It is being reported that Sunderland are now seeking to build on their numbers by bringing in Middlesborough’s 39-year –old Greek goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos. They have already wrapped up deals for Jake Clarke-Salter on loan from Chelsea and former Newcastle United winger Kazenga LuaLua on a free transfer until the end of the season. The 39-year-old custodian could be the next in line. With Sunderland unlikely to pay a fee for Leeds United goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, it now appears that the most likely replacement for Coleman is going to be the Greek at Middlesborough, who is now surplus to requirements at the North East.
Sunderland’s demotion to the Championships has done little to change the club’s fortune this time around. Things have not gone well for the Black Cats well this season with the club battling another relegation threat. Sunderland have just won five of their 28 league matches this season and with only 25 points on the board, they stand in the relegation zone.
The club is 22nd in the Championship and looks set to drop further. After failing to guide an aimless Sunderland side to safety last season, Moyes resigned as the manager of the club in May this year. Simon Grayson who replaced the Scot got the sack after only eighteen games in charge.
Often in these situations, two tricks that always help is the arrival of new players and the team to at least stop conceding goals if they cannot outscore. A defensive team builds a resilience in the side upon which the club can base its rebuilding. Therefore the arrival of a new goalkeeper could possibly solve two problems at once for Sunderland.
It is being reported that the hunt for a new custodian in goal is going to be an important objective Chris Coleman and his team in this winter transfer window. The Black Cats have conceded a mammoth 47 goals in just 28 games, averaging almost 1.8 goals conceded per game. Of the two senior keepers, neither Jason Steele nor Robbin Ruiter have been strong enough at the back and that has been the root cause of the defensive misery this season for Sunderland.
The gulf in class looks even bigger at the back especially because last time out, they had a Jordan Pickford who was by far the best player in the team and came up with some heroic saves to help his team not be humiliated in every match.
