Ahead of our match against Leeds tonight we spoke to the guys at ‘All Day LUFC’ for a preview of what is sure to be a tough test for both sides.
Leeds currently sit in third place but are seven points behind Ipswich in second, do you think you’ll be able to catch up and win automatic promotion this season?
Tricky one. Are we good enough? Yes. However, it mostly depends on how Ipswich do from now until the end of the season. Their squad is naturally not as strong or deep as ours so a few injuries could cause an issue. We’re at the illustrious two points per game typically needed for promotion from the Championship, but it feels like all of the current top four could reach that landmark this year. Considering the difficult start we had with our squad issues, catching up was going to take time and we’ve clawed back points now. December also sees us face Ipswich at home before Ipswich host the league leaders, Leicester three days later… so it feels like a significant month.
If you don’t do you think you’ll win the playoffs?
Playoffs are always a gamble and with Leeds United involved, you’d be shocked to see that go in our favour, we’ve had five play-offs now and we’ve lost them all, including that heartbreak in 2018/19 vs Derby. Saying that, Farke is starting to undo a lot of the “Leeds-ness” about us at the minute, but Southampton are also very strong.
How would you say your summer transfer window went and what do you need in January?
To judge the window, you have to split our window into two portions even more than other teams. The outgoings and the incomings. We lost a lot of first team players with the ludicrous loan clauses inserted into their contracts, which caused huge disruption. The change of ownership delayed incoming transfers and preparation time for Farke, however, the business they’ve done has been excellent overall. Hiring Nick Hammond (apologies for the Newcastle links) was the first bit of clever business and that followed with nine first team signings. The standouts at the time were Joel Piroe and Ethan Ampadu, who came in for a combined £19m and have both had quality starts to life in a Leeds shirt. We’re yet to see some of the signings make big impacts in the team, but Glen Kamara, Joe Rodon and Sam Byram have all been nothing short of brilliant in Farke’s set up. In terms of January signings, Farke doesn’t seem too vocal about additions, however, there’s a few mixed messages. Angus Kinnear stated that we left loan spots open in the summer to utilise in January and in the pre-match press conference for this game, Farke expressed a likelihood to sign a left back (which we’ve been waiting years for). I’d like to see us sign a few depth options though to replace some of Bielsa’s squad that are still prominent in the squad. Bamford, Ayling and Cooper have been excellent servants to the club but don’t offer enough anymore. However, this is likely to be a job for the summer.
Who would you say is your best player?
Well, I’m very biased towards Georginio Rutter. A lot of fans wrote him off after handfuls of cameos in the second half of last season, but you could see the potential there which is shining through in this campaign. The 21 year old leads the Championship, by some way, for big chances created (16) in 23/24 and contributed to 12 goals in his 19 appearances (four goals and eight assists). Crysencio Summerville is making the league look easy though, with 15 goal contributions already. Joe Rodon is another candidate, with him only losing one game in which he has started for us. The Welshman has stabilised our defence, which was, let’s say, leaky last season in the Premier League.
Which Sunderland player would you say most worries you?
Watched a decent amount of Sunderland last season to see how Joe Gelhardt was doing (we won’t dwell). The easy option is to pick Jack Clarke who is enjoying his best season so far and could be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself against his old team. With a team full of young quality players, the one I’d pick is Daniel Ballard. Picking up form at the minute too and holds the back line together. Also wary of Alex Pritchard. Underrated member of the Sunderland squad.
What are your thoughts on manager Daniel Farke?
I like Farke. He’s been the perfect man to carry us forward after the uncertainty and frankly circus we became last season. He’s also got his own history to put right in the Premier League after two disappointing spells with Norwich in the top flight. One condition for him joining was the guarantee of the club backing him if / when we are promoted. Farke demands effort levels and focus and had to deal with a lot in his first two months. He got through the tricky period and is improving us month by month. Also it’s worth noting that I don’t think we’ve been out of third gear yet. The Rutter/Piroe dilemma and early squad issues has taken longer to see Farke ball fully take action, but we’ve seen plenty of moments of this.
Did you think you’d be doing so well at the start of the season?
Simply put, not at all. It’s an easy excuse to keep going back to the difficult summer we had, but it played a huge part in our early season form. The tremendous start we’ve had to this season has been outshone by Leicester and Ipswich who have always found a way to win, time after time. The majority of fans would’ve bitten your hands off for 41 points after 20 games.
Score prediction?
Sunderland are much stronger at home this season, so will be a difficult game. Head says 2-2. Heart says 3-1 to Leeds.
