It is another brand new season in the Premier League but it feels the same for Sunderland fans. In the last few years, the fans could never enjoy too much breathing space. Relegation battle has become their fortune no matter whoever the managers was. Martin O’Neil, Paulo Di Canio, Gus Poyet, Dick Advocaat, Sam Allardyce and now David Moyes- under each and every manager, the fans had to experience the same. Even though the Black Cats managed to save their top-flight status every time, the fans deserve much much better than nervy, nail-biting finishes with their heart pounding in every April.
Sunderland’s fate has not changed even a bit this season, rather it has deteriorated. David Moyes’ side have not managed to win a single game this season so far and are languishing at the rock bottom of the table. With just two draws in eight games and all the remaining ending in defeats, it looks like Sunderland are going to have a long and hard season and they do not look good enough to save their top-flight status.
In such a disappointing time for the club, reports are suggesting that Sunderland could be up for sale as owner Ellis Short is in contact with a Chinese consortium over a possible £150m takeover bid. We have seen the interest from Asian businessmen growing in English football and the likes of Aston Villa, West Brom and Wolves are the latest of clubs to be bought by cash-rich Asian business tycoons lately.
American billionaire business Ellis Short never really stated publicly about his interest in selling Sunderland which he bought back in 2009. This is the high time for the Texas-based businessman to find an escape route out of the Wearside club. There is a major chance that Sunderland will finally face a drop after the end of this season and the value of the club will definitely take a dip. Getting £150m for the club he bought for £20m seven years back, is definitely a good profit.
It’s pretty much a public knowledge that American owners are not the kind of owners who back their club with all they have. Short is not an exception. Sunderland’s struggle over the years is mostly due to their lack of ambition. Managers were never given the right resources by the owner to bring in the players they want.
Blaming the managers for failures is an easy thing to do but they are not magicians and the fans have to realize that. Looking at the quality of players Sunderland have and had over the last few years, even a manager like Carlo Ancelotti would have struggled hard to save them.
Wolves, a Championship club right now, were taken over by Chinese Fosun Group earlier this year and their activity in the transfer market this summer was remarkable. They brought in players like Silvio, Ola John, Helder Costa despite being in the second tier of English football whereas Sunderland, a Premier League side for quite a long time, signed players like Donald Love and Victor Anichebe.
Sunderland need an owner who would break the bank to improve their first-team and Short is not such an owner. A Chinese takeover will be brilliant for the future of the club. It’s sad to see a club like Sunderland struggling in the relegation zone each and every season and that won’t change until there is a change in the ownership.
