Sunderland’s relegation into the third tier was confirmed at the weekend.
Sunderland’s game against Burton at the weekend may have been entertaining for neutrals, but for Black Cats supporters, it confirmed their worst fears as their drop into the third tier of English football was confirmed.
While it had been coming for a while, facing the realisation of a situation like this is never easy – especially after they spent so many years as a member of the Premier League. Alas, they’ll now be preparing for life in League One, which can be seen as a huge step down given the nature of the situation. However, it can also be seen as a chance for them to completely revitalise themselves.
The club needs to be stripped down and built back up again with players who legitimately want to be there. The Stadium of Light has been a toxic environment for quite some time, but thankfully, nothing is beyond repair, as we’ve seen many times in the past. The following three clubs are just a few of the many recent examples of teams heading down to League One, only to bounce back and become more successful than they have been in years.
Southampton
In the worst period of the club’s history, Southampton were placed in administration and handed a 10 point deduction as they fell desperately out of the Championship. It didn’t seem as if they’d be able to turn things around, but courtesy of fantastic leadership and perseverance, they were back in the Premier League within five years. Eventually, they even had a stint in the Europa League where they defeated Inter Milan, showcasing that while the Ellis Short era may have been poisonous thus far for Sunderland, there’s always the possibility of something new on the horizon.
Leicester City
Throughout the history of the club, Leicester City have only spent one season outside the top two divisions of English football; the 2008/09 season. It seemed like an absolute disaster at the time, but it quickly became apparent that it was the best thing that could’ve happened to them. The likes of Matty Fryatt and Matt Oakley led from the front and astonishingly, within six years, they were the Champions of England. It may not happen the exact same way for Sunderland, but it’s certainly worth noting.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves became the first team in well over a decade to suffer back-to-back relegations when they went down to the third tier, and for a while, it looked like it may wind up causing the club to completely collapse. Unfortunately for their rivals that didn’t happen, as Kenny Jackett was brought in to steady the ship – which he did masterfully. They were able to gain promotion to the Championship within one season, and after a few years back in the league, they confirmed their place back in the big time just a few weeks ago.
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