Sunderland AFC: A Club on the Way Up

Sunderland Til I Die gave viewers a fascinating in

A Football Report
Sunderland AFC: A Club on the Way Up

Sunderland Til I Die gave viewers a fascinating insight into one of England’s biggest clubs. They had just suffered relegation from the Premier League and were expected to bounce straight back up. They had the squad and the support but crucially lacked the management to do so. Netflix cameras filmed a club in turmoil getting relegated again. They found themselves stuck in League One for longer than they would have wanted. However, in the past 18 months, the club has changed considerably so what’s next for Sunderland AFC?

Promotion to the Big Time

Sunderland is in the hunt for promotion back to the Premier League after what will feel like a lifetime. In their first season back in the Championship, they are outsiders with bookmakers to get promotion via the playoffs. For example, Bwin soccer bet online has outright markets that currently offer Sunderland at a price of 8/1 to be promoted. In-game betting markets and goalscoring markets are also available to track their fortunes during the club’s quest to get promoted. Although a large slice of luck is needed which would involve multiple clubs falling by the wayside. It’s still a much better situation than fans could have envisioned watching Netflix all those years ago.

Life Without Promotion

Everyone at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light wants a promotion to the big time. However, the club is more stable than it has been for years and if promotion was achieved it would be ahead of schedule. Tony Mowbray is in the dugout. He has multiple years of experience across the Premier League, Championship and Scottish Premier League. He has achieved promotion in the past and although he might not have the nous to keep Sunderland in the big time, he is a steady hand at the moment.

The ownership of the club has been a talking point in the past few years too. After the chaos witnessed in front of the Netflix cameras, the boardroom situation now seems settled. Kyril Louis-Dreyfus bought a controlling stake in 2021. Promotion from League One followed, and as the son of a billionaire, fans will hope he can spare a few pounds to further improve the squad in future.

The Current Stars

Amad Diallo has been the star of the show this year. He arrived on loan from Manchester United and has won the club’s Young Player of the Year award. His 12 goals have been crucial in firing the squad into the promotion spots. Luke O’Nien has been with the club since the darker days in League One and has excelled in midfield playing the majority of matches when available. As a youth team product, he provides a hometown player for the fans to cheer on. With a young, ambitious squad, there is a lot of promise and talent to harness in the coming years.

Even though this season might not end in promotion for Sunderland, the club is in a much better place than this time two years ago. They look well-positioned to fight for promotion next season and the summer will bring time to add more quality to a squad that is already on the up. The days of uncertainty shown on Netflix are in the past.