If you recognise the player in the picture above, you're almost certainly a Sunderland fan who watched with horror as the signings of Roberto De Fanti's reign slowly fell by the wayside. The sporting director made a series of bemusing (but supposedly ambitious) purchases from a variety of foreign leagues, only to see almost every example phased out of the squad. Cabral, Moberg Karlsson, Roberge and Diakite will all go down as footnotes in the history of Sunderland AFC, players who made only the slightest impression upon a club in desperate need of a talent boost. This transfer window naivety could finally be coming back to bite Sunderland where it hurts most - results. This summers transfer window appears to have been ambitious on the surface, but the squad hasnt developed to the extent many were hoping for. The Black Cats' signing of Jeremain Lens sparked initial excitement, but Younes Kaboul, Adam Matthews and Yann M'Vila (yet another defense-minded midfielder) hardly demonstrate the growth fans were clamouring for. There's still time before the window closes, but several players are still needed - a fact stated by Advocaat time and time again in press conferences. Whether Ellis Short sees fit to open his chequebook again, however, remains another matter entirely.
