Sunderland AFC Season Preview: Black Cats need to show attacking teeth or relegation fight awaits

Gus Poyet is set for another tough season as Sunderland boss

After a superb finish to last season that saw Sunderland defy the odds and comfortably avoid the drop, Black Cats fans can be excused for feeling more optimistic ahead of this season. Mike Norman doesn't agree however...

Last Season

A 'miracle' was what Gus Poyet said Sunderland needed to avoid relegation following the club's home defeat to Everton in the middle of April. A miracle is exactly what the Black Cats achieved.

Bottom of the table from almost day one (a start that saw Paolo Di Canio sacked and Gus Poyet appointed), bottom at Christmas, and cut adrift from Premier League safety, Sunderland somehow needed to take at least 10 points from the five games against Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Cardiff, and West Brom to give them any hope going into the last game of the season.

Incredibly Sunderland took 13 points from those five games including victories at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford. Remarkably the Black Cats could afford to lose their final game of the season and still finish 14th! This was no rollercoaster ride for Sunderland, it was like a lead ballon ride with someone removing the plumb-bob as the finishing line approached.

Ins and Outs

Jack Rodwell is the star name to arrive at the Stadium of Light this summer, the former Everton starlet arriving from Manchester City for 10m. Rodwell will cover some of the the void left in midfield by the departures of Jack Colback and Craig Gardner.

No fewer than 15 squad players have left Sunderland as Poyet aims to fine tune his squad, though the signings of Patrick van Aanholt (1.5m from Chelsea), Jordi Gomez (free transfer from Wigan), and Billie Jones (free transfer from West Brom) will go some way to making the Black Cats a more competitive side than they were 12 months ago.

At the time of writing, Sunderland's failure to bring in a decent striker however is a huge concern.

Manager

It's hard not to like Gus Poyet, he speaks honestly and passionately and gives the impression that he is a manager going places. He led Brighton to the League One title in 2011, finished 10th in the Championship the very next season, and then guided the Seagulls to a fantastic fourth-place finish in 2013.

Poyet's incredible escape act with Sunderland last season ensured that his career remains on an upward curve, and providing the Black Cats can stay away from the drop zone this term then Poyet is almost certain to keep on improving as a manager.

Expectations

You sense that confidence is high among Sunderland fans following their miraculous exploits at the end of last season, and with a talented, improving, manager at the helm you can forgive them for expecting a much better season this time around.

But I'm not convinced Sunderland should be setting their sights too high just yet. The transfer business they've concluded so far doesn't strike me as being brilliant, and until they can add a few more quality players to their squad - especially a striker - then I don't think the Sunderland faithful should expect anything more than another tough season fighting to avoid relegation.

Best Bet

You won't get rich and you'll have to wait the best part of nine months for your money, but I suspect the big players will be very interested in opposing Poyet's men in the Newcastle v Sunderland Season Match Bet market. Newcastle can be backed at around 1.454/9 and I can only see that price getting even shorter.

But for those who like much better odds over a long period then consider the 6.411/2 about Sunderland in the Relegation market. Poyet may well improve his squad between now and the end of the month but if he doesn't then I don't think this Sunderland team are any better than the side that struggled for 90% of last season.

Value Bet

From a back-to-lay perspective Sunderland at 30.029/1 in the Rock Bottom market might offer a small return should the club start the season poorly.

Wherever you look in the Black Cats' first half of the season fixtures there's no easy games. They are away to most of the clubs who will be fighting in the bottom half of the table, while they host the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, and Man City before the start of December. If they don't start well then 2015 is going to get even tougher.