There’s no doubt about it, the playoff defeat scuppered their entire plan. There’s absolutely no alternative but to go up this season. Even then the deal has soured on what they’d have expected when they first took over, but a third season in L1 let alone a second is unthinkable. The sheer financial muscle they had last season was unlike anything L1 had seen before (I’m sure it still is this season) and they not only didn’t go up, they finished fifth. Not even the best runner-up, or the second best runner-up, in terms of those outside of the top two. That was a catastrophic failure. Even going up via the playoffs would’ve been a relative underachievement, but to blow it all together was monumental in its incompetence.
And do you know what? They’re just not that good from what I’ve seen. I’ve seen us draw with them three times now, and every time I felt we should’ve won. Last season the three promoted teams were all visibly and markedly very, very good. They were probably the best three sides I saw in terms of the football they played and the threat they carried, so for me the best teams went up in the end. Sunderland just haven’t ever looked overly good, and from what I’ve read over the last 12 months the majority of their fan base aren’t exactly enamoured with what they’ve been watching. As time goes on they’re signing more and more League One footballers, and that means they’re going to become more and more of a League One side on the pitch. With every passing window they’re becoming just another L1 club. An enormous one in terms of supporter base and facilities etc, but just another L1 club battling for the top six.
They may well get promoted this season, and they might even get it automatically - no one can say they won’t - but even if they do, this very much didn’t go to plan. If Ross has to go, what are the odds on them moving heaven and earth to try to get Mapp back into management?
