A “divisive” Sunderland transfer model, ongoing Dan Neil discussions, and the Bellingham query

Although Mike Dodds acknowledges that opinions regarding Sunderland’s transfer plan will always differ, he thinks he would rather concentrate on the club’s recruiting successes than its failures.

The Black Cats have prioritized hiring young, undiscovered players who can be developed into Wearside mainstays in the first squad during the past two seasons.

This season, the strategy has been called into question because Sunderland has failed to acquire a much-needed, experienced center-forward during the last three transfer windows, and the Black Cats’ chances of finishing in the top six in the Championship last season appear to be little to none.

Dodds acknowledges the criticism but argues that Sunderland should also be commended for some of its hiring decisions, including the acquisition of Jack Clarke, who has made a name for himself as one of the premier players in the second tier, Dan Ballard, and Jobe Bellingham.

Additionally, he thinks the Black Cats should be pleased with their recent track record of producing academy players, as seen by Chris Rigg’s breakthrough in the last 12 months and the arrivals of Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson as regulars on the first squad.

“The model is always going to divide opinion and it will continue to divide opinion,” Dodds stated.

“With recruitment, you sometimes get it right and sometimes you don’t, and every football team in the nation experiences the same thing. Occasionally, a player relocates and things don’t quite work out. He then moves to another club and excels there, leaving you to wonder what went wrong. Players occasionally just fit well, and other times it falls short.

“I find myself thinking about Jack Clarke a lot. He was a Spurs Under-21 football player, and while he had some unsuccessful loans, he wasn’t a bad player—he just didn’t work out.

“He wasn’t the player we know now, but he came to us in League One and helped us get out of the league. People will discuss the concept, but we could sit here and identify some who have succeeded when others haven’t exactly worked.

You can discuss Jack and Dan Ballard, but you should also focus on growing personally. Dan Neil: Whenever we visit the opponent following the match, the manager of the opposition frequently talks about Dan Neil. Many teams would be thrilled to have a player like that—”What a player he is, one of your own.”

“Jobe Belllingham, Anthony Patterson—how much would he be worth at eighteen if he decided to quit the club tomorrow?

“It has that going for it, although there will inevitably be those that don’t quite work out. It will remain a topic of discussion, both in successful and unsuccessful cases.”