Phil Smith: Meaningful change at Sunderland has to come from the very top ahead of key transfer window

The minutes of Sunderland’s meeting with the supporter collective are always keenly anticipated and on this occasion even more so, representing the first real opportunity fans had to hear from senior club officials since the alarming collapse of the play-off push.

What fans were hoping for were signs that lessons had been learned for the future, both on and off the pitch. On that front, the picture is a little mixed.

Those hoping for meaningful insight into the debacle that saw the Black Cats Bar redecorated in Newcastle United colours and with accompanying slogans will have been left underwhelmed by a statement read on behalf of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, which said that an investigation had happened and that had action had been taken - but nothing more than that. This was inevitable to an extent, with the reality being that Sunderland were rightly never likely to single out members of staff. To focus on individuals and particularly junior members of staff would rather miss the point, anyway. The Black Cats Bar redecoration was merely the most high-profile of a wider sequence of decisions that left supporters feeling adrift and ignored by their club on one of the most important days of the season and the accountability for that sits at the very top. So far, there has been little public signal of substantive reflection on that and as such, the bitterness from that chastening derby is likely to linger.

What was welcome was a commitment to a significant programme of works at the Stadium of Light, which should start to address an arena that has begun to feel increasingly tired, shabby and behind the times. With a new kit partner to be announced next month, there are some signs that an off-field operation which has been so short of where it needs to be is beginning to receive some much-needed attention and investment. These recent developments have to simply be the start of a much wider programme to give fans a club they feel connected to, but they at least show a level of intent on the part of the ownership and with that, they bring with them some welcome stability.

On the pitch, there was some welcome recognition that the decline in style of play over the course of the season needed to be addressed, and a welcome admission from Kristjaan Speakman that he has taken steps this year to try and better understand fan opinion and sentiment following the Micheal Beale tenure, a misstep so significant that it has alongside that Black Cats Bar debacle shaken many supporters’ faith about the long-term direction of the club. 

Less encouraging to many supporters will be Speakman’s response to concerns over the balance of the squad, with many identifying the departures of players such as Lynden Gooch, Alex Pritchard and Danny Batth as key factors in leaving the current squad without the depth and experience it needed to navigate the rigours of the Championship season. Speakman doubled down on Sunderland’s view that age does not necessarily equate to experience. While it is certainly true that the maturity and leadership skills of Dan Neil would far exceed your average 22-year-old footballer, there has surely been too great a burden placed on a core of players still ultimately finding their way in the game. Speakman referenced Adil Aouchiche and Nazariy Rusyn as players with over 100 senior appearances to their name, but both have faced understandable and significant challenges in adjusting to an entirely new environment and language. There have been too many in that category this season, with a greater number of players ready to hit the ground running surely a must this summer. 

That may well require a tweak to Sunderland’s way of operating, and perhaps there can be some confidence taken from the sporting director’s assertion that the club were ready to commit a significant amount to signing an established striker in January. The reality is that an improvement in that department is the most significant one the club can make this summer. Fans can also take some comfort from interim head coach Mike Dodds, who in a press conference shortly before the international break referenced the club fielding the youngest side in modern Championship history against Southampton. Dodds mentioned it as mitigation, rather than as a reason for celebration. He said it was a sign of the toll injuries and suspension had taken on the squad, and that there was recognition behind the scenes that some greater depth was needed. 

Part of the frustration of a bruising 2024 to date is the feeling that Sunderland might not be far off. They have built a talented and vibrant young squad that at times have looked capable of taking the club to the Premier League. The feeling that only a little more flexibility and balance could see this project take off, where at the moment it feels as if it has at least to an extent been derailed. 

Speakman indicated a willingness to be flexible in the search for a new head coach, both in terms of potentially targeting one currently in work and in allowing them the latitude to bring in their own when appropriate. While rightly pointing out that paying compensation did not automatically equate to success, there is an obvious need for an appointment this summer that clearly aligns with the club's stated ambition. It should also be said that if making such an appointment means waiting until the summer, then the Mowbray succession would suggest that is the right decision. 

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Sunderland have no intention of moving away significantly from their strategy and way of operating, something that was quite clearly underlined in this latest meeting.

Will there be a level of adaptation, nevertheless? That remains unclear. One very relevant note from the minutes was one that outlined how senior staff, including the sporting director, are executing the vision set down by the ownership and then board of directors. If there is to be meaningful change, then it has to start at the very top. It is a pivotal summer and the dire form in recent weeks and months have raised the stakes significantly.

The minutes from the meeting are available to read in full here.