Simon Grayson Ready for Counter-Attacking Coach against Barnsley

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Sunderland have made a disappointing start to the Championship campaign after managing just one win from the opening four matches.


Still, manager Simon Grayson is relatively confident about getting a positive result when the team take on Barnsley this weekend. The game represents a great opportunity for Sunderland to get the second win of the season, and Grayson did not hide his tactics for the game. He says that counter attacking has become the common element in the Championship and it is a highly successful tactic win on the road.

One of the reasons for Sunderland being unable to get positive results at the start of the season is the lack of wins at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland were unable to win the two home games this season, while the only success came away on the road against Norwich City. The club also came close to securing a victory against Sheffield Wednesday in the other away game. Continue reading “Simon Grayson Ready for Counter-Attacking Coach against Barnsley” →

Sunderland to appoint manager

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Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain is determined to appoint a new manager soon to replace David Moyes.


He said that he wants to give the new manager enough time to prepare the team for next season and this is why he has intensified his search.

At the moment it is Simon Grayson and Derek McInnes who are the favorites for the Sunderland job, but a decision will be taken soon.

Martin Bain admitted that it is not an easy task as he is looking someone for the long-term. He said that the club has experienced some really tough times last season and that it is important to find a manager that has the necessary experience to get the club back on track and challenge for promotion next season.

The Chief Executive said that it is not always an easy transition from the Premier League to the Championship and that it is important that the club wins its promotion back as soon as possible. The longer you remain in the Championship, the more difficult it becomes to win promotion. Continue reading “Sunderland to appoint manager” →

Sunderland Undecided on Sebastian Larsson

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Sweden international Sebastian Larsson is eager to prolong his career in England despite Sunderland’s reluctance to renew his present contract.


The former Arsenal graduate is due to leave the Black Cats in the summer with his current deal due to expire at the end of this month.

Larsson had managed to prove an influential figure during the Black Cats’ Premier League escape in recent seasons, but even his best efforts were not sufficient this term as the Wearside club ended their 10-year stay in the English top tier. Larsson’s agent has revealed his client’s intention to stay put in England even if it means to join a fellow Championship club.

“He is very excited to stay in England,” Per Jonsson told FotbollDirekt.se adding that the Swede is not prepared for a return home with offers from Turkey and China also in consideration. Larsson’s contract had been due an extension earlier in the season, but the change in management has sort of stalled the agreement for the time being. Continue reading “Sunderland Undecided on Sebastian Larsson” →

Sunderland relegated from Premier League

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Sunderland has been relegated from the Premier League following their defeat against Bournemouth.


Many pundits believe that Sunderland could have stood a chance if they had changed their manager during the course of the season but instead choose to hold on to David Moyes.

Indeed Leicester City has done the same after a poor season under Claudio Ranieri and has chosen to replace the manager that has allowed them to win the first title of their history. Leicester City was close to the relegation places in February and has opted to replace Claudio Ranieri. They managed to win five games in a row, and this allowed them to safeguard their place in the Premier League.

Some pundits believe that Sunderland should have done the same and this would have allowed them to remain in the Premier League. However, there are some major difference between Leicester City and Sunderland.

Leicester City won the Premier League last season, and it was almost the same team that was struggling this season. In Vardy and Mahrez they have two of the league best players, and it was easy for any manager to bring back new life to a team that has been underperforming this season. Continue reading “Sunderland relegated from Premier League” →

DEFOE STILL WANTS TO PROVE HIMSELF TO TEAMMATES

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Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe has said that even at his age and career he wants to prove himself to his teammates as the club battles relegation.


The 34-year old player has netted 250 times in his English club football career with more than 150 goals in the Premier League. The prolific scorer has scored 19 times in 55 games for the national team, proving his worth for club and country.

Defoe said that impressing the new additions – that have helped boost the relegation fight – is a motivation for him when he steps out in the club’s jersey.

“Maybe the signings that have come in, players that the manager knows from before, lift everyone else. It’s a funny one, you bring competition into the club and the players that are here, you want to impress the new players.

“It’s something that we wanted. The team spirit is always the most important thing, in tough times you’ve got to stick together. If you stick together as a group it doesn’t really matter what’s going on, you win together and you lose together,” the player said. Continue reading “DEFOE STILL WANTS TO PROVE HIMSELF TO TEAMMATES” →

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Southampton latest addition Martin Caceres is set to miss their clash against relegation prone side Sunderland this week.


The club might be exposed when they host Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday as their backline problem continue.

Skipper and defender Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out for up to three months after he sustained an injury in the game against Leicester City. The Saints have sold their other defender in Jose Fonte to the Hammers, limiting their options when they face Sunderland.

The Saints tried getting a replacement for the backline but efforts failed. They had to turn to Caceres but the free agent would not be ready on time. Continue reading →

SUNDERLAND NOT SELLING JANUZAJ

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Premier League side Sunderland have reinterated their intent on keeping Manchester United star Adnan Januzaj despite the interests in the player.


The Sunderland forward has been attracting strong interest from French giant Lyon even as the player was posted to Sunderland under strict conditions.

