Premier League Preview 2011-12: Sunderland

Best title odds: 3000/1 - Coral
Best odds for Top 10 finish: Evens - Boylesports
Last season: 10th
Manager: Steve Bruce

Good news:

Have done more business in the transfer market than pretty much any other side in ‘their part’ of the league table. The £8m purchase of Conor Wickham from Ipswich could rise to £12m under the terms of the contract. It broke the record for a football league player transferring to a Premier League club. He’s the sort of prospect you might expect to end up at Man Utd or Arsenal, so it’s a definite coup for the Black Cats. The arrival of David Vaughan on a free from Blackpool adds quality in midfield.

Bad news:

That Conor Wickham transfer fee is a hefty burden to put on the shoulders of an 18-year-old. It might be too much pressure. I bet a fair few Mackems have commented down the years that Wes Brown wouldn’t even get a game at Sunderland, let alone Old Trafford. Well, it’s time to find out if he does, and more pertinently, if he should. The run of eight defeats and a draw in nine games between February and late April must be a concern.

Remember when:

Steed Malbranque was a regular goalscoring midfielder for Fulham? He scored 32 times for the west London side. He got one for Sunderland in 102 games, but not for the want of trying. He had 88 unsuccessful attempts in a row after the goal. What odds he scores on his debut for new club St Etienne?

Verdict:

Nine players coming in is a big response to the deterioration of last season. Without it, a season battling the drop looked on the cards. Now, as well as Wickham, Gardner and Larsson from Birmingham and O’Shea from Man Utd look like steadying the ship. Can’t see another top 10 finish coming though, and Steve Bruce may struggle to start another season at the helm after this one.

Prediction: 13th