• More: 2016/17 Premier League fixtures in UAE time
The National's sports team is counting down the days until defending champion Leicester City take on newly promoted Hull City in the opening fixture of the 2016-17 English Premier League season by looking at one team a day. Today, Sunderland.
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Finishes for Sunderland in the last four seasons: 17th, 14th, 16th, 17th. Is this the year their flimsy grip on their Premier League status finally gives out?
With the departure of manager Sam Allardyce to take over the England national team, the task falls on recently-appointed David Moyes to steer Sunderland to safety this season. Moyes arrives at the Stadium of Light with a big point to prove after his disastrous nine months in charge at Manchester United, and on paper it seems a good fit for both club and manager.
Moyes, who spent 11 largely successful seasons at Everton, will be aware of the challenge ahead. As is imperative for a team expected to operate at the foot of the table, Sunderland are sure to be organised and gritty with Moyes at the helm, which will at least provide the foundation required to survive.
However, there is no escaping the fact the squad desperately needs reinforcements. Jermain Defoe aside, there is a lack of genuine quality, and Sunderland’s inactivity in the transfer market is a cause for concern. The year-on-year grind of fighting for survival may finally take its toll, and Sunderland could be heading for the drop.
Ultimately, it falls on Moyes to get it right straight away. If he replicates his Everton exploits and Sunderland can recruit well in the next few weeks, it could be a decent season ahead. If it is the Moyes we saw at United and Sunderland continue to toil in the transfer market, this could be the year Sunderland slip out of the Premier League.
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Previously
• Hull City: Promoted club had unstable summer
• Middlesbrough: Hopes lie largely in Spaniards
• Burnley: Third time the charm?
Still to come
• Tomorrow: Bournemouth
• Friday: Crystal Palace
• Saturday: West Bromwich Albion
• Sunday: Watford
• Monday: Swansea City
• Tuesday, Aug 2: Everton
• Wednesday, Aug 3: Chelsea
• Thursday, Aug 4: Stoke City
• Friday, Aug 5: Liverpool
• Saturday, Aug 6: West Ham United
• Sunday, Aug 7: Southampton
• Monday, Aug 8: Manchester United
• Tuesday, Aug 9: Manchester City
• Wednesday, Aug 10: Tottenham
• Thursday, Aug 11: Arsenal
• Friday, Aug 12: Leicester City
• Saturday, Aug 13: Premier League season begins
jturner@thenational.ae
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