Sunderland 2014-15: Jozy and the Black Cats

[soxfan121]

Let's kick this off with some good news - Jack Rodwell has signed a five year deal. Good for Rodwell, who can resume his playing career after two seasons of cashing Man City's large paychecks and good news for Gus Poyet's club, who needed an upgrade to the talent in midfield. 
 
Also joining the Black Cats will be Patrick van Anholt (from Chelsea) and Costel Pantilimon (Man City), along with Billy Jones (West Brom) and Jordi Gomez (Wigan). 
 
The lack of an incoming striker may help Jozy Altidore find a role with the club this season. He finished last season out of the 18 but Poyet has made some public comments indicating he still believes Jozy can secure a spot at Sunderland. 
 
Two of the first three are on the road but both should be winnable, @ West Brom and @ QPR. The home opener is against the re-tooled ManU. Home tilts with Tottenham and Swansea sandwich a roadie against Barnsley in September. A good start seems possible and with a full offseason, who knows what Gus Poyet can pull off this year?
 
 

 

[finnVT]

Vergini loaned again for this season as well.  He may not be a world beater, but with O'Shea and Brown getting pretty long in the tooth, they needed some more cover at CB.
 
I'm interested to see how they sort out the midfield.  Back line seems pretty well set with van Aanholt - Brown - O'Shea - Jones (I know nothing about van Aanholt, but it's nice to have a LB who is actually a LB, and who the team controls for more than a few months), and I'm guessing they play a single striker (Fletcher or Wickham, sorry jozy!) up top.
 
But the midfield now features Cattermole, Bridcutt, Gomez, Rodwell, Giaccherini, Johnson, and Larsson.  It was looking for a while like Cristian Rodriguez of Atletico might be added to the mix too, but that seems to have cooled. Even so, I'm not quite sure how that shakes out-- maybe they play Cattermole & Bridcutt as deep midfielders, with Rodwell in front and Giaccherini/Johnson on the wings?  Or two of Cattermole/Bridcutt/Rodwell in back, with Giaccherini in the attacking mid role and Johnson/Larsson on the wings?  Or maybe Gomez is better than I'm giving him credit for and capable of pushing for a starting spot?  I think Giaccherini improving his performance last season is going to be a big key for determining whether they're safe or fighting relegation again this season.
 

The lack of an incoming striker may help Jozy Altidore find a role with the club this season

I guess it depends what you mean by "incoming".  Fletcher was out for a lot of last year with injuries but is seemingly healthy again, and Wickham is back from his loan at Leeds and should be in competition with Jozy for the 2nd spot (pending his contract situation).  I think Jozy has his work cut out for him to be better than 3rd on the striker depth chart.  And that's assuming the Borini talk is dead.

 

[steeplechase3k]

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/08/08/d-c-united-sunderland-announce-partnership-as-mls-premier-league-clubs-link-up/
 
SAFC has partnered with DC United.

 

[finnVT]

Sunderland have apparently signed Ricky Alvarez from Inter on a loan with obligation to buy if they don't get relegated:
 
https://twitter.com/Triplete_Inter1/status/504743927111770112
 
Triplete Interista
‏@Triplete_Inter1
#Alvarez to #Sunderland is a done deal. Loan for €1M with obligation to buy at €11M if #Sunderland avoid relegation. #FCIM
 
 
Any Serie A fans have an opinion on him?  Seems like he's gotten a lot of playing time at Inter, but maybe hasn't been consistently strong?  Of course, Sunderland's expectations are probably rather lower than Inter's.  Curious how the midfield shakes out with him.  I could see them running something like:
 
-------------- Fletcher --------------
Johnson ------ Alvarez --- Giaccherini
------ Cattermole -- Rodwell ---------
PVA ------ Brown --- O'Shea ---- Jones
-------------- Mannone ---------------
 
With Jozy, Wickham, Buckley, Gomez, Larsson, Bridcutt, Vergini, Roberge, Pantilimon as options off the bench.  Still feels like not a lot of depth on the defense (I've liked Vergini.. Roberge, not so much), especially given Brown & O'shea's ages, but otherwise that seems like a pretty solid lineup.

 

[steeplechase3k]

SURVIVAL!