This season, Sunderland’s inconsistent play—a run of impressive wins interspersed with a run of subpar outings and lost points—has been a big problem.
With an average age of 21.9, the team’s youthful roster lacks the maturity and experience necessary to perform well under pressure.
Young forwards were the main focus of the club’s recruitment strategy, but if they don’t make an impact right away, they might be let go to make room for more productive players.
What has afflicted Sunderland this season so far is inconsistency.
They lost their first two games of the season and had a sluggish start to the season before going on a run that saw them accumulate 20 points out of a possible 24. Things appeared to be improving, but then the peculiar performances from game to game returned. The Black Cats have lost half of their games since the conclusion of that mini-run.
Runs such as these are probably to be expected from a team this young. Their team’s average age is only 21.9 years old, and players at that age typically lack the maturity to recover from poor performances in games; they simply don’t have enough experience in those circumstances.
That is, at least, the direction the club is taking with its hiring. Many young forwards were signed by Sunderland in the summer, but none of them have really taken advantage of opportunities. The club can’t afford to have two or three of its forwards go unutilized every week, especially considering the amount of forwards that arrived for a respectable price. If these two strikers don’t improve in the upcoming month, there will probably be departures in that area.
Over the summer, Tony Mowbray pursued young strikers in the Premier League. Jay Stansfield of Fulham was his first pick in that category; Mowbray acknowledged that the team “pushed hard” to acquire the player, who is currently on loan at Birmingham City, while Stansfield has hinted that the Black Cats’ location was what convinced him to move to the Midlands rather than the North East.
Nevertheless, Sunderland managed to acquire one in Burstow. The Chelsea-born player, 20, had previously played in the EFL after making his way through Charlton Athletic and returning to the Addicks on loan.
Burstow also made an impression while playing for Chelsea’s under-21 team in Premier League 2, but he hasn’t been able to demonstrate his goal-scoring prowess in the red and white stripes.
If he doesn’t put up more encouraging performances, he might be sent back down south in the new year to make room for EFL clubs, who are only permitted to have five players on loan at any given time.
The Portuguese forward arrived from Benfica for a fee of €500,000 (£430,000) in the summer, according to the Liga Portugal side’s club president, and footballing legend, Rui Costa. This fee could rise by another €1 million (£865,000) if certain performance markers are hit to trigger the add-ons.
That’s a lot of money for a player who only put his teenage years in the rearview mirror a few months ago, and one that hadn’t made a first team appearance for his former club. That lack of professional experience has shown in the chances that he’s been given.
Semedo is a project player, much like a lot of Sunderland’s recent acquisitions, who they intend to develop into an exceptional player over time. However, taking erratic minutes will only make this process take longer.
A loan move looks to be his best option at the moment. Whether that would see him go back to continental Europe, or whether he’d drop down to League One to show his talent and get him used to the English physicality, either would be better than being sat on the bench and watching your developmental years pass you by.
If he can’t prove he’s ready to feature in the Championship soon then you have to think a temporary exit could be forthcoming.
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