To lose one top class striker is careless, to lose two unfortunate, to lose three a concern, to lose four downright worrying.
Steve Bruce has had Kenwyne Jones, Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck leading the line since he became Sunderland manager in May 2009, but all four are now playing elsewhere.
It is not necessarily the manager’s fault, he has been forced to let some leave, as well as forced others out, but Sunderland’s inability to hold on to their goal getters is the failing that undermines them most.
Jones’ lethargy could infuriate a saint renowned for his patience, so Bruce sacrificed him to bring in Gyan, who in turn thanked him by agitating to leave as soon as his agent – or agents – told him he to.
The Ghana international scored 13 goals in his first season in England, had been tipped by Bruce to break the 20 barrier in pre-season, only to pack his bags at the weekend for the footballing, erm, Mecca of Al-Ain and Abu Dhabi.
An error in character assessment may well have been Bruce’s only crime there, while Welbeck did so well on loan at Sunderland last season he has returned to Manchester United and kept both Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen out of the side. Bruce cannot be blamed for the failure to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to let him return for another year.
The manager deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt on two others. Jones continues to infuriate at Stoke, a team with a style of play which should fit him perfectly, while Gyan, at 25, has either been badly advised, or blinded by cash, to swap the Premier League for the United Arab Emirates.
Bent, though, is another matter. Sunderland’s problems effectively began the moment he decided he’d had enough on Wearside and it is difficult to escape from the feeling more should have been done to keep him, no matter the financial cost.
In January, before Bent handed in his transfer request and left for Aston Villa, Sunderland were sixth in the Premier League and pushing for a European place.
Fast forward to September and the Black Cats have won just one game at the Stadium of Light since New Year’s Day and have scored just twice in five games this season.
Bent, meanwhile, has banged in ten for Villa in just 21 appearances and forced his way, not just back into the England squad, but until injury forced him to miss the European Championship qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales, Fabio Capello’s starting line-up.
Like Gyan, at the route of Bent’s grievance with Sunderland was money. After one excellent season at the Stadium of Light, he wanted to renegotiate his contract, which was worth around £40,000-a-week and asked for £60,000.
He used interest from Turkish club Fenerbache to put pressure on Bruce and the board, threatened to leave, and didn’t.
With a huge proportion of turnover already spent on wages, Sunderland refused to bend to Bent’s demands and bad feeling festered.
Quinn argued the striker had only signed a deal 12 months earlier and been happy with the terms on offer then. He feared, with good reason, that should Bent get a big pay rise after one good season at the start of a four year deal, others would expect the same.
The bad feeling was fuelled further by the striker’s decision to pursue a personal relationship with the manager’s daughter, Amy, but Bent, Sunderland’s talisman and symbol of ambition, lost his way and Sunderland lost the player that made a good side a potentially excellent one.
Transfer requests were handed in and rejected. Bent wanted, to coin a phrase from the Hip-Hop music he loves, “get paid” and knew he would if he left to join another club looking for a 20 goal a season centre forward.
Bent had the game’s most valuable commodity, goals, and wanted to earn his market value. There was little thought of loyalty or gratitude for Sunderland rebuilding his career after two confidence-draining seasons at Tottenham, but he is not alone there in a game where money does not just talk, it shouts and screams and stamps its foot for attention.
The question is, should Sunderland have agreed to his demands?
From a pure footballing perspective, of course they should, but Sunderland would never dream of playing in black and white and neither is this issue.
Keep Bent happy and they kept one of the best centre-forwards in the division, but risked upsetting others, not least owner Ellis Short who has covered the club’s losses for the last three years.
Bent wanted too much too soon as far as Sunderland were concerned. Unfortunately, for them, Villa were prepared to pay him what he wanted and Bent’s goals for them ensured they stayed clear of relegation last term.
Sunderland are a poorer side without Bent, that is obvious, but Bruce will build again. The signing of Nicklas Bendtner from Arsenal could prove an inspired one. Young, hungry and with a point to prove, the Dane needs Sunderland almost as much as they need him over the next nine months.
Bruce needs goals, from somewhere, anywhere. With Gyan gone, Sunderland will have to lean far more heavily on South Korean Ji Dong-Wong and the 18-year-old Connor Wickham than they ever intended and that is a risk.
With Fraizer Campbell still to return from a second serious knee injury in the space of two years in the spring and with money to spend in January on Gyan’s replacement, Sunderland have room for improvement, but Bruce has to get them to that window first.
Goals win games and Sunderland desperately need one of those to ensure a disappointing start to the season does not turn into a terrible one. Bent is sorely missed.
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