Newcastle legend can’t be serious with laughable claims about Sunderland signing and pre-season result
Sunderland appear ready for the upcoming Premier League season after making a number of impressive signings this summer.
Regis Le Bris guided his side to promotion from the Championship last term and will be aiming to avoid relegation straight back into the second-tier.
The Black Cats begin their Premier League campaign with a game against West Ham at the Stadium of Light on 16 August.
Chris Waddle completely misses the point with Granit Xhaka comments
Newcastle legend Chris Waddle spoke to talkSPORT Bet to offer his opinion on the upcoming season.
While he mainly spoke about the Magpies, he was also asked about Sunderland and the way they’ve approached the summer transfer window.
He questioned their decision to sign Granit Xhaka this summer, as they tend to sign younger players.
Waddle said: “Sunderland usually buy young. Granit Xhaka has joined, which is a strange move I can’t really work out. I know they were supposedly after Jordan Henderson originally, looking for an experienced midfield player.
“Xhaka cost quite a bit of money at 32. Will he make a difference? Time will tell.”
| Granit Xhaka | Premier League |
| Appearances | 225 |
| Goals | 17 |
| Assists | 24 |
The primary reason Le Bris wanted a player like Xhaka was so that he could have a player who has years of Premier League experience on his side.
Jordan Henderson was also linked with a move to the Stadium of Light for precisely that point.
Most of the players signed this summer have been for the present and the future, so signing someone on the wrong side of 30 isn’t exactly a mistake.
Sunderland pre-season form brought up by Waddle
Pre-season is typically for managers to try out different systems, build player fitness and also help integrate new signings into the team.
Le Bris has done all of that and often while experimenting, as players are getting used to something new, results are not often ideal.
However, that is why teams play so many games before the season begins, but Waddle managed to put a negative spin on it.
He said: “They’ve not had a good pre-season. They lost to Hearts, Hull and Betis.
“They’ve lost quite a few games pre-season and aren’t scoring goals. Yes, there’s been a turnaround, but their philosophy is to buy young. If they get relegated, they’ll sell two or three to balance the books. That’s how Sunderland has operated for the last four or five years.
“I think the fans will be saying, ‘Yes, we’re spending money, but on who?’ To stay in the Premier League, you can’t just buy young, unproven players.
“You can’t expect these players to perform against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Spurs, or Chelsea.”
Newcastle lost 4-0 to Celtic, were defeated by the K-League XI and also lost to Arsenal, so their pre-season has not been too good either.
However, there was no mention of the Magpies’ games by Waddle.
Fans of the Black Cats know that it’s been a fruitful pre-season and the team is gearing up well for the new campaign.
Sign up for the Mackem News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Sunderland AFC news sent straight to your phone.