Januzaj is on a season-long loan to the Stadium of Light. So far, he has netted just one after 15 games but Lyon remain desperate for his signature. The youngster was a breakout star during David Moyes’ side at Old Trafford three years ago but he has just started showing what a great addition he could be with his creative flair.

Top news outlet L’Equipe report that the French side want the Belgium international this January either on a temporary or permanent deal.

The report claim that Lyon manager Gerard Houlier has even reached out to former United boss Louis van Gaal but the Dutchman is unlikely to celebrate a player who rarely played under him as he was shipped out on loan to Borussia Dortmund.

Januzaj is contractually bound o the club until the summer of next year so any move for him is likely to be futile but Lyon are keen on making a serious attempt, according to the report. Even his employers United cannot recall the player until the season-long loan ends or even sell or loan him to another player. For now, Sunderland owns the player until the player fulfils his obligations at the end of the season.

With the way the player has started Sunderland might eventually make the deal a permanent one at the end of the season, particularly with Old Trafford now more competitive for the player to get regular action that he would seek if he is to return.

David Moyes tells his players to not celebrate after securing their 1rst win

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The 2016-17 season of the Premier League kicked off on August 13 of 2016 but it wasn’t until November 5 when Sunderland was able to secure their first league victory as it took the team of David Moyes almost 3 months to do it.


The first league victory of Sunderland in this current Premier League season occurred when David Moyes and his squad travelled to the Goldsands Stadium and faced off with Bournemouth and Sunderland was able to come out on top with a 2-1 triumph.

It’s clear that David Moyes is struggling to collect a steady amount of points as most of the results of his team are either defeats or draws and this inconsistency is the main reasons of why Sunderland are in the bottom relegation zone and even though they recently secured their 1st victory of the season, David Moyes has told his players that they should not even celebrate as the mountain that lies ahead of them is huge.

David Moyes told his squad that there is no time to celebrate or get carried by just 1 win as the Scottish manager said:

“I’m very happy, it’s our first win of the season; we’ll not get carried away, we now need to go out and get number two. It’s our first win; let’s not get carried away, we’ve a lot of work to do to climb up the league.”

In the previous 2015-16 season of the Premier League, Sunderland was just barely able to avoid the relegation zone as they survived by having 2 more points than the relegated Newcastle United and in this recently started season, it appears like its going to be another frantic campaign with only a few points being the decisive factor in surviving in the Premier League or being relegated.

COULD ALLARDYCE RETURN TO SUNDERLAND?

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The former Three Lions manager lost his “dream job” after just 67 days in charge.

There are reports that he is moving to Spain to vacation after all the stress, but there are already calls in some quarters that he comes back to his former job as Sunderland’s manager. ‘Big Sam’ left his former job after he was appointed. Former England national team Coach Roy Hodgson resigned after the Euro 2016 poor campaign and Allardyce was selected, after series of interviews with others, as the coach. Allardyce signed a two year deal but barely stayed 67 days before the deal was terminated by “mutual consent.”

Sunderland are struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table with David Moyes clueless. Could Allardyce be reinstated as the saviour in a troubling season for Sunderland?

The odds are 10/1 – according to Sky Bet – but at least there is glimmer of hope. The terms of termination of the agreement with the 61-year old might mean he would not get the job anytime soon due to ethics breach. However, the former Sunderland manager refused to rule out a return to management any time soon in an interview with News sources.

Allardyce met a troubled Sunderland side last year but he managed them to relative safety before he accepted the England job in July. Ellis Short and chief executive of Sunderland Martin Bain remain steadfastly behind Moyes but with more losses, would their faith in him stand the test of time? Swansea could sack their current manager this week. If Francesco Guidolin leaves, Allardyce has a window to enter since he is experienced, and can save weaker teams. Slaven Bilic is also struggling at West Ham but there is low risk that he would lose his job, especially due to the injury crisis the club is in.

SUNDERLAND WANT FORMER REDS PLAYER TEIXEIRA

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English Premier League club Sunderland are reportedly open to signing former Liverpool midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira, reports say.


The 23-year old player moved to Portugal during the summer. He has found it difficult to break into the first team, hence the links back to England. The reports say the Portugal international is willing to take a loan deal that will bring him back to England.

Several clubs want the player during the January transfer window, and Sunderland is among those interested. Former Man United coach David Moyes – who now manages Sunderland – is under pressure as Sunderland are bottom of the table. He wants to add more players to the squad, and the midfielder is one of his targets. The Black Cats have endured a terrible start to the new campaign, but cannot afford to say “it’s just the beginning” anymore.

The reports say Porto are willing to allow Teixeira go on a loan deal, but it can only happen if they can get a replacement. Moyes added ten new players to the ranks when he took over Sunderland, yet the impact is yet to happen. After six games, the club can no longer bear the usual slow start to the season, especially as the Premier League moves these days.

Teixeira started his youth career at hometown club Braga before moving to Sporting Lisbon. He couldn’t break into the first team, and had to settle for an £830,000 move in January 2012 to Anfield. After his four-year spell on Merseyside, he moved to returned home. He spent time on loan at Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion before leaving the Reds. Since Head Coach Nuno Espirito does not have him in his plans, Teixeira would be pleased if the loan to Sunderland work out.