young Washington-born star Jordan Pickford who, despite being part of a team that has conceded sixty league goals, has enjoyed an outstanding season in goal, while N’Dong is also likely to have caught the attention through a number of strong performances. It leaves a number of players, who have been unable to stomach the fight or stand up and be counted when the going got tough, with uncertain futures, and with the financial budget likely to be amended as a result of being relegated, there could be a mass exodus at the Stadium of Light.
It is imperative that Sunderland make a strong start their upcoming campaign in the Championship as, has been proved by Norwich and Aston Villa, the teams who drop down are not given an easy ride. Doing so would ultimately lift the mood around the Stadium of Light and convince his doubters that Moyes is the right man to bring Sunderland back up. Fans may have to see a big improvement on the pitch before they start to believe in the team again; some may want to see who Moyes bring in during the summer transfer and how Sunderland start the season before they have a look at the bookmakers review page on Bookmaker Ratings to find the best value on backing them to win the league. There can be no question that most fans would settle for automatic promotion back to the Premier League, even if Sunderland finish second, but a rebuilding process is required in order to remove the disappointment of relegation and put the club back on the right track