In the first of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, starting with how things have progressed for the relegated Wearsiders this summer. Reports on Middlesbrough and Hull City will follow later today with the rest of the teams in the division covered between now and the start of the season.

“We’re like an Aeroflot jet from the seventies, poorly run and poorly maintained”, “We are going to struggle I suspect. There are going to be six or seven teams in there who can hold their own with the Premier League bottom feeders. At the moment, we’re not even one of them”, “Strong and stable.”

“The best thing is not to expect too much from this season.” After a Premier League campaign which finished with their side 16 points from safety and a transfer window which has seen a haemorrhage of talented players, Sunderland fans are currently viewing the coming season with despondency.

“It shouldn’t come as a massive surprise to anyone both where we are and the likelihood that it’s going to be one tough season. There’s no point moaning about it”, “The next two seasons are going to be all about surviving and reducing debt. It’s depressing I know, but that is the reality.”

“We will be nowhere near the play-offs. Bookmark this”, “In no way will this squad will be anywhere near going up”, “Apathy and frustration have taken over a lot of people and I can understand why. All people want is a team that can put a few wins together and give us something to shout about.”

Simon Grayson

“Simon Grayson has a beast of a job on his hands”, “Open and honest, he’s a very likeable bloke”, “He seems to be finding something in terms of fitness and getting a system to work”, “Time will tell, but I think Grayson has left every club he has managed in a better place than when he took over.”

Former Preston manager Simon Grayson

“We have brought in a manager who works with the smallest of budgets”, “I can’t think of a harder job in the country.” The 47-year-old one-time Leeds manager arrived from Preston in late June and Wearsiders are urging everyone to have patience given the scale of the task he has on his hands.

“Grayson will sort it out. I just hope people don’t want him sacked if we’re not top in November. This will take a year or so of scrapping about”, “We have to be realistic and give him some leeway. If we can see what he’s trying to achieve rebuilding the club from top to bottom, promotion can wait.”

A Summer Clear-Out

“We would all prefer some marquee signings and not having our better players preparing to leave but what can we do?” No fewer than nine players have departed who have previously featured regularly in the first-team squad, including all of last season’s leading goalkeepers and strikers.

Glovesmen Jordan Pickford (to Everton) and Vito Mannone (to Reading) along with strikers Fabio Borini (to AC Milan on loan with a view to a permanent deal), Jermain Defoe (to Bournemouth) and Victor Anichebe (to Beijing Enterprises in the Chinese Second Division) have moved away.

Shola Ameobi v Jordan Pickford

Veteran midfielder Steven Pienaar has returned home to South Africa joining Bidvest Wits while winger Will Buckley has switched to newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers. Two departing players, defender Joleon Lescott and midfielder Sebastian Larsson are free agents at the time of writing.

Shopping on a Budget

“The shoestring budget is obvious to anyone who has been paying attention”, “Grayson isn’t being backed with any meaningful transfer budget”, “If people think signing players like James Vaughan is the way to go, they are in for a right shock.” The lack of quality arriving is a major source of concern.

James Vaughan

The only two new permanent additions to the squad so far have been winger Aiden McGeady, who joined on a three-year deal from Everton having played for Grayson on loan at Preston last season, and one-time Huddersfield striker James Vaughan who has arrived from Bury.

Two Everton defenders, 23-year-old Tyias Browning and Brendan Galloway, 21, have arrived on loan as well as 18-year-old left-back Ruben Vinaigre from Monaco. Former Utrecht goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter played as a trialist against Bradford but at the time of writing has not signed for the club.

Pre-Season Line-Ups

“We are short quality-wise and in squad depth”, “We all know that there is no money to buy new players. The only players coming in are cheap fillers or young loan signings”, “The St Johnstone result is a dire warning. It served to illustrate all the things that are wrong at the club and with the team.”

Results have been mixed so far. A 3-2 win over Bury was followed by a 2-2 draw at Hibernian, a 3-0 victory over Livingston and a poor 3-0 defeat at St Johnstone. “The same issues from last season are rearing their head, conceding soft goals and weakness at set-pieces. At least we’re scoring, mind.”

Along with trialist keeper Ruiter, the starting XI (above) for Saturday’s 3-2 win at Bradford included fringe player Donald Love and youth prospect Josh Maja. Jermaine Lens played on loan last season with Fenerbahce and fans are worried about losing him and the creative Tunisian Wahbi Khazri.

The team which finished the game at Valley Parade (above) included veteran John O’Shea who signed a one-year extension this summer. Also featuring were 18-year-old Sweden U21 international Joel Asoro and two fringe players, 22-year-old George Honeyman and 25-year-old Adam Matthews.

“We are so far from having a competitive squad, it’s frightening”, “Apart from needing two forwards, a winger, a centre-back and a keeper, the thing staring everyone in the face is that our midfield, where we are numerically strongest, is absolutely rank average and without an ounce of creativity.”

“Our defence is a major problem”, “We are shipping too many goals so far”, “It’s our weakest area on the pitch and the bit of the team that worries me more than any other area. If the aim is simply to consolidate, they have enough about them to keep us in this division”

A Tough Start

“We will know where we are soon enough. The season is only two weeks away and we have a tough looking start. If we take 12 points from six games, we will all be up for a good season. Struggle and take, say six points and it is going to be a long, hard season with a depleted and inferior squad.”

“We have arguably the toughest opening set of fixtures in the division.” With their first four league games against Derby, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, many fans are worried that they will be under the cosh straight away. “Preston lost six of their first eight games last season”,

“Grayson traditionally gets off to slow starts so it’s even more important that people are aware of this now”, “We need to hit the ground running - something new for us - and try to keep momentum going. If we start in our customary fashion, then the meltdown will be of Chernobyl proportions.”

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Photo: Action Images

Steve_M added 10:43 - Jul 25 A mix of pessimism and realism? How unusual, I'm guessing we won't see too much of this from certain other clubs.
3

12th_Man added 10:46 - Jul 25 Welcome back Harry enjoy reading these loom forward to them during the season
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christiand added 10:51 - Jul 25 Feel sure this will be the first of many well written pieces by Harry analysing our Championship rivals for this coming season. Think Grayson has a tough job on his hands, but if they give him time he'll turn it around, not sure if it'll be this season though. A more long term job.
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Furrow added 11:03 - Jul 25 Nice one Harry As always an incisive look at the opposition Don't envy Grayson in that role. just wondering what they are doing with the parachute payment. for certain they don't have the wage bill of 4 months ago
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LankHenners added 11:24 - Jul 25 Thanks Harry - Grayson a good appointment for them and should do a good job of sorting them out if he's allowed the time. Still have some good players in there but good to see they're not arrogantly assuming they'll romp straight back up.
1

HarryWright added 11:57 - Jul 25 Bit of an over exaggeration when they say hardest job in the country... We've got less money, a worse squad and won't be receiving parachute payments for the next few years... and there's still harder jobs than ITFC.
0

Bluebell added 11:59 - Jul 25 Thanks for that Harry. I look forward to your new season reports. Interesting to read what other fans are thinking before the season starts. I think Grayson will be good for them but only time will tell.
2

jabberjackson added 12:29 - Jul 25 We will finish higher than Sunderland About 12th
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