Football League World
·10 December 2024
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·10 December 2024
FLW's Sunderland fan pundit has given his verdict on the club's recruitment team
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Sunderland are in the mix for promotion to the Premier League this season, with their young squad defying expectations to compete with clubs boasting parachute payments. The Black Cats' way in the market over recent years has been to buy young and develop, something they are being rewarded for now.
Régis Le Bris has made a big impact at the club since arriving as head coach in the summer, guiding the team back towards the top end of the table.
The Black Cats’ recruitment team also deserve some credit for the team that they’ve been able to build since gaining promotion from League One in 2022.
The Wearside outfit have a clear policy of attracting young players to the club and offering them regular first team football in order to develop them into valuable stars.
When asked about the club’s recruitment strategy, FLW’s Sunderland fan pundit Jack Austwicke praised the work they’ve done in recent years.
He named multiple key signings they’ve brought in as examples of their great work, and hopes that they will continue on the path they’ve built thus far.
“I do rate our club’s recruitment team,” Auswicke told Football League World.
“Compared to what we’ve had in the past, it is tenfold better.
“We’ve signed some incredible players, almost all of this squad has been signed by them, or brought through the academy.
“They’ve kept hold of them, and managed to integrate them into the squad.
“The transfer policy is brilliant in my eyes, I think we’ve signed some really good players.
“Isidor, Clarke, Cirkin, Ballard, Mepham, the list goes on, Alan Browne, Jobe, it’s endless really.
“We’ve signed some terrific players, and I think we’ll continue to do so.
“It’s definitely got its flaws, there have been bad signings, but that’s the nature of it really.”
Sunderland hit a real low point when they suffered back-to-back relegations from the top flight to the third tier.
But they are a club back on the rise again, and their recruitment has been at the heart of their turnaround in fortune.
The Black Cats have brought in a lot of talented young players and have given them the room to flourish without too much pressure.
Their promotion fight this year is a sign of a club with a vision achieving more than what’s expected of them, and it’s been impressive to see.