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Have Sunderland stolen a march on Newcastle?

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While Newcastle made a bright start to the transfer window, signing a handful of players early on, since then they’ve come to something of a grinding halt and Alan Pardew has been unable to pick up any more players. On the other hand, our neighbours Sunderland have been signing players left, right and centre and have pretty much secured a whole new team. So, by managing to strengthen all over the pitch, have Sunderland stolen a march on Newcastle in the transfer market?

Sunderland have made nine summer signings thus far, including Wes Brown, John O’Shea, David Vaughan, Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson and Connor Wickham. The latter, Wickham, is arguably the most exciting of their purchases, but it will be a big ask for him to step up right away. The rest of those players will undoubtedly strengthen their squad, and manager Steve Bruce has used his Manchester United connections to pick up a pair of solid defenders.

You could argue that Sunderland have done exactly what Newcastle haven’t – use the money gained from players sold to re-invest in the squad. In a similar situation to the Magpies, the Black Cats sold one of their brightest prospects, Jordan Henderson, for a substantial fee to Liverpool. They have plugged that gap to some extent with Vaughan, Gardner and Larsson and will be hoping one of them will step up to the plate.

However, Sunderland have found that it’s not easy to replace your best players. After selling Darren Bent to Aston Villa in January, they had a torrid second half to the season, losing a number of games on the trot. By selling arguably their best midfielder this summer, it will significantly weaken them again, and none of the players mentioned above strike fear into you as an opposition, although they are all decent Premier League players.

As a Newcastle fan I’m not overly worried by the work that Sunderland have done in the transfer window. While I’m slightly envious of the number of players they’ve bought, it seems to be a case of quantity over quality – no disrespect to any of their new signings. However, I’m sure Pardew wishes he had the money that Bruce has had to spend, as getting funds at St James’ Park seems to be like getting blood out of a stone.

We’ll just have to wait and see how each team’s transfer activity compares, but we won’t have to wait long – bring on the Tyne-Wear Derby at the Stadium of Light on August 20th!

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32 comments

  • Eric Kumt says:

    No.

  • James says:

    Sunderland may have filled a gap with 3 signings in midfield but the names mentioned Gardner,vaughan,and Larsson were not good enough to keep there respective teams in the division Cabaye and Marveuax are Quality,Wes brown and John Oshea are mediocre players

    • ejpred says:

      Cabaye and Marveux quality??? Brown and O’shea mediocre?? Give your head a wobble lad!!! at least sunderland have attempted to build by bringing in a mix of youth and experience. Maybe taking off your rose tinted, sorry black and tinted specs you would look at the article more objectively and see that the toon have kept their cash and brought in cheap imports who do nothing to add to an already mediocre side.

    • Tony Whittle says:

      Brown and Oshea are proven Premiership players, unlike Cabaye and Marveuax. It is the team and not the individual player that keeps the team in the division !!

    • steve says:

      cabaye and marveuax aint proven in the prem. Bruce bought the best quality players of the worst teams and the proven experiance from man u, then the future with wickam and ji dong. newcastle page talking more bout sunderland.

  • paul says:

    I disagree. Henderson was potentially a top draw player but gardener is a better player already as is larsson. Think we should be worried as all of those players named would get straight in our team.

  • steve jones says:

    newcastle supporting mate of mine living in france is very worried.the players nufc have signed are average at best he says ,with no prem experience,safc meanwhile have signed players with over 600 prem games to thier name. henderson had 3 good games for us last season cant believe we got 20 million for him,gardner will be twice as good.

  • MacM says:

    Hi to my Toon cousins! In reality, the players signed have only replaced the ones who were on loan (Onuha, Mensah, Welbeck, Muntari), out of contract (Zenden), long-term injured(Campbell, Gordon) and sold (Henderson, Bent). All but Bent have been replaced for now, I think with players of equal quality, and better in some cases. And individual players cannot be held responsible for a team’s relegation – Toon fans should know that! Aaaand Brown and O’Shea mediocre? I imagine many ‘quality’ players who’ve won nowt would happily take their medal collections! Roll on
    SAFC v N9wcast1e on 20/08/11 [SAFC 9 N9wcast1e 1, 1908 ;))]

  • glen liddell says:

    safc have signed over the hill has beens. who have come for one last payday .fergie gets rid of players when he thinks are past there best ie wes brown oshea. and the others s bruce has bought have just recently got there respected clubs relagated . one from south keora and one unproven championship player.so stolen a march i dont thinks and im a safc fan’

    • Beardsley4BoSelecta says:

      Safc have once again bought very wisely and looked at safe solid players, each of them are hungry for success and share Bruce’s fighting mentality. The little Korean is a regular international and can mix it up like Park can at Manure, he is deffo NOT Championship quality…..he IS Premiership quality tho!!!………and im a NUFC fan

  • jimmy says:

    sunderland have secured their premiership status but havent bought for the future. Oshea and Brown are after security, and yes theyre good players but certainly not for the future.

