Why Sunderland will embrace the pressure of increased expectation this season

Kristjaan Speakman says Sunderland will embrace the increased expectation on Wearside this season.

An unexpected sixth-placed finish last time out, allied with a hugely exciting playing style under Tony Mowbray, means optimism is high amongst supporters and in excess of 32,000 season cards have already been sold. That is well in excess of the figure sold this time last year.

Sunderland are well aware that this is likely to be a stronger second tier this time around, with the teams relegated from the Premier League and those promoted from League One set to offer a stern test across the campaign.

The Black Cats are therefore taking nothing for granted, but the Sporting Director insists the club are ambitious in looking to build on their recent success.

They have already invested in four youngsters on long-term deals since the end of the season, and have issued a strong message to any clubs looking to sign their prized assets by insisting that they are under no pressure to sell.

"I don't mind that - pressure is a privilege," Speakman told supporters last week.

"I see it as a really positive thing. When I turned up on a rainy day in December in 2020 and got off at the wrong station somewhere north of Newcastle, if you'd have told me that two years later we'd be in the Championship with people saying we need to push for the top two, I'd have snapped your hand off for that.

"I'm not going to sit here and complain about that [expectation]. Tony and the team and everyone did a really, really good job last year and now we're in a position where we have to try and maintain that success. That's what we're going to try and do.

"It doesn't mean we'll be able to, but I can reassure everyone that everything we do is going to be an improvement on last year, and naturally we're hoping that we'll see that improvement on the pitch."

Sunderland will begin their campaign live on Sky Sports, at home to newly-promoted and hugely-ambitious Ipswich Town on Sunday, August 6th.