Sunderland director makes Ellis Short and David Moyes point after Bournemouth and delivers Kevin Danso verdict

Sunderland non-executive director Leo Pearlman has called for accountability throughout the club after the Black Cats dropped to the bottom of the Premier League.

Writing on LinkedIn following the defeat at Bournemouth and Tottenham’s subsequent victory, Pearlman acknowledged the concern surrounding Sunderland’s position but insisted the club are in a very different place from their last relegation in 2017.

Pearlman praised Nordi Mukiele and Kevin Danso for accepting responsibility after Sunday’s defeat, while stressing that the same standards must apply to those in the boardroom. He also reflected on the final months of Ellis Short’s ownership and David Moyes’s tenure, drawing a contrast with the work undertaken to rebuild Sunderland.

His message comes ahead of Thursday’s Europa League trip to Lech Poznań and Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Leeds United at the Stadium of Light. Pearlman wrote: “After our defeat at Bournemouth & Spurs’ win last night, Sunderland AFC's ownership, supporters & players woke up to a table capable of triggering some deeply unpleasant memories. Not since May 21st 2017, following a thumping at Chelsea, have we been confronted by the sight of our club dead bottom of the Premier League.

“It should concern us; we shouldn’t dismiss it, explain it away or pretend we aren’t in a fight, because we are. But we should also recognise the difference between nine years ago & today. Back then, we were a club on a downward trajectory. Successive miraculous escapes had postponed a reckoning without addressing what made those miracles necessary. Ellis Short’s ownership had run out of direction & energy. David Moyes barely gave us a chance from the outset, bringing a sense of negativity & inevitability that sucked the life out of an already embattled institution & we had a squad that simply wasn’t good enough.

“Now compare that to the response from two of our players after this weekend’s defeat. Nordi Mukiele, a man who has done so much to raise expectations here, delivered a brutal assessment of himself & his teammates. No hiding behind last season’s achievements, no pointing elsewhere. We haven’t been good enough, our standards have slipped, it is our responsibility to put that right.

“Then Kevin Danso, who until Sunday had looked the part. At Bournemouth, his mistake contributed to the opening goal & his sending-off left his teammates facing an enormous task. Did he hide? No, he went onto social media & owned it; publicly, he made himself accountable.

“Leadership is about accountability & bravery, particularly when you’ve let people down, when staying silent would be easier & when you know exactly what is coming back at you. Accountability won’t win us points on its own, but the willingness to take responsibility tells you something about the people being asked to deliver it.

“This club has been rebuilt by people prepared to shoulder responsibility. Players, coaches, owners, staff & supporters who have dragged Sunderland forward because they believe they can change its future. That responsibility extends from top to bottom, from the boardroom down. Nobody gets to demand accountability from everybody else & exempt themselves.

“We have earned the right to expect more from Sunderland. Now we have to meet those expectations, together, through the difficult weeks as well as the extraordinary ones. Yes, the table looks the same, but I can assure you that nothing else does. Poznań on Thursday. Leeds on Sunday. Let’s show who we are, not worry about who we were.”

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