For Sunderland it’s looking very much like a season of lower mid-table mediocrity and it’s too many clubs seeing this as success, as much as spiralling ticket prices, that risks driving fans away from the game.

Overview

It’s been a season where QPR, once considered a second team to many, seem to have got up the nose of just about everybody in the footballing world for one reason or another and this week it’s Sunderland finding reason to complain about the beleaguered West London outfit. The cause of their ire - and they’re certainly not the first club to moan about this - is the fairly extortionate £45 Rangers have charged the travelling fans to sit in one of the division’s least well equipped away ends this Saturday.

Sunderland fans have written to the CEO at Loftus Road Philip Beard to protest, pointing out that even Chelsea – notorious for outrageous charges to away fans - knock £16.50 more off their OAP tickets for visitors than QPR do.

The problem those raising concerns about these prices have, however, is that Sunderland have sold out their allocation for this match. The prices are high, the Sunderland team is poor, the game seems to matter little to the Wearsiders, and the whole thing is taking place hundreds of miles from where most of them live and yet the 1,800 tickets allocated to the Mackems in the upper tier of the School End have all sold. In fact the whole ground has sold out. Never mind dropping the prices, from a business perspective you wonder if Beard has considered whether the travelling Sunderland army might stretch to £50 each for their next visit given the way they’ve snapped up the tickets this time.

This is the problem supporters complaining about ticket prices have: as yet, the cost clearly hasn’t reached a point that the majority consider unacceptable. Manchester City hit the headlines earlier this season when, despite being the reigning champions, they returned 900 of their allocation for a top of the table clash at Arsenal because the home team wanted to charge them £62 each to see a game they could watch on television back in Manchester. All very worthy and right but the game sold out in their absence anyway. Had there been 900 empty seats behind the goal at Ashburton Grove that day it would have sent a clear message, but Arsenal found it quite easy to find another 900 people who were daft enough to pay it and the ground was full – as it always is. While people still turn up and pay, don’t expect that price to be dropping any time soon.

However, we are starting to see a tipping point being reached at one or two clubs at the upper end of the game and Sunderland are absolutely primed and ready to be one of them.

There have clearly always been dominant teams in every division of football in every country in the world, but has the situation at the top of English football ever been as pronounced as it is now? There are currently three teams – Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea – who are capable of winning the league and two more – Spurs and Arsenal – who will challenge for the Champions League. Liverpool and perhaps Everton harbour top four ambitions but rarely realise them. Short of a Sheikh turning up, the Champions League money they get every year means nobody else has a chance of catching this lot ever again.

This means that at least 15 teams know before they have even begun the season that they have absolutely no chance of getting anywhere close to winning the competition they’re about to dedicate nine months of time and some considerable resource to. In 1991/92 Leeds United won the league title having only very recently been promoted from the division below – that will never happen again in this country in my lifetime and probably the lifetime of the generation beyond me if in fact it ever does happen again at all.

While this has always been the case to a certain extent, the key change in the last decade has been the disrespect and disregard of the cup competitions. The Premier League provides such riches to clubs, and they spend such vast amounts to stay in it and receive that money again next season, that even though they have no chance of winning it the league remains the single most important thing above everything else. Clubs play massively weakened teams in both cup competitions, brazenly and often apparently deliberately getting themselves eliminated as early as possible because of some perceived threat to their league form. “We’ll concentrate on the league,” is the oft-touted phrase – that would be the league you have absolutely no chance of winning would it?

When Sunderland’s current boss Martin O’Neill was at Aston Villa a bizarre pattern developed where his team would go hell for leather in the Premier League to qualify for Europe, and then early the following season field weakened sides in the UEFA Cup and lose so they would be clear to go hell for leather in the Premier League to qualify for Europe again.

So now we have a situation where the majority of teams are setting out each year solely to finish seventeenth or above. They fear the cups and any form of European competition that isn’t the Champions League and deliberately sabotage their own hopes in them. I look down the Premier League with two and a half months and ten matches left to play and I see West Brom, Fulham, Stoke and West Ham whose seasons are effectively over already. A win and a draw each and you can add Sunderland and Norwich to that list. Each year clubs – Sunderland and Stoke last term – are finishing the season without a win in their last dozen games because the task for the year has effectively been accomplished by March.

