A journalist has issued his verdict on Kristjaan Speakman’s tenure at Sunderland.
Having spent time as a coach and an academy manager with Derby County and Birmingham City, Kristjaan Speakman joined Sunderland in 2020.
The 45-year-old was appointed as the Black Cats sporting director just two months before Kyril Louis-Dreyfus acquired a controlling stake in the club, and the chairman has since relied heavily on Speakman.
He has since signed some vital players to Sunderland’s squad, bringing in the likes of Ross Stewart, Trai Hume, Jack Clarke and Alex Pritchard.
Speakman’s initial transfer business worked wonders for the club and helped them win promotion back to the Championship, while some of their players they bought on the cheap are now worth millions.
However, the Black Cats have gone dramatically downhill this term and it is largely due to Speakman’s poor decision-making.
The club have offloaded most of their older players and have instead continued to sign young inexperienced players such as Luis Hemir Semedo and Nectarios Triantis.
He then opted to sack Tony Mowbray and replace him with Michael Beale, before sacking him two months later and expecting Mike Dodds to take charge for the rest of the season.
Despite receiving high praise for his first few years at the Stadium of Light, Speakman has come under heavy criticism from supporters recently and has now been linked with a move away in the summer.
While these rumours have no real source and could be complete nonsense, many fans on social media are sharing their thoughts on his potential exit.
Kristjaan Speