Phil Smith: Sunderland supporters are not the problem - these are the real issues for under-fire Stewart Donald

Sunderland supporters are not the problem.

They are not the reason the club has fallen to its lowest ebb, twice failing to win promotion from the third tier in which they have only resided for three years in their entire history.

Nor are they the reason why the club is not being sold to a credible bidder.

These should be truths self-evident, but after some of the head-spinning comments made at a meeting with fan groups on Thursday, it appears that they need restating.

If Sunderland is to be sold, then its fanbase will be one of the major reasons why.

After all, they have produced 30,000-strong attendances through the two worst campaigns on record.

They have continued to travel the length and breadth of the country in eye-watering numbers.

We'll see things they'll never see, they say. And how.

They have also shown that they will welcome any new owner with open arms and give them every chance to prove their worth.

They have given up their time to change seats, they gave Madrox the benefit of the doubt in all matters for as long as they possibly could, they welcomed them as one of their own at their most memorable recent celebration, sharing their beer and their hugs on the streets of Covent Garden and on Trafalgar Square.

They welcomed them into their stands, to share their joy, their songs and their pride.

They have committed in a five-figure number to next season. At a time when, for many, finances have never been tighter, when there is no guarantee they will be able to return to the Stadium of Light and when they have been taken for granted in an appallingly handled season-card renewal scheme.

Emotions were clearly running high on Thursday (and all would condemn any abuse that has been suffered as absolutely unacceptable), but that supporters are unreasonable and have impeded investment is regrettably a claim not made in isolation.

Charlie Methven implied much the same when discussing the collapsed FPP takeover, and restated the claims earlier this year when discussing the December movement to urge Madrox to sell up.

The meeting appears to have an attempt to try and bring some sort of unity, a rapprochement from which to move forward.

Now it will bring only more acrimony and significant concern; given Donald's clear inference that his only conditions for selling are price and an ability to pass the EFL's Owners & Directors Test. We have seen plenty of alarming evidence of late to suggest that when it comes to fit and proper owners, this criteria sets an alarmingly low bar.

If Madrox wish to move forward while a sale is being pursued, telling fans raising genuine fears about the direction of the club to 'shut up' is, at best, an appalling lapse in judgement.

The update did bring some clarity, in that Donald redoubled his commitment to sell and also confirmed that he is seeking a return on what he paid for the club in any sale (or at least, what he will have paid once all parachute monies are returned to the club).

That means the asking price is now publicly confirmed as £37.6 million.

If we want to understand why the club has not yet been sold, then that is the one and only place to start.

Donald says that he believes the club to be in a better position now than when he sold it.

It is true that the cost base of the club has declined significantly, with the wage bill now a mere fraction of what Madrox inherited.

Past that, it is hard to see how the club's value has increased.

The club no longer receives any parachute payments as it faces up to a third season in League One.

While the cost base has come down, any new owner would need to invest significantly above and beyond that significant sum they will have to spend just to inherit the club.Key departments need significant attention and rebuilding, such as recruitment and crucially, the academy.

As Donald himself has said, the current pandemic further raises the obligation of any new owner who could be facing reduced attendances and income for a prolonged period of time.

It is entirely fair to ask, therefore, why the asking price does not reflect this transformed landscape.

This is Sunderland's lowest ebb and the reasons for that are clear.

The opportunity to reset and rebuild in the summer of 2018 was missed.

Sunderland is a football club that for the best part of a decade, has lurched from window to window, from managerial appointment to managerial appointment, with little sign of an overarching vision or strategy.

In the last two years, there have been no discernable signs of the glaring issues being addressed in recruitment, while the pathway for academy players has been badly damaged.

Supporters have rightly questioned the direction of the club when so much that has been said has proven to be misleading or contradictory (something which was acknowledged on Thursday). There are long list of claims, on the sale and much else, that have not come to pass.

So this is not, and never has been, about the supporters. The club, it must not be forgotten, was almost sold twice long before any public protest or statement was made.

They have been the one constant and all too often the one beacon of hope during years of mismanagement and decline.

From this new low ebb there is no way back for the current ownership, that is abundantly clear.

The fear from supporters is this latest update has alarm bells ringing about what is to come next.

The way forward is clear: A fair sale, to the right buyer.

Fans want that because Madrox have not delivered. From the spring of 2018 onwards, they did their bit, and they did not get the return they deserved.

This was another bleak day for a regime that has failed.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.