Assessing Sunderland's Danny Graham swoop, what it tells us and what still needs to be done

Sunderland were playing in green and yellow (tonar and solar, according to the promotional material). Jordan Pickford was making his second appearance and Jermain Defoe led the line.

A brutal festive period was slowly but surely about to give way to an exhilarating charge towards safety.

This was Sunderland AFC on the day Danny Graham last played for the club.

The substitution that brought the curtain down on Graham's first stint at the club proved to be a significant one.

On came Jan Kirchhoff for a debut that can only politely be described as a baptism of fire as Mauricio Pochettino's vibrant spurs ran rampant.

Kirchhoff would be moved out of defence into a holding midfield role and the rest does not need repeating here.

What it all underlines is why Graham's return has proved to be such a loaded one for many fans.

It's a two-fold process.

One, a reminder of where Sunderland once were and where they find themselves now. Two, a reminder of Graham's struggles the first time around (though that one goal proved to be a big one, all things considered).

Graham, to his credit, addressed it head on.

In an Instagram post after signing, he said with refreshing honesty: 'I'm not daft, some fans won't be happy and I get that'.

Perhaps those memories of yesteryear should also serve to underline the long journeys that both have been on since then.

Surely the right way to assess this deal is to take out of the equation what happened in a different team in a different era, and ask, what does this player bring now and does it make sense?

The goalscoring record

So what would we think if Sunderland were signing Graham, had his career never previously brought him to Wearside?

If Sunderland were bringing in a player from Blackburn Rovers with 57 goals in 191 appearances across four years at the club?

His record there, without doubt, commands respect.

He played a key part in their promotion from League One, and then more impressively, stepped up with 15 goals as Tony Mowbray's side finished a comfortable 15th in their first season back in the second tier.

Last season, the returns were more modest.

There were just four league goals, though there were also just fourteen starts.

His career goals-per-game ratios show that he is a player who has produced relatively consistent returns in the second and third tiers:

Premier League (1:6.9)

Championship (1:3.2)

League One (1: 2.9)

Where this fits in to Phil Parkinson’s transfer jigsaw

A key question is where Graham fits into Parkinson's current setup and most crucially, whether he can make a difference over the course of the season.

Graham said yesterday that Parkinson had been on the phone 'pretty much straight away' after Blackburn's season had concluded.

Parkinson had make the striker role one of his key priorities in the summer market, eager to provide cover and competition for the season ahead.

It is going to be a punishing schedule, and Parkinson has already stated his belief that the club will need 'two XI's' to cope with the demands.

He has also said that he believes it is the squads with the most depth that will win promotion. It made three, and perhaps four, strikers a must.

The salary cap rules have affected Sunderland's transfer plans in every position but it was at the top of the pitch that it brought the biggest problems.

A move for a key target quickly hit the buffers and it no doubt helps to an extent explain why there has been such a long journey between that initial phonecall and pen being put to paper.

Graham is a player adept playing with back to goal, an obvious candidate to step into the role so often played by Charlie Wyke in Parkinson's preferred system.

He will bring the attacking midfielders into play and lead the press. If there is one thing that is absolutely not in doubt with Graham it is work ethic and to that end, the logic behind the call is obvious.

But will it be enough?

It is abundantly clear that one of the key attributes lacking from the side over the last year (and beyond?) is the ability to stretch the opposition defence, to create chances by making space in behind.

A lack of pace is a key issue and were that to be addressed in another addition, then perhaps concerns over this deal would be allayed.

Will Grigg has shown encouraging signs during pre-season in terms of those aggressive runs, but supporters will want to see that reproduced over a longer period.

So does it pass the test?

Another fair concern that some have raised of this deal is that reflects a short-termist approach to the market than many are keen to be left behind.

Again, Graham addressed this head on: "People will say, he's 35.... that's fine, they can talk."

It's a conundrum that David Jones discussed last month. While he is eager to create value in the team (see Arbenit Xhemajli's arrival and Dan Neil's rise), he has also been clear that they will be open to one or two additions who can help secure promotion.

Take Bailey Wright, for example. A player with limited resale value, but whose value to the club's medium-term goals are clear.

So does Graham pass the test? A signing that makes sense regardless of his part spell?

In the current climate, it by and large does.

But the key and pressing question is whether it leaves Sunderland with the attributes they need in the forward line to win promotion.

That remains up for debate.

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