Fan Letters: Has Sunderland’s transfer business so far this summer been underwhelming?

Dear Roker Report,

I will reserve judgment on the transfer dealings until we kick off the season. However, for what it’s worth, my views are this.

Last season we were dull, boring and predictable. We lacked pace up front and genuine guile in midfield as well as lacking real strength at the back.

These deficiencies needed to be addressed, yet so far we’ve signed another Tom Flanagan and another Jason Steele. I’m genuinely not impressed with the recruitment thus far and if these signings are indicative of what we are likely to see then next season will be even more dull and mediocre.

Paul Wood

Ed’s Note [Gav]: I just can’t agree with your assessment of the new signings. Have you seen them play for Sunderland yet? I certainly haven’t, so couldn’t say how good they actually are with any conviction.

It’s my biggest pet hate with Sunderland supporters actually - judging new signings and writing them off before they’ve even kicked a ball. It’s not fair, really.

Give these lads a chance. If they are crap then I’m sure they’ll show us with their performances. But for what it’s worth, I think all new signings deserve a fresh start and deserve to show us what they’re capable of. Only then should we judge them.

That aside, I agree that I expected we’d have more players through the door by now and that our recruitment has been less than impressive, but that’s certainly less to do with the two lads we’ve already signed and more to do with the fact we’ve clearly been hampered by the club’s ongoing ownership situation. Had the new investors been in by now I think we’d have had a few more bodies through the door by now.

We need to have the basis of our squad in place for the trip to Portugal. This is a big week for the club’s recruitment team, and I just hope they don’t hold us back too much.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

No ambition at all from Donald or Methven this club cannot attract players we need, we will once again panic buy bringing in rubbish, I would not trust Ross with money anyway look at the centre halfs he brought in no ambition Stewart no chance

Robert Brown

Ed’s Note [Gav]: Has the transfer window ended already, like?

I understand being cynical about the prospect of us getting this transfer window right, because we’re all well aware that the previous two under this regime were largely underwhelming, but I don’t actually understand what you mean. Panic buys? When? We’ve signed two players on free transfers weeks in advance of the transfer window closing - that’s the complete opposite of panic buys.