Happy start to new year for Sunderland

At times it feels like all those teams struggling to ignite, find a spark at Sunderland’s expense. Aston Villa arrived at the Stadium of Light, I’m sure, expecting to kick-start their revival. Thankfully, it wasn’t to be and three points were the best way to usher in the new year for the Black Cats.

Jermain Defoe’s man of the match performance showed why, if there is any lingering doubt, he simply needs to play every match when fit. He is the only player in Black Cats’ squad who has the ability to create a chance from nothing, and anything fizzed to him in or around the box causes all sorts of problems for defenders. Indeed, if Sam Allardyce is still struggling to find his best team and formation let’s make things a little easier for him - pick Jermain Defoe and work from there.

Following the game there was, rather unsurprisingly, a story printed in a national newspaper that linked Defoe with a move to Bournemouth. It feels very much like mischief making by Newcastle United’s ‘preferred media partner’ and I would be surprised if Sunderland sanctioned the former Spurs man’s sale given the precarious position the Black Cats are still in. Even if the Cherries offered £6mil, as is reported, who else could be brought in during the January transfer window that offers Defoe’s attacking threat as a replacement? You can never be sure of anything in football but I’m quietly confident Defoe won’t be leaving Sunderland during this transfer window at least.

The inevitable question though is just who will Sam Allardyce turn to in order to strengthen the squad? Defence is obviously a major area of concern and Bayern Munich’s Jan Kirchhoff is apparently high on his wish list. The defender is low down the pecking order at the German giants and has struggled to break into their squad spending the majority of his time out on loan. However at just 25 he still has time to develop and force his way into the starting eleven at a team like Sunderland.

Other names of note are Steven Caulker currently on loan at Southampton from QPR and Lamine Koné from French side Lorient. Caulker would be an interesting move as it would involve a convoluted arrangement of QPR and Southampton agreeing to end the current loan deal then for QPR and Sunderland to thrash out satisfactory terms that would suit all parties including, of course, Caulker himself. However the former Cardiff player is very experienced for such a young age with many top-flight appearances already under his belt. Andros Townsend from Tottenham has also been linked. In fact one paper had even suggested the deal was all but done. One thing that is certain, Sunderland should bring players in to freshen the squad but the accusations need to be shrewd and sensible.

It’s difficult at this time of year to separate the fact from the fables. Therefore a word of caution, let’s take the transfer news stories for exactly what they are – gossip.