Sunderland need to rediscover lost identity

Sometimes thumbing back through the history books can be enlightening. On occasions, it can shine a revealing light on lost traditions. Given the hot seat at Sunderland is vacant once again, owner Ellis Short now needs to spend his time looking backwards to realise he doesn’t need to waste it seeking a new identity for the club – Sunderland already have one and it’s been there all along.

The Black Cats find themselves looking for a safe hand to place on the tiller - someone to sail the club away from relegation. Although let’s not forget there have been a few crumbs of success in the past. It hasn’t always been doom and gloom. Believe it or not there were those heady days under Peter Reid for example, where exciting, passionate, attacking football was witnessed by the Sunderland faithful.

Attempting to somehow rekindle former fleeting ‘glories’ can be a tempting prospect for some, reckless though to others, especially in football. Just ask Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan for their thoughts on former players/managers returning to old haunts.

Somewhere down the line though Sunderland became lost. During the many upheavals the Black Cats have actually ended up throwing out what was good in attempt to get rid of what was bad. There was a foundation already in place, a set of beliefs ingrained within the very fabric of the club that could be built upon – it isn’t about stagnating after all. There was never a need to continually jerk from one fashionable approach to the next. There’s been dabbles with Udinese models, Directors of Football, various formations and styles of play. One thing is certain though, all of those come and go but traditions are pure, more substantial and should be constant.

For too long Sunderland have looked like a team that has tried to be something they’re not. The hierarchy have given sideway glances to clubs such as Swansea City and Southampton and jealously sneered, ‘we want to play like that. We want to be you’. Here’s the clincher though - the difference is the Black Cats haven’t incrementally progressed up from lower leagues. They don’t now have the time to learn or the personnel to play, pretty possession based football on the fly if they want to avoid relegation.

So what should happen next? The Black Cats should stop imitating other clubs’ methods for a start. While it might be flattering to other teams it’s actually damaging to Sunderland long term. We’re comparing apples and pears and it needs to end.

This is not about simply looking back, doe eyed over nostalgic memories. That won’t help anyone. However Short needs to now understand that there were elements within the club that were good, fragments of success that could’ve been evolved. A direct, attacking style of play with aggression, passion, guts and an endeavour is what we’ve been missing. Many of the current squad look to be too timid to play at the Stadium of Light - shrinking violets that wilt under the stare of the support. This never used to be the case. It wasn’t the norm. Sunderland could be relied upon to harry teams, to press and attack with a fervour not seen since Roy Keane left. There’s nothing wrong with that. Don’t be ashamed Sunderland, that’s your identity. It didn’t leave you, you left it. Embrace the traditions.