Pedigree: One of English football's early powerhouses of the late 19th and early 20th century and that confident swagger continued until their first-ever relegation from the top flight in 1958. From then on, there has been plenty of ups and downs for Sunderland, but mainly downs.They're The Ones Who ... are trying to cast-off their unwanted yo-yo tag. As they approach a third straight EPL campaign, chairman Niall Quinn reckons they've got rid of one of the 'yos'. Now to dispense with that pesky second one.
If Money Were No Object: As one of the few Premier League clubs who have shown some real commitment to making football affordable to their fans, they would no doubt let everyone in for free on a regular basis if they could.
Stat Attack: The two draws against Arsenal last season - 1-1 at the Stadium of Light and a 0-0 stalemate at the Emirates - were the only points Sunderland took from the 'big four' last season. Their other fixtures against the Premier League's main movers and shakers read: played six, lost six.
World Cup Watch: A stellar season from midfielder Kieran Richardson could make him an outside bet to add to his eight England caps. The same goes for Anton Ferdinand, but neither will be dusting down their passport in anticipation of a trip to South Africa just yet. Andy Reid is out of favour with the Republic of Ireland, while Craig Gordon will be there is Scotland should qualify.
In
Darren Bent, Tottenham, £10m; Lorik Cana, Marseille, £5m; Fraizer Campbell, Manchester United - £3.5m rising to £6m; Paulo Da Silva, Toluca, free
Out
Michael Chopra, Cardiff, £4m; Greg Halford, Wolves, £2m; Peter Hartley, Hartlepool, free; Nick Colgan, Grimsby, free; Peter Hartley, Hartlepool, free; Dwight Yorke, released; David Connolly, released; Arnau Riera, released; Darren Ward, retired.
Driving Ambition: It may sound dull, but mid-table obscurity drives them on. Survival has been secured rather too late for comfort over the past two seasons, so Steve Bruce has been tasked with guiding them to a safe position.
Driving Ambition: It may sound dull, but mid-table obscurity drives them on. Survival has been secured rather too late for comfort over the past two seasons, so Steve Bruce has been tasked with guiding them to a safe position.
The Reality: With Bruce well under way with an ambitious squad re-building programme, that magical 10th, 11th or 12th place finish is well within grasp. Of course something a little higher would be very welcome, but given the trauma of last season's near-brush with the drop, mid-table would constitute significant progress.
How Outsiders View Them: The poorer, uglier, less sophisticated cousin of Newcastle United, until Newcastle's recently-completed metamorphosis into something far poorer, uglier and less sophisticated. Sunderland will be rivalling Newcastle as a party destination next. Well, maybe not.
Our Mole Says: This could finally be the season that the club starts to fulfil its undoubted potential. Back-to-back seventh place finishes almost a decade ago hinted at what Sunderland are capable of, and there's a growing feeling those relative heights can be scaled again soon.
Spending Money: In Ellis Short, their billionaire US backer, Sunderland have one of the richest owners in the league. There's talk of £40m for Bruce to spend on players this summer which rivals anyone bar the top four and Manchester City.
The Boss: Bruce has spent a decade-long managerial apprenticeship working his way towards this job. Having hopped from selling club to selling club, he's finally hooked up with an employer who, relatively speaking, can adopt predatory rather than defensive tactics in the transfer market. It must feel like heaven.
What To Say About The Squad: What it may have boasted in talent last season, it more than lacked in heart, desire and commitment. How damning is that? Caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia continually defended his players despite the grim evidence of each passing lacklustre performance. It's to be hoped Bruce doesn't.
What Not To Say About The Squad: Bruce has brought in new faces, and with plenty of out-goings to even things up, it promises to be a much-changed group of players this season. The talent, on the whole, is now there. Bruce needs to instil the application that was so sadly lacking last season.
How Outsiders View Them: The poorer, uglier, less sophisticated cousin of Newcastle United, until Newcastle's recently-completed metamorphosis into something far poorer, uglier and less sophisticated. Sunderland will be rivalling Newcastle as a party destination next. Well, maybe not.
Our Mole Says: This could finally be the season that the club starts to fulfil its undoubted potential. Back-to-back seventh place finishes almost a decade ago hinted at what Sunderland are capable of, and there's a growing feeling those relative heights can be scaled again soon.
Spending Money: In Ellis Short, their billionaire US backer, Sunderland have one of the richest owners in the league. There's talk of £40m for Bruce to spend on players this summer which rivals anyone bar the top four and Manchester City.
The Boss: Bruce has spent a decade-long managerial apprenticeship working his way towards this job. Having hopped from selling club to selling club, he's finally hooked up with an employer who, relatively speaking, can adopt predatory rather than defensive tactics in the transfer market. It must feel like heaven.
What To Say About The Squad: What it may have boasted in talent last season, it more than lacked in heart, desire and commitment. How damning is that? Caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia continually defended his players despite the grim evidence of each passing lacklustre performance. It's to be hoped Bruce doesn't.
What Not To Say About The Squad: Bruce has brought in new faces, and with plenty of out-goings to even things up, it promises to be a much-changed group of players this season. The talent, on the whole, is now there. Bruce needs to instil the application that was so sadly lacking last season.
Best Friends or Bust-up: With Niall Quinn as chairman and Bruce as manager, Sunderland boast two of the nicest guys in the league, so expect plenty of love-ins and not many bust-ups. They'll be out to disprove the theory that nice guys win nothing.
Our Prediction: There are dozens of reasons as to why Sunderland will finish this season in 12th. Not quite in the shake-up for Europe, that will be for the following season, but for once well clear of the relegation scrap.
Key Player: Kieran Richardson. At his best an England international, at his worst an anonymous midfield luxury, it's time for the former Manchester United player to fulfil his potential on a regular basis, not just once every five or so games. If he does, Sunderland will possess a real driving force at the heart of the battle.
Title Odds: 750-1
Relegation Odds: 6-1
Last Season's Form
League: 16th
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 4th round
Top League Scorers: Kenwyne Jones 10, Djibril Cisse 10
Discipline: Yellow 68, Red 1
Team Facts
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 4th round
Top League Scorers: Kenwyne Jones 10, Djibril Cisse 10
Discipline: Yellow 68, Red 1
Team Facts
Nickname: Black Cats
Ground: Stadium of Light
Capacity: 49,000
Address: Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR5 1SU
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