It has been an eventful month at Sunderland but there are positive signs finally beginning to emerge that suggest the club is on the path towards the Championship.
Ahead of the clash against Doncaster, the Black Cats were unbeaten in seven games since Christmas as Phil Parkinson found a winning formula, and he has looked to strengthen his squad through the additions of Bailey Wright and Kyle Lafferty.
Stewart Donald will likely be breathing a sigh of relief that things have improved on the pitch as the draw against Bolton on Boxing Day prompted severe criticism from some supporters, including calls for him to sell up.
The owner agreed to do so, casting into doubt the future of the club, but with results picking up that affair has quickly been put to one side.
However, Donald is still not safe from criticism, and if performances and wins begin to drop off, and with it Sunderland’s promotion chances, then he can expect to come under fire once more, and rightly so.
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Lack of ambition in the transfer window
The two signings previously mentioned are likely both inexpensive dealings by the north-east outfit, with Lafferty joining on a free following his exit from Sarpsborg 08 FF, while Wright has joined on loan from Bristol City.
Sunderland have targeted others, namely Will Vaulks and Greg Docherty, two players who could increase the quality of midfield if they too arrive on loan.
By looking at the Black Cats’ transfer activity it is clear that Donald is keeping tight control over the purse strings, despite the fact his club is underperforming in sixth place prior to this weekend’s fixtures, with just 11 wins from 26 league games.
Results may have turned around recently but there is no guarantee that the form will be maintained at the rate it needs to be to win promotion, and a lack of ambition in January could lead to decline.
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The two signings made so far both carry risks given Wright has featured 19 times since the beginning of the 2018/19 season due to injury problems, while Lafferty has scored just seven goals in the same period of time, despite playing in Norway and in the SPFL.
If the duo fail to make the impact required then the north-east outfit could suffer, and this period make be looked back upon as a wasted opportunity.
In other news, Phil Parkinson has made one transfer revelation that may not sit too well with supporters…