As usual, on Wearside, another frustrating season has passed. However, there were one or two bright moments as Sunderland finally saw new owners come into the club and they also got their long-awaited win at Wembley. Although one major failure cast a large cloud over the positives.
Sunderland 2020/21 Season Review: New Season, New Hope, Similar Story
Pre-Season
Any Black Cats fan will say that pre-season brings new hope. However, that shared hope carries a weight of reality in that it almost never seems to go as planned at Sunderland.
Having missed out on the play-offs and a chance of promotion due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Phil Parkinson set about trying to strengthen a squad that was lacking in several areas the previous season. In came forwards Aiden O’Brien and Danny Graham, the latter for his second spell at the club; a spell which ended up being just as poor as the first and resulted in his exit in January.
Defenders Bailey Wright, Callum Mcfadzean, Morgan Feeney, Arbenit Xhemajli and Dion Sanderson arrived. Wright signed following a loan spell but Feeney and Xhemajli would hardly feature due to long-term injuries. Goalkeeper Remi Matthews also signed.
With the club still tied to the restraints of the salary cap, many players departed due to their contracts expiring, including Jon McLaughlin, Jack Baldwin, Kyle Lafferty, Duncan Watmore, Ethan Robson and Alim Ozturk.
Prior to the league season beginning, the Black Cat swon each of their three friendlies before taking on Hull City in the Carabao Cup, losing 5-4 on penalties. Despite this disappointment, Aston Villa were thrashed days later 8-1 in the EFL Trophy.
Parkinson Out, Lee Johnson In
By the end of November, with the team in and around the play-off positions but looking unlikely to mount a serious promotion push, Phil Parkinson was sacked. In came former Bristol City manager Lee Johnson. He was one of the first to arrive as the club underwent a huge overhaul in their off-field staff as new owners finally came in too almost a year after the club was put up for sale.
New Owners
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus finally took over the club from previous majority shareholder Stewart Donald. Although Donald will keep a minority shareholding in the club, Louis-Dreyfus, the heir to part of a £6 billion fortune along with his two siblings, is now the Black Cats new owner. The 23-year-old took control officially in February, more than one year after the club was put up for sale. However, he was believed to be behind the decision to bring in Lee Johnson. Other off-field arrivals prior to his takeover becoming official were also given the green light by Louis-Dreyfus.
Upon completing the deal, the son of former Marseille owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus spoke to the official Sunderland website: “I would like to thank Stewart, the Board of Directors and the EFL for their diligence and support throughout the recent process. I am proud to become a custodian of this esteemed institution, but I also recognise the significant responsibility that comes with it. Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter in Sunderland AFC’s history and although the current landscape facing football dictates that there are challenges to overcome, I am confident that together we can weather the present storm and put solid foundations in place to bring sustainable and long-term success to the club.”
Unlucky With Defensive Injuries
For long spells during the season, Sunderland suffered with defensive injuries, many of them long-term. Morgan Feeney, Jordan Willis and Arbenit Xhemajli were missing for either all of the campaign or a large part. Another centre-back, Bailey Wright, missed two months, plus on-loan defender Dion Sanderson, who would win the Young Player of the Year award, was missing for several crucial end-of-season games. Full-backs Conor McLaughlin and Denver Hume were also missing for long periods.
These injuries meant the Black Cats seldom had a settled defence. Luke O’Nien, a midfielder by trade but who has played regularly at right-back, filled in at centre-back for much of the season. Captain and midfielder Max Power was also tasked with playing out of position, playing at right-back.
EFL Trophy Triumph and Closing in on Automatic Promotion
Since their historic day in 1973 when they won the FA Cup, Sunderland had tried and failed to win in eight games at Wembley. However, following almost five decades of frustration, the Black Cats finally ended their losing streak at the home of football. Lee Johnson’s men beat Tranmere Rovers 1-0 in the EFL Trophy final – a Lynden Gooch goal following a defence-splitting pass by Aiden McGeady meant the Red and Whites won their first trophy at Wembley since beating Leeds United all those years ago.
Poor Form Costs Black Cats Promotion
By Easter, Lee Johnson had got his team into the battle for automatic promotion. Sunderland, despite being third, were just behind Peterborough United and Hull City. It looked likely that Sunderland would now be in with an excellent chance of being promoted automatically. Unfortunately, they suffered their worst run of form in the season at a time they could not afford to. From 5th April until the end of the league season, Johnson’s men won just one game, losing four and drawing four. It meant Sunderland had gone from automatic promotion challengers to play-off hopefuls in nine games. Eventually, the Black Cats finished fourth and another attempt at promotion via the play-offs loomed.
Play-Off Heartbreak Once More
Sunderland and the play-offs have had a mixed relationship down the years. For every exciting win, there has been a devastating low. This season proved no different. Despite their poor form leading up to the play-offs, Sunderland were favourites to win promotion this time around, something they had never done before. The semi-final pitted them against Lincoln City.
The Black Cats travelled to Lincoln for the first leg, a ground which they had won 4-0 earlier in the season. For large spells, City were the better team and won the game 2-0. An uphill battle was now ensured for the second leg. However, with fans being allowed back into the Stadium of Light, it could give Johnson’s men the advantage.
For the first 45 minutes, Sunderland dominated Lincoln and despite winning 2-0 at half-time, it should have been more. Lincoln emerged for the second half a different team and got the goal they needed. Sunderland could not find another and the game ended 2-1, 3-2 on aggregate to Lincoln. Another season in League One now awaits for Sunderland and their long-suffering fans as the frustration of being unable to gain promotion continues.
Several Players to Leave as the Sunderland 2020/21 Season Comes to an End
Sunderland’s retained list was announced shortly after the Lincoln game with a few surprises. Captain Max Power, Chris Maguire, Grant Leadbitter and Josh Scowen will depart when their contracts end next month. Callum Mcfadzean, Remi Matthews and Conor McLaughlin will also be searching for new clubs.
Aiden McGeady, Luke O’Nien, Denver Hume and Charlie Wyke will be offered new deals. However, they are also out of contract this summer with interest in the quartet expected to be high.
Main Photo
