Inside story of Sunderland's challenging January transfer window - and why excitement gave way to frustration for fans

The parent’s door slammed shut without a new striker in sight and there went a January window that was in equal parts exciting, challenging, and ultimately frustrating.
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Up front it is last man standing and that can’t be described as anything other than a bitter disappointment.

It is hard to argue that Sunderland leave the window stronger than they entered it, even if some clearly good work has been done in continuing to build this exciting, technically-gifted squad.

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When Ellis Simms steered a delightfully-deft finish past Thomas Kaminski in the 91st minute on Boxing Day, it looked as if the striking issues which had so dominated the discourse for months previous were finally beginning to ease.

Tony Mowbray was asked afterwards if there had been any indication that Simms might be recalled by Everton. It’s not the head coach’s role to liaise with parent clubs but his answer can be surmised as: Why would they? He’s playing regularly, he’s scoring, he’s happy - it’s suiting all parties.

Unfortunately, football and common sense aren’t always natural companions. In the days that followed Sunderland began to hear whispers that the 22-year-old would be heading back to Goodison Park, and by the time Simms scored again in an excellent win over Wigan Athletic a few days later, it was becoming a probability rather than a possibility.

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Still, the manner of his return tells you much. Sunderland were staying in the North West over the festive period and when the call came late at night for Simms to return, his boots had to be retrieved from the Carrington base where the club were training. Mowbray was able to have a farewell chat in the foyer of the hotel but then he was gone and that was that.

Ellis Simms will be staying at Everton for the rest of the seasonEllis Simms will be staying at Everton for the rest of the season
Ellis Simms will be staying at Everton for the rest of the season
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Simms has played less than 20 minutes of football since and the manager who said it was his decision to recall him has gone, but this is clearly the danger of the loan market. He’s Everton’s player and these are their decisions to make. One of the interesting aspects of this market more broadly is that recall clauses were activated earlier and more frequently than ever before - Sunderland were not the only club to be caught cold.

It’s why Sunderland were looking to add a young striker on a permanent deal in the current window, even if it is a truth universally acknowledged that these deals are hard to strike in January.

Even before Simms’ recall, Ross Stewart was the only striker contracted to the club for next season and there was still considerable uncertainty over his own future. Sunderland’s long-term vision is based on succession planning and while they have managed it impressively in some areas of the squad, up front they have struggled over the last two windows.

Mowbray stressed after the draw at Blackpool that Sunderland shouldn’t wait for developments on Simms - they would have to move quickly and aggressively to secure depth and competition. There were talks, he said, over adding a loanee who could replace Simms and a youngster who could be bedded in over the next six months.

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Sunderland had mixed success in these pursuits. The pool of Premier League forwards ready to make an instant impact was small, but Sunderland landed one of them. Joe Gelhardt had his pick of Championship clubs and at one stage a return to Wigan Athletic seemed certain. Instead the young striker was won over by his talks with Tony Mowbray and the vibrant, attacking player he was watching from a fearless side punching their way into play-off contention.

This was the positive story of the window: Sunderland’s trust in youth and rapidly-improving brand of football is beginning to make waves and players want to be part of it.

So by the time Gelhardt had arrived, things were looking promising and the mood on Wearside was one of increasing excitement. Isaac Lihadji and Pierre Ekwah had signed, both longer-term additions but ones with obvious pedigree. They also have six months to settle into the squad before (hopefully) taking a more prominent role next season.

There was still work to be done, though. Andras Nemeth had been a key target heading into the window, a young striker at Genk in a similar position to Lihadji. His contract was winding down, his game time was limited and Sunderland’s extensive scouting marked him out as a potential future star. Nemeth held talks with the club but in the end opted for a move to Hamburg, who have every chance of being a Bundesliga side next season.

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By now Sunderland had also lost Corry Evans for the season to an ACL injury. The holding midfield role had been one in which the club had tried and failed to recruit additional cover on the previous deadline day and so it seemed a likely area to strengthen this time around.

The picture had changed slightly by now as a result of Dan Neil’s outstanding form as a six and with Edouard Michut impressing regularly as an eight, but Mowbray hinted that he wanted more experience and more depth.

That call was repeated with added gusto when everyone’s worst fears were realised: Ross Stewart suffering a major injury as he made one of those trademark, hassling runs on the shoulder of a defender at Craven Cottage. It felt like a sliding-doors moment in the season even as a superb young side went toe-to-toe with Fulham in front of 6,000 travelling fans, and even more so now.

Mowbray said this impressive young team needed help - in numbers and in experience. They also could do with a real focal point; Gelhardt is an outstanding young talent but a replacement for Stewart, he is not.

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By early evening on deadline day it was groundhog day, the recruitment team deciding there was no player available that improved what they had.

It was a bitterly disappointing end to a month that had at one stage promised much. Sunderland are back to being an injury away from being without a striker, and their FA Cup campaign will continue without one. There were some dizzying highs in Stewart and Simms’ previous absence, but they were brief. Form overall was poor and in that period they were as much looking over their shoulders as they were up the table.

This remains a very talented and exciting squad, one still headed for the best season a newly-promoted team has produced in this division for years. They just happen to be doing it in style - it’s objectively a fine time to follow Sunderland with the trajectory unmistakably upwards.

The overwhelming feeling just now, though, is of an opportunity missed and some momentum lost. Mowbray had already been trying to keep expectations down because he knows that inconsistency is inevitable with a group so young, accounting for major injuries and Bailey Wright’s departure the average age of the players he is working with now is 22.5.

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The play-off push that was starting to feel just about possible now looks highly improbable and hugely dependent on Gelhardt’s fitness. He hasn’t played regularly this season, certainly not from the start, and the schedule ahead is punishing.

This will still almost certainly be a successful season, all things considered, but even accounting for the part bad luck has played it will most likely feel like something has passed us by.

That frustration is all the more acute because we have been here before and seen the result. Time may well be on Sunderland’s side but there are clearly parts of the process that need to improve for Sunderland to realise their long-term potential.