From the moment the natives saw the news that Benjani was coming to town, they were scared. All around the stadium, people felt embarrassed for him when he came up to the Stadium of Light playing for Portsmouth. He probably had about five clear shots on goal, all of them floated into the arms of the goalkeeper without having to move a step either side. Steve Bruce wanted to add some more firepower to his strikeforce, and thought a January deadline day swoop for Benjani was the right answer to his problems. He was wrong. Benjani's loan spell lasted eight games, but there's not a lot of evidence to suggest he touched the ball, let alone took a shot or scored a goal. Ineffectual. He offered nothing. Instead, all Benjani did was clog up a space in the squad that could have been filled by a striker ready to take Sunderland to the mystical 'next level'.
What Culture contributor. NCTJ accredited Sports Journalist. Regret-filled Sunderland AFC season ticket holder. Optimism-filled NFL fan. Lover of all things Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead & more.
