Kristjaan Speakman has a lot on his plate at Sunderland, and a lot of fences to fix this summer.
Speakman in particular is a man under the spotlight at Sunderland.
The club’s sporting director has become a source of criticism among fans, after Sunderland’s season has petered out into a rather forgeable one.
Whilst Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and the board will come under scrutiny for the managerial calls, Speakman’s transfer acumen has left Mike Dodds with a very misbalanced first-team squad, desperately lacking in experience and strikers.
The summer ahead is a crucial one for Sunderland and Speakman.
Another dreary transfer window will surely push Speakman to the brink of sacking and so he’ll be desperate to prove his worth.
But the last game against Leeds United has given him a fresh transfer dilemma at the Stadium of Light.
Mike Dodds praise after Leeds United 0-0 Sunderland
Sunderland have been a bogey team for Leeds United this season.
Leeds have faced Dodds on both occasions, with the interim boss winning the first meeting and then drawing 0-0 on Tuesday night.
Sunderland were lucky to not give away a penalty after Luke O’Nien handled the ball inside the box, but in the end, the Black Cats were deserved of their point.
The game saw a change in shape from Dodds who lined up in a back-five, handing starts to Callum Styles at left wing-back and Timothee Pembele on the right.
And both impressed; Pembele made his full debut and ‘battled well’ against Leeds United, whilst Styles gave his best performance following his loan move from Barnsley in January.
Kristjaan Speakman now facing Callum Styles dilemma
Styles, 24, joined on loan from Barnsley with the Black Cats having the option to make his stay permanent.
But it’s not been such a successful spell for the Hungarian international so far.
Styles has now featured eight times in the Championship for Sunderland without recording a goal contribution, playing in different positions and to mixed reviews.
He’s played on either wing and in the middle of the park too, often coming under criticism for an apparent lack of quality.
But playing in a more familiar left wing-back position vs Leeds, Styles shone; he’s a very combative player and he showed against Leeds that he is someone with quality at Championship level.
He defended very well against Dan James and may be in line for another start against West Brom this weekend, should Dodds retain the back-five.
And if Styles can now prove his worth in the final four games, he’ll give Speakman a tough transfer decision.
If he finishes strongly in this left wing-back role then he’ll end his Sunderland spell with mixed form; starting poorly but finishing strongly.
Then with a new manager arriving at Sunderland in the summer, it’ll be hard for the Black Cats to grasp where Styles will fit in the new system, unless they bring in a new manager before the end of the campaign.
Styles is also a more senior player in the side and Speakman will be eager to add balance in terms of young and more experienced this summer.
All Styles can do is keep on performing, and if he does, he’ll certainly put a case forward for Sunderland signing him permanently.