Phil Smith: Reflecting on Sunderland's key contract calls so far and what they tell us

The long-term future at boardroom level is unclear and like every club in the football league, the Black Cats are attempting to ascertain what the market is going to look like this summer.

The widespread expectation is that wages are coming down and that crucially, stadiums are unlikely to be full when the next season starts.

As such, clubs are cutting budgets and making savings.

While the shape of Sunderland's squad therefore looks uncertain, last week did see the club make some nevertheless instructive decisions.

The initial retained list update demonstrated manager Phil Parkinson continuing to put a stamp on the squad he inherited last year.

Parkinson has pushed to try and secure the future of Jon McLaughlin, though at this stage it remains unclear whether the Scot will stay amid significant interest from elsewhere.

Chris Maguire responded to Parkinson's demands for a renewed focus on his fitness regime and as such, has been offered an extension.

So too Tom Flanagan, the defender who Parkinson rates and credits with a significant improvement on his watch.

Crucially, the 28-year-old established himself as first choice on the left of the back three that Parkinson plays with. The Sunderland boss has praised his aggression and willingness to carry the ball out from the back, particularly at the Stadium of Light.

There was much to learn and consider from those that have been released, too...

DUNCAN WATMORE

Watmore's departure is one unquestionably tinged with sadness.

The 26-year-old's showed remarkable resilience and humility despite two major ACL injuries, consistently demonstrated his commitment to the community and never lost the enthusiasm he showed right from the moment he burst onto the scene in the Premier League era.

He will hope that making over 20 appearances this season as well as enjoying uninterrupted spells on the training pitch this season will allow him to kick on at whichever club he joins next.

His exit from Sunderland felt inevitable even if he remains an immensely popular figure, and a player whose pace and direct style offered something different to much of the squad.

Watmore was the last player at the club on a contract signed in the Premier League era, albeit one that was significantly reduced as a result of two relegations.

Indeed, his departure will mean that only Aiden McGeady in the current squad will be on a deal signed outside of Sunderland's time in League One.

Watmore's release reflects the club's adjustment to life without parachute payments.

His future progress will be followed closely on Wearside and there are few former players whose success would be so welcomed, particularly from an era where his attitude has not always been universal.

ALIM OZTURK

By his own admission, the player who first took the Stadium of Light turf was 'not him'.

A difficult start meant a long exile for the centre-back, but it was to his immense credit that under two managers, he always fought his way back into the side.

Parkinson's arrival looked to have set him back after twice reclaiming a starting spot under Ross, but his professionalism again won him a a recall as he battled through the pain barrier with his side struggling in the FA Cup.

That won him the respect of his new manager but the arrival and immediate introduction of Bailey Wright underlined that Parkinson was looking for more from that role at the heart of the back three.

With Wright's future unclear, Sunderland's defensive options look light as it stands and so Ozturk's release is a risk in that regard.

Sunderland clearly believe there will be other options in the market this summer and it is a crucial position that they simply have to get right.

Even if Flanagan agrees to stay, they will have just two contracted players for a system that requires three.

ETHAN ROBSON

Robson will be a player in demand this summer, of that there is no doubt.

A player of undoubted talent, a hugely successful loan at Grimsby Town in the first half of the season proved beyond doubt that he was capable of living with the physical demands of being a central midfielder in the football league.

Brought back to Sunderland in January, Parkinson was impressed with his output in training but the opportunity to play first-team football never arrived.

His departure feels part bad luck and part bad management on Sunderland's part.

At key moments, Robson suffered injuries that curtailed his progress.

Having broken through during the Championship campaign, he was set to start the League One season before being sidelined.

His return later in the campaign was also affected by injury.

Nevertheless, those loans at Grimsby and Dundee showed he is capable of regular action and it seems remarkable that he will leave the club with just with just fourteen senior appearances to his name.

It could and should have been more, and his progress was hardly helped by a reluctance to secure a loan move earlier in his career.

Particularly when Sunderland remained a Premier League club, it was surely the obvious decision to make.

That we will never be quite sure how he would have coped with regular senior football will remain a source of immense frustration.

The 23-year-old needs that guarantee now, and looks to have all the attributes to make a success of it.

JOEL LYNCH

Lynch's arrival marked what then manager Jack Ross had hoped would be an important step in his side's development.

He had identified a defensive vulnerability, particularly against direct and physically imposing teams, as a key weakness in the first attempt to win promotion from League One.

Jordan Willis started the campaign in encouraging fashion and Sunderland's defense began to look more secure, particularly after Ross reverted to a back four.

Statistically they were improving, and yet the opening weeks of the campaign were marked by frustrating lapses and an inability to keep clean sheets.

McLaughlin was far less active than he had been in the previous season, but it was not translating into superior results.

Lynch did not have long to settle into life under Ross and though he featured regularly even after the change of manager, he did lose his place during the team's torrid midwinter run. Parkinson conceded he had experienced some difficulty adjusting to life in the north east.

It was clear before the postponement of fixtures that he was no longer considered first-choice in Parkinson's best XI.

Parkinson saw him as most suited to the role on the left of the back three, but Flanagan's experience at full-back and his willingness to bring the ball out made him the manager's preferred option.

Given his Championship pedigree, extending the club's commitment was unlikely to be deemed financially viable when his long-term place in the side was in doubt.

JACK BALDWIN

Baldwin's release was widely expected after Parkinson decided not to recall him from his loan at Salford City in January.

The defender had an excellent start to life on Wearside with some eye-catching tackles and displays, but the 5-4 defeat to Coventry City proved to be his final game as Ross reshuffled his defensive options.

The Black Cats boss wanted more security in defence for the last campaign and so Baldwin was told he was free to pursue other options.

There was one final appearance, an excellent display in the 3-1 Carabao Cup shock over Burnley.

Baldwin began playing in midfield during his loan last season and it will be fascinating to see whether that is something he pursues moving forward.