    Gardner is a tidy little player that looked good at relegated B’ham last season, whether him and Larrson can hold it in the prem is debatable where the toons midfield has a lot more quality and would expect there style to be better.

    In a nutshell 🙂 S’land are playing it safe, The toon are trying to build for the future..

  • jimmy says:

    but… 🙂 if the rumours are true and theyre odds-on to sign Nzog then I might say they have stolen a march..only just 🙂

  • mehaul says:

    you have a team full of players who were relegated

  • jonboysafc says:

    Lol….this place stinks of black & White bitterness all wrapped up in a poor quality SportsDirect shellsuit!!

  • TOONARMYELITE says:

    love to see tyhere wage bill lmao 🙂

  • wayne says:

    Safc may have been busy in the window but they had to be bcos of the loan players going back and players released etc.
    I think only 2 of the new faces would improve Nufc,s first team SQUAD.
    O,Shea would be a defo,and Whickham is an exciting prospect but even he is,nt a cert to be a success.
    IMO the most infloential part of any team is in midfield,and i think Nufc have by far the stronger of the two.

    • Beardsley4BoSelecta says:

      Wayne…..Nolan scarpered a few weeks back mate! The midfield is as strong as an anorexic’s waistline.

  • Bill Walker says:

    Sunderland MAY have bought some security with the Man u pensioners and cashins from relegated teams
    IF they survive next season will be interesting .
    must be the oldest average team in EPL now.
    I would love to sign there BIGGEST asset.
    THERE owner.
    Must Be GREAT to have a owner that cares
    Not A Club raping FCB

    • Noo-casel-fan-4-lyk says:

      nor ya dipstick, tha wur the youngest lst seezun man, dee ya reaserch ya tart

  • Noo-casel-fan-4-lyk says:

    ew maytes reet, a nar yaz a all garn rewnd n bein tarts sayin tis n that but chill ya beef wel see ho is bettr next seezun. but most sundorlund fans a reet wen tha say a seezun is 38 gaymz insted of 2

  • Iain says:

    Ur English is as bad as ur new signings ha ha..

  • Hodge says:

    Is this a Newcastle page? Seems like a load of inbread Geordies worrying about sunderland before the season starts. You could win us twice next year but if we finish higher I’ll be happy. Your midfield stronger? Hmmmmm 2 French unknowns and still no number 9. Please get over yourselves and get out of the past. I enjoy the north east derby so hope you stay up but don’t think your too good to go back down. I’m sure lovenkrandst or whatever will keep you safe

    • Tom Jones says:

      Not ‘worrying’, just looking at your transfer activity – which is pretty vast

      • Iain says:

        Yes better than yours, we sold someone who scored 3 goals all season and replaced with gardener (10 goals) Larson (8 goals) no brainer for me like oh and Larson was free. I think our transfers have been very good as we have addressed areas of weakness from last year. You got rid of Nolan and that for me was a big mistake he made u tick…

  • Beardsley4BoSelecta says:

    Stolen the march? this is a non-contest!! Where is their £35 million? Pardew has no backbone and wont tell the mag fans the truth: “Its all gone on keeping the current disgruntled players at the club and to buy a few trinket foreigners that sound fancy to keeps the fans quiet”. He talks the talk but fails to walk the walk, as per his West Ham days….no charisma, no emotion, full of “lets touch base,positivity this,positivity that”….never says how it really is. Its obvious Cashley is gearing up for the club sell-off to minimise his losses, after all he is a ruthless businessman, oh and a Spurs fan.
    As for us? well I think this is Bruce’s make or break season, fail to finish in top 8 then off he will go to another mid/lower end table club.

  • Mumpy says:

    A march very much stolen. If O’shea and brown stay fit the season will be blinding. Its never boring at the toon though….

  • Colin says:

    ho hum, such an interesting read these comments…

    just like the pundits, but crucially not our scouting network / manager, no clue about who we have bought has been demonstrated.

    love it!

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