Gus Poyet: How close I really came to emotional Sunderland return and my verdict on season ahead

Former Sunderland boss Gus Poyet believes the club is well placed to do ‘very well’ in a competitive Championship field this year, and admits he was ‘tempted’ by the prospect of making an emotional return to the club in 2020.

Poyet knows Sunderland board member and shareholder Juan Sartori well and was approached over a possible return following Phil Parkinson’s departure. While willing to drop into League One for the second time in his managerial career, he was reluctant to do so in a structure that limited him to coaching.

Now in charge of the Greek national side, Poyet has watched a club he still holds close to his heart from afar and believes they are firmly on the right track. He has also praised Tony Mowbray for his inventive management last season, leading Sunderland to the play-offs despite some persistent injury issues.

“I think they make good decisions now,” Poyet told The Echo of Sunderland’s progress.

“Previously when the team was going down and things were going badly, it was all about a hurry to come back, a ‘now, now’ attitude. Football, it never happens like that.

“I think the club has settled down, I think they understand the situation and start to make good decisions in the managerial role.

“It was a big shock of course when Alex Neil left for Stoke City, and at that moment I’m like anyone else thinking, ‘oh, what is going to happen now?’ Then they make an extraordinary decision with Tony Mowbray, the way he plays and the way he understands English football and how to bring it. It was a little bit of a surprise that they made the play-offs, I think they did better than what people were expecting. It’s so tough to go up to the Premier League and sometimes you have to be careful because you’re not quite ready. I know, of course, everyone wants that [straight away] but I think the stability, the way of playing, I think it’s as good a place as Sunderland have been in for a while. 

“It’s a club in a good way. Do they have enough to go up this season? I don’t know, but I think the ownership knows what they want, they work well together and I think there’s definitely a possibility that they will do very well this season

“I don’t know Tony personally that well, but we’ve met a few times and got on very well,” he added.

“My assistant coach Mauricio Taricco played at Ipswich Town with him and knows him very well, so we’re always talking about Sunderland and Tony. We talk a lot about his style and how he brings the best in players. 

“What was so impressive last season was I watched one game in the second half of last season and he had practically no defenders. He had a right winger at right back, a right back at centre back.. And they won! I’m thinking: I can’t do that! How do you play like that in that situation? He has that belief in the players and that understanding of what was needed. I think the players look like they connect with him as well and that is important, it can give you something extra.

“I’ve always been an admirer, so I’m not surprised he has done so well.”

Poyet enjoyed a stunning first season in charge of Sunderland, winning two derbies, reaching the League Cup final and then achieving Premier League survival from a near impossible position.

The connection built with the club, and the sense that he therefore had unfinished business after a disappointing summer transfer window that led to his eventual departure, made a reunion in 2020 a distinct possibility.

It was reported at the time that Poyet was not prepared t drop to League One but as he explained to The Echo, it wasn’t quite that simple.

“Of course, I was tempted to come back,” he said.

“When I left, I felt that the job was half done. When I arrived Ellis Short said to me, please keep us up and beat Newcastle. We did that. No one asked me to win a title, or to go to a final.

“We managed to stay up. The problem was that my second season, my only little regret with Sunderland, was how can you deal in a better way with the signing of players.

“So you know in each position, you need a player with certain characteristics. So the recruitment department goes and looks to find those players and then you decide, option one, option two, option three. But then you find one, two and three aren’t coming for whatever reason.

“Now there are another two but they don’t have those same characteristics, so you wait. And then time goes by, it’s pre-season and then you start playing games - and then you need a player. So you sign a player but those characteristics are different and you have to play differently to what you set out to do. Now I ask myself, why not say no to that player? I’m not talking about any one player, I’m talking about different positions where we had that situation. At the end, any coach has to say yes to someone because you need players.

“So what I’m saying is, you look back and ask, how do you deal with that situation in a better way to get players closer to the characteristics that you wanted? Because in the end, we were not the team that we were trying to make and I paid the price, because I didn’t get the best of those players and so you lose your job.

“So when I look back, I have those lessons and now I know Sunderland so well: the city, the fans. I’m still meeting people even now in London who talk to me about the final we went to. And I say we lost but people don’t care, because it was an incredible experience at Wembley and we were beating Manchester City at half time. They still remember those feelings.

“It’s so unique and it shows you the passion, which is why it would be great to go back one day.

“I’m very realistic, so it was not just because the club was in League One,” he added.

“When I started my career at Brighton, the summer before I thought it was going to be very difficult for me to get a Premier League job. But I had played at Chelsea, Spurs, I had been an assistant to Dennis Wise, Juande Ramos. People knew me, I thought I maybe had a chance at getting a Championship. There was nothing, and I mean nothing.

“So I went to League One. And then we went up, I had the chance to go the Premier League with Sunderland and after that, some incredible places...AEK Athens, winning more derbies, a top experience with Bordeaux. Naturally then you would love to go to the Premier League, or if not, a good project in the Championship.

“To go to League One, difficult. But then it’s Sunderland and you go, ‘oh’ [puts hand over heart]. Now, it’s different. If I get total control, and you believe in me, I go. I did it at Brighton with Tony Bloom, so let’s do it again.

“But just to coach, just at this moment in my career, no. And that was just us being honest and fair with each other. It was a very difficult decision.”

Poyet still speaks of time on Wearside with a broad grin, and will be keeping a close eye on their progress this season.

They are memories that will last a lifetime.

“People think about winning titles, but the biggest achievement of my coaching career was staying up at Sunderland,” Poyet said.

“It was incredible.

“I played three derbies and won three. Two at St James’ Park - my time at Sunderland was extraordinary. The celebrations after beating Newcastle... you have to live it, to be part of it to be able to understand it and what it means.

“It’s not just one night, it’s the whole week. Leaving St James after winning 3-0 and winning 1-0 in the last minute… you can only know what it feels like if you live it. That will stay with me forever, forever.”

The Echo's interview with Gus Poyet was conducted in partnership with fruityslots.com