Football Manager 2018: 10 Challenging Teams You Will Need To Use

2. Sunderland

FM 2018 Clubs
2016 Getty Images

Finally relegated from the Premier League after years teetering on the brink, Sunderland are in a miserable state at the moment. After sleepwalking their way into the Championship, the Black Cats now seem hell-bent on sabotaging their upcoming season through further inactivity, and while the board have set a June deadline to conclude takeover talks, they’re still to appoint a new manager, and have already lost Jordan Pickford, with Jermain Defoe set to follow him out the door.

They’re in a remarkably similar position to local rivals Newcastle following their relegation in 2009, but it’ll be extremely difficult for Sunderland to pick up the pieces. The Championship looks stronger than ever next season, and if Ellis Short isn’t able to sell the club, those playing as them shouldn’t expect significant transfer funds to play with.

Their tiny squad needs a host of new faces, but you may be restricting to trawling the free agent market for bargains. A season of consolidation may be in order, and while Sunderland’s prospects should improve in the event of a takeover, their first in-game season has the potential to be absolutely brutal.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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