How Sunderland's transfer concerns were addressed on deadline day

Transcript

00:00 I think we had that a bit last year and I think that's just understandable.

00:03 I think the deadline day ultimately was fairly successful

00:07 because obviously late on Thursday night when it became clear that Stuart was going,

00:11 there were obviously some fears over Patrick Roberts at that point.

00:14 And we should say that Sunderland rejected Southampton's bid

00:17 pretty resolutely from their perspective.

00:20 But at that point, you know, there was obvious concern about the depth.

00:25 I don't think there's any doubt whatsoever

00:28 in anybody's mind that Tony Mowbray, if everyone's fit, can put out an 11

00:32 that is going to be hugely competitive at this level,

00:34 even if it doesn't have an orthodox striker in.

00:36 I think we were all just looking at it going that the depth is

00:40 is potentially a concern.

00:43 By the end of deadline day, as we say, we don't know about

00:46 Berthoud and Roosland, how they're going to settle in,

00:48 but Roosland has played a lot of football.

00:51 Berthoud turned down the opportunity to go away to see Milan to come here.

00:54 So that's kind of exciting.

00:56 And then little things like Robert Steyn and Alex Pritchard,

00:59 I know probably not by the club's design, but the fact that he didn't go

01:02 gives Mowbray such a brilliant option, really, to deploy from the bench

01:07 or start certain games.

01:09 And all of a sudden you can just see,

01:11 I think the main concerns in terms of the lack of attacking variety

01:15 and the lack of experience in the squad, I think those were the things

01:17 we were all most worried about going into deadline day.

01:20 And the end result was was pretty much OK, wasn't it?

01:23 I think if you'd asked people on Thursday at eight o'clock at night

01:26 when there was a lot of concern,

01:28 if they'd be relatively satisfied with where we got to,

01:31 I think they would have taken it.

01:33 It's not to say that people don't have concerns about the fact that,

01:35 you know, Stewart's been, you know, going to a rival

01:38 who clearly is paying an awful lot more than Sunderland can at this stage.

01:41 But I think it was a, yeah, I think the main concerns we had

01:46 in going into deadline day were addressed to an extent, I think.

01:51 And obviously, as you say, you know, a 5-0 win.

01:55 It actually reminded me a little bit, and I wasn't there, of course, at the time,

01:59 but reading what you guys were saying at the time, a little bit like the Norwich game

02:02 after Alex Neil left.

02:03 I know Sunderland lost that game 1-0, but I think they played really well, didn't they?

02:06 And probably should have got something out of it.

02:08 And there was that sense of, you know what, actually,