That’s all well and good for the men writing the cheques who can sleep soundly knowing another load of Premier League TV money will be theirs next season - but what about those queuing at the box office? Prior to a cataclysmic injury list plunging them into an ultimately unsuccessful battle against relegation last season, Bolton had got to the point where even the visit of Manchester United didn’t bring a sell out crowd to their 24,000 capacity stadium. Bolton rarely won that game, Bolton weren’t competing for a league title, Bolton were out of the cups, Bolton were safe – why would you want to pay £40 to go and watch them lose to Man Utd? People were bored. At Sunderland, Wigan and Villa this season and Blackburn and Bolton last I’m seeing empty seats, even when the big boys are in town.

The cost of tickets is the primary problem, but it wouldn’t be such an issue if the football was competitive and interesting. It’s that boredom and apathy that is creeping into the support base, allied with the high prices, that will trouble clubs like Sunderland and start to erode average attendances over the coming years. Looking at the Mackems this season it’s hard not to think “well, what’s the point of all of this?” I should imagine that question burns ever brighter if you’ve just paid £45 for a ticket to see them play Queens Park Rangers.

Interview

Two Sunderland fans for you this week, both with their own excellent blogs that you should check out. David Boyle joins us from the Roker Report and you can either click the banner above to visit that site, or follow this link to the reciprocal piece I wrote for them in return for the interview below. And we also have Adam Roper from Sunderland World – same score there, banner above for the site or this link for me babbling on. Thanks to both for their time.

It seems to have been a pretty drab and uninspiring season at Sunderland– how would you assess it? Is there any danger you could yet be sucked into the relegation battle?

AR - I agree 100% with the first statement. Last summer we brought in some players who, on paper, were top quality. Steven Fletcher was Wolves top goal scorer last season and Adam Johnson was a Premier League winner with Man City. Since then, Fletcher has been performing well, but it has been noted that a strike partner for him wouldn't go amiss. Hopefully the signing of Danny Graham will help that, and he (Graham) will find his feet for Sunderland in the coming weeks.

DB - Of course there is still a slight danger, any team in and around that area of the table can ill-afford not to be glancing over their shoulder every now and again - especially when your team is as inconsistent as Sunderland. If I’m being honest I believe most Sunderland fans have already written off this season given the dreary and lacklustre football which is being served up most weeks and are already looking to the summer and yet another overhaul.

What are the key problems with the team? Where do you need to strengthen? Who have been the big disappointments this year?

DB - Pace and creativity. For a side that has players such as Sebastian Larsson, Stephane Sessegnon and Adam Johnson at their disposal we simply don’t create enough chances for our forward line. Johnson has been a particular disappointment since his arrival. Maybe this is a case of expectations being set to high following his transfer but he simply hasn’t delivered enough on a consistent basis for me.

AR - If you'd have asked me this before our game with West Brom a few weeks back I would have said the main problem was the tactics that O'Neill has been employing (starting with the lone striker). However, since then, he has gone with 442 from the start and it still doesn't seem to be working. The reason I'd have to give is the lack of awareness early on in games; the players don't seem to switch on and really attack the opposition goal until they are one or two goals down. If we can cut this out, we should be winning more games than we are. The main area we need to strengthen is defence. For the majority of this season, we have been playing central midfielders at full back. The priority has got to be to sign Danny Rose permanently and bring in a decent Premier League quality right back then build from there.

The big disappointments have been Adam Johnson, who after his £10m move from City, hasn't really impressed at Sunderland, and James McClean who, after his incredible breakthrough last year, seems to have suffered from the second season syndrome. Hopefully he starts performing soon though, as I really rate him as a player.

Does Martin O'Neill retain the support of the majority? How do you rate the job he's done so far?

AR - Absolutely. O'Neill still has the full backing of the majority of Sunderland fans (of course there is always a 'select' few fans who cry for blood every time we lose) As for the job he's done so far; he said he wanted some stability at the club before he looked beyond that, and I think he is and will achieve that, whether it takes one year or five. I'd much rather have stability in the Premier League than do a Birmingham.

DB - Absolutely. The fans realise that O’Neill requires more than a couple of transfer windows to solve the problems that Sunderland face. This is a case of patience in a project, a venture that not only requires the injection of more quality throughout the squad but also the clearing out of an awful lot of deadwood which Steve Bruce left behind. Of course this is easier said than done but as things stand the vast majority of the fans have absolute confidence in the gaffer and understand the sheer scale of the rebuilding job he has on his hands.

Danny Graham seems to be struggling for form since he arrived from Swansea– what do you make of him? Is it simply a case of having time to settle down?

DB - To be quite honest he simply does not look match fit at the moment and has struggled to make any impact at all since his arrival with no immediate signs of striking up a partnership with Steven Fletcher. Obviously it is early days and it would be unfair to make a snap-judgement at this time but the jury is very much out on our new forward.

AR - The thing with players who have recently been transferred is that they all tend to 'react' differently. Some settle straight in and recapture the form they left at their previous club, however, in Danny's case I believe he just needs some time to settle down and get used to the style of football played at the club. He is a very talented player with genuine ability but at the minute he isn't in the best of form. As they say, form is temporary, class is permanent.

Simon Mignolet seems to attract plenty of plaudits – is he the player of the year? Who have been the other stand out performers?

AR - Simon Mignolet has been not only our best player but, for me, one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League so far this season. For the age he is (he turned 25 on Wednesday) he is unbelievably good, and one of the better keepers we've had in recent years. The only other consistent stand out performer I can think of is Danny Rose - he always gave 110% and never gave up, it's just a shame he has been sidelined for a few weeks. Hopefully he will be back for Saturday's clash.

DB - Mignolet’s importance to the Sunderland setup cannot and should not be underestimated. Just last week he was instrumental in earning us a point following a superb, improbable save which lead to a counter attack and Stephane Sessegnon’s equaliser against Fulham. In fact this whole passage of play seemed to rally the team and the fans into believing we could go on to win the game.

Steven Fletcher has also obviously been a huge factor for Sunderland this year following his big money move in the summer and has proven himself to be a much better footballer than many people possibly gave him credit for, especially with regard to his touch and awareness around the area.

It would also be remiss not to mention Danny Rose who was fast becoming a vital part of our side before his injury. The on loan full back injected pace and confidence with the ball at his feet and was a fantastic outlet on the counter attack. I won’t be the only Sunderland fan praying we can make his time on Wearside more permanent.

What is the general opinion of owner Ellis Short and the board?

DB - I don’t think you could find a Sunderland fan with a bad word to say about our owner. The Texan is notoriously private and as such we hear very little from him but his actions have certainly spoken louder than any words could. The club are now actively looking to branch out into the global market and seem to be announcing overseas partnerships, commercial ventures and charity work on a weekly basis. He is also not afraid to back his manager, the prolonged summer pursuit of Steven Fletcher being a key example of this. Many other owners may well have grown tired of the transfer saga that deal turned into and pulled the plug, but Short acknowledged his manager’s number one transfer target and was prepared to work diligently late into the transfer window to strike a deal – a deal which has proven to be vital to the club at present as I dread to think where we may be without the Scot’s goals.

AR - Everyone at the club absolutely loves Elis Short. It is so calming to have an owner that is willing to spend money, but not break the bank, to see the club progress forward. His work in helping us build partnerships all over the world is great and it is spreading SAFC out to a wider audience in different continents. (Sir) Niall Quinn had a part to play in this too before he departed as chairman of the club. Everyone was sad to see him go as he was the man who helped the Drummerville consortium buy the club off Bob Murray in 2006, and the work he had done for the club since then was phenomenal.

Scout Report

Through his time with Leicester, Celtic and Aston Villa you could usually be fairly certain what you were going to get from a Martin O’Neill team. There would be a big man-little man strike combination and quality wingers like Ashley Young or Steve Guppy being encouraged to get down the touchline and sling crosses over for them. At the back they would be uncompromising and giants like Matt Elliott, Steve Walsh and Richard Dunne would lumber forward for attacking set pieces and cause havoc in the opposition penalty area.

That has not been the case for the majority of this season at Sunderland. O’Neill opted for the more trendy 4-2-3-1 set up for much of the campaign with Stephen Fletcher as a lone striker and various combinations of Sessegnon, Johnson, Larsson and others behind him. It seems this was simply because O’Neill didn’t fancy any of his other striking options – Asamoah Gyan and Danny Wellbeck were long gone by the time he arrived, Nicklas Bendtner was only on loan and Frazier Campbell has been sold since – rather than because he was moving with the times. Now he has spent money on Danny Graham he has reverted to type and picked him alongside Fletcher.

It hasn’t made a great deal of difference to a team that has struggled for goals all season – Fletcher top scores with ten but nobody else has more than five and the team as a whole has managed just 32 in 28 games. Graham has yet to make much impact with two starts, two sub appearances and no goals but with three goals in his last five appearances against QPR, and the R’s having a penchant for helping players like him out of a hole, who would bet against him suddenly recapturing his Swansea form this weekend? Likewise Adam Johnson, whose poor performances either on the wing or as part of a supporting three, have been a real surprise to me and a big part of the reason they’ve struggled for goals. Likewise Sessegnon who was excellent in both matches against Rangers last season but hasn’t got anywhere near that level so far this campaign. Harry Redknapp must hope it doesn’t all suddenly click this weekend.

At the back there has been a fair amount of square pegs being forced into round holes. I’ve written before about the lunacy of Sunderland spending the money they’ve spent and completing the amount of deals they have since they last won promotion to the Premier League and still not having a genuine, recognised left back to call their own and that situation remains. Danny Rose has excelled on loan from Spurs but there’s no guarantee the London club will sell him, he’s injured at the moment and I’ve always considered him more of a winger anyway. Sunderland wasted Kieren Richardson at left back previously remember. On the other side I’ve seen Craig Gardner, another midfielder, playing right back and centre half on occasions. Wes Brown’s injury proneness and the sale of Michael Turner to Norwich and Anton Ferdinand to QPR over the past 18 months means Titus Bramble and John O’Shea are the fairly uninspiring senior pair left behind. I suspect O’Neill might buy an entirely new back four this summer given the chance.

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is a shoo-in for the club’s Player of the Year award.

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ShotKneesHoop added 08:30 - Mar 8 Faultless analysis of the Catch 22 situation that QPR supporters are in, where R's fans pay £50 - £70 a game to see if the the team they support can survive, only to put them through the same agonies of a relegation dog fight the following season. I wouldn't mind if the football played was inspiring and free flowing, played by loyal, loveable, talented team spirited players, but it's the opposite. What's so perverse is that the upcoming games are so attractive to fans prepared to pay a king's ransom to have their lower limbs tortured by plastic seat mouldings, because of the dire situation the club is in. If the club was mid table, Tony would only be able to fill the ground with Koreans at the current prices. Since Tony took QPR over, we have been like a would be suicide, tottering on the top of a sky scraper, swigging from a bottle of Jack Daniels, scattering fivers to all and sundry, screaming "Plenty of money here for miracle workers." And the crowd can't take their eyes off the poor loon. Which is why on Saturday, there's a full house of Mackems and R's fans, drooling over the next car crash. And if we win, it will be even more extreme in the following weeks. I wouldn't put it past Tony to consider upping the prices even more. It worked for the Romans, all we need is to keep feeding the lions once a week.

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isawqpratwcity added 11:16 - Mar 8 Wonderful analysis, SKH, except that, admit it, you just want us to lose. Track your posts through the last match thread: from dismal gloom to shut up.
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TacticalR added 14:06 - Mar 8 Sunderland sound like us...some very good players, but the sum is less than the parts. Some of their players on their team have given us nightmares in the recent past e.g. James McClean (destroying Luke Young last season) and Danny Graham (when playing for Watford and Swansea). Danny Rose looked their best player when we played them earlier in the season, but it seems he's out at the moment. If anyone from Sunderland reads this...what was the general opinion of Anton Ferdinand?

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ShotKneesHoop added 18:44 - Mar 8 I'm happy for us to go down, as long as we sort ourselves out and get rid of the dross. Staying up for another season like these two have been won't help anyone. I can't afford to go to home games anymore anyway,
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