Sam Allardyce took over as Sunderland manager in the 2015/16 season and played a crucial role in helping the team avoid relegation. He secured a vital 3-0 win against Everton on the penultimate day of the season, ensuring Sunderland’s Premier League status at the expense of rivals Newcastle United.
Despite the successful survival campaign, Allardyce left Sunderland at the end of the season to become the manager of the England national team, a position that proved to be short-lived.
Reflecting on his time at Sunderland, Allardyce admitted that he made a mistake with the signing of Wahbi Khazri in the 2015 January transfer window. The manager shared a story from a training session where he expressed frustration to Khazri about the 14 million-pound transfer fee, only for Khazri to respond with a crucial goal that helped Sunderland secure a crucial victory.
Khazri’s impact at Sunderland was limited, with the player failing to make a significant impact before returning to French football. However, Sunderland has since learned from past mistakes, making successful signings in the summer transfer window, including the likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs, who have made an immediate impact in the Premier League.
Under the leadership of manager Regis Le Bris, Sunderland has built a new-look squad that has performed well in the league, aiming to avoid the typical fate of newly promoted teams facing immediate relegation. The club’s positive start to the season has been attributed to effective recruitment and reinforcement of the squad for the challenges ahead.
