Sunderland do have a record of going, “Back To The Future” with a few familiar faces we’ve signed over the years.
Recently, players such as Grant Leadbitter have stepped afoot once more on the pitch at the Stadium Of Light, attempting to right the wrongs that plagued the club so much during the Madrox era. Credit to Leadbitter, he did have a noticeable impact in the centre of the pitch; his Premier League quality still shone through somewhat despite his age. Other ex-players brought in to make an impact though… well haven’t made an impact.
Danny Graham. Nope, don’t worry, I’m not going to waste your time reading a paragraph about him. (not that he made an impact the first time he came here.)
And then there’s Jermaine Defoe. He obviously did make a big impact first time around, which meant that there was exceptional hype leading up to his second spell at the club.
However, what played out in everyone’s heads didn’t materialize, and his one last dance was that quick that if you blinked you missed it.
You get the feeling that with most of these types of transfers in football, the main drive is mostly sentiment. Supporters want a glimpse of the past; they want to see that one signature skill, that one moment. They want to see it in the vein, and not on VHS.
And that, personally, is the main issue with our most recent transfer speculation. A certain man from Ajax.
It’s fair to say that Jordan Henderson has improved lots since his departure from Sunderland over 10 years ago. However, after becoming a stalwart in the Liverpool team, he has been on a downward trajectory.
After disappointing moves to Al-Ettifaq and Ajax, the ex-Sunderland midfielder is looking elsewhere for an opportunity.
There have been strong rumours suggesting that Sunderland have made a bid for a short-term deal, and many fans have warmed to the idea of having him back here.
I can certainly see that the added experience in midfield would be a big bonus for us. With such a young squad, surely an experienced man who bleeds red and white through and through would be a big positive. A man who possesses so much quality.
Not necessarily his footballing quality on the pitch (which I may add, is still very good) but more rather his ability to be a big character and a leader in the dressing room. To not only work on players footballing strengths, but their mental strengths; Their capacity to bounce back in adversity.
And with our young squad that we have, this can only be seen as a massive boost; one that could help us stay ahead of the likes of Leeds and Sheffield United.
Despite this, I’m still not sure this is the correct move. I mentioned experience and characters in the dressing room. Well, we’ve already got Luke O’Nien and Alan Browne? Do we really need another player of this type? Would it be a waste?
Especially seeing that Henderson seems to be out of his prime playing days which is to be expected at his age. Some reckon that his legs ‘have gone’ and in a fast paced, high pressing intense team, would he really fit into Regis Le Bris’ style of play.
After all, if we are after pure footballing ability, Samed, when fit, looks to be an absolute steal of a signing.
Do I feel that this signing is mostly sentimental? Maybe. I feel like a large part of the buzz is through pure emotional sentiment, and a will to go, “Back To The Future.”
Don’t get me wrong, I do see how he could make an impact in certain ways. At this moment in time though, is he really what we need?
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