Sunderland have been trying to find dependable marksman for a few years. It’s a search that truly stretches again so far as 2012 after they unloaded £14m to signal Steven Fletcher from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The wily Scotsman was coming off the again of a nice 12-goal season within the Premier League, and at simply 24 years previous he appeared like he may very well be the reply to their issues for the foreseeable future.
Who was the perfect signing for Sunderland out of those names?
Steven Fletcher
Didier Ndong
Jack Rodwell
Bryan Oviedo
To again it up with 11 targets for the Black Cats in his debut season solely sought to verify this notion, because it seemed like they lastly had the dependable aim scorer able to firing them up the desk to security.
Nevertheless, the shape he would again it up with proved that this season had been nothing a couple of that bred a false sense of safety for the followers on Wearside.
He wouldn’t come even near equalling that tally once more, scoring three, 5 and 4 within the three seasons following respectively.
The 35-year-old was handed quite a few possibilities to recapture this type and featured 108 instances for Sunderland. Nevertheless, a return of simply 23 targets marked yet one more depressing switch for a facet that might get relegated only one yr after Fletcher’s departure.
To make the scenario even worse, they misplaced his companies on a free after his contract had run down. While he sat on wages of round £45k-per-week, his toothless nature in entrance of aim value his facet and the membership dearly.
Fletcher now performs his soccer within the Scottish Premiership however nonetheless struggles for targets it appears. With simply one aim in his opening six to begin the season, it appears that evidently Dundee United too are affected by his lack of lethality.
Ex-manager Martin O’Neill actually had blood on his arms with this switch blunder because it provides to an extended checklist of silly monetary choices that finally despatched the membership down the divisions.
Now again within the Championship and praying for a promotion push, maybe beneath Tony Mowbray there may lastly be some mild on the finish of the tunnel with teen Ellis Simms up high.
