In a pleasantly surprising turn of events, Kristjaan Speakman has admitted that Sunderland's squad could do with a couple of Championship veterans to guide the young players through the upcoming season. He has also explained why Sunderland have had a fairly slow start to the window, with only backup keeper Simon Moore coming through the door.
SUMMER WINDOW
"I think the objective is slightly different this summer. I think the number of players that we were probably identifying to recruit across starting XI and the wider squad was a lot larger last year, and therefore we were really, really proactive with a couple of those signings early on in the window. We've been just as proactive and just as planned behind the scenes in terms of who we'd like to target and who we've identified this time around, and then you've got that constant balance, the rhythm between us making sure that we're comfortable with the selections, and those selections we think are the best selections we can get, and naturally on the other side, you've got the player who's looking at maybe one or two options, and he's trying to make sure that he's picking the best option for him. So, we think we're in a really good place at the present time."
ACQUIRING TARGETS
"Naturally, you want the coach's input on how he thinks the current group is doing, the players within those positions or those units, and as we've always had here, an input on the profiles that we've got lined up and which are the best profiles to go for, and like I said, that's something that we're spending every day reading at the minute."
STAY ADAPTABLE
"It's a fluid period of time, isn't it, through to the end of the transfer window, and what you sometimes predict or you plan, it never actually comes to fruition, and you have to keep being very adaptable in that period of time. We've identified several spots that we think we'd like to improve, and I've always said it's around quality, and I think quality is the most important thing, but it's also around the balance and the ecosystem of the squad and the environment."
PROVEN IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
"We have lost a Dack, we have lost an Evans over the summer, we've always had those types of profiles in the squad so if we can find positive profiles in the squad like those, then we'll always try to recruit."
NO QUOTA ON AGE
"I always find that question [about experience] really difficult because I think throughout our time here, we've signed players of a variety of ages, and players have had different impacts on the team and different impacts on performances. Last season, we might have signed another older player, but at the time, that deal didn't come off, and the next best option for us was a different player at a different age, so it's not something that we're putting a quota on, we're just interested in getting the right profiles in the right positions, but most of all, it has to be the right quality."
