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Sunderland AFC scraped home at the end of last season in emotional scenes. Even the 'Little General' Dick Advocaat was brought to tears by sustaining EPL soccer for the Black Cats. He was expected to walk off into the sunset and a happy retirement.
Move forward three months and Advocaat is back and ready to lead the club in the new season. This is potentially the best news that the Sunderland supporters have had in quite sometime. Advocaat is a top class man manager and has already shown he can get the best out of what is currently a quite ordinary squad. Can he sustain this momentum over a full 36 game season?
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Advocaat has recognized the need to strengthen and has been given funds to do so. On Defense John O Shea and Wes Brown are both showing their veteran status.
Welsh international full back Adam Matthews has arrived from Celtic, and with Younes Kaboul from Tottenham Hotspur joins Sebastien Coates, who had already committed to the club. Collectively they will add much needed steel to the back line.
In attack Jermaine Lens has linked up once more with Advocaat having worked with him at both AZ Alkmaar & PSV Eindhoven. He arrived in a $12 million deal and hopes to add some potency to a team whose leading goal scorer last season contributed just 6 goals. He should be a regular starter under Advocaat and at least have the opportunity to contribute goals to the side.
It is the lack of cutting edge and dynamic players in midfield that leaves Sunderland again vulnerable to relegation. Signing Lee Cattermole to a new 5-year contract suggests the midfield is likely to remain combative as opposed to expansive.
The one player with flare in that area of the field is Adam Johnson, but Johnson continues to face personal problems that may impact his ability to give his all to the club until these issues are resolved.
Prediction: A struggle but Sunderland will escape the drop again (17th).
Players to watch: Adam Matthews (Defender), Jack Rodwell (Midfield), Jermaine Lens (Attacker).
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