Sunderland risk ‘vindicated’ by what’s happened as Regis Le Bris’ side warned to remain wary
Sunderland were fully aware of how influential their summer business was going to be ahead of their return to the Premier League.
With 17 points from nine games, Sunderland have had an excellent start to the season, with many already claiming that relegation is a distant thought.
It’s the best start to the season they have had since 1999, when they had also accumulated 17 points by this point, before going on to make it 20 in gameweek 10.
However, they faced a series of dilemmas in the summer, and finance expert Dan Plumley has explained how they opted to make the right one.
Sunderland went big in the summer
Promoted teams in the past have gone down without a whimper, and that was the fear for Sunderland after finishing fourth in the Championship and going up via the play-offs.
However, with 14 new players currently at the Stadium of Light, several of whom have taken the league by storm, Plumley has exclusively told Mackem News that their decision to spend big has paid off.
He said: “Were they going to spend, were they going to be really conservative? They’ve clearly come out and said we’re going to have a go, and at the moment, that is absolutely paying off.
“They’ll still be wary of getting dragged into a relegation battle, and they’ll probably come out and say that the goal here was to avoid relegation at the end of the season. They’re not there yet, but the start they’ve had has been brilliant.
“They’ll feel like some of their risks at the moment are paying off, and they’re being vindicated, and that’s the thing when a club like Sunderland comes back up.
“They’ve been a breath of fresh air in that league at the minute, so you’re hoping that continues, but they’ll still be wary of the slip at some point, and having a bad run and making sure they can stay above that relegation line is ultimately what’s going to drive success for this season.”
- Read more: Sunderland vs Everton: Black Cats’ five best wins as Regis Le Bris looks to spring another shock
Safety is already in touching distance for the Black Cats
With 29 games still to be played, anything can happen.
However, the goal at the start of the campaign was to reach 40 points, and if Sunderland can beat Everton on Monday night, they will already be halfway there, just over a quarter of the way into the season.
Historically, whenever a promoted side has picked up 11 points by gameweek 10, they have never faced relegation, which is a tally already reached by Sunderland and Leeds, with Burnley not far behind them.
Not only have all three promoted teams looked more competitive, but they have all showcased that they have the quality and mentality to stay in the division, which will be a warning sign to some of the established clubs who have been hanging on by a thread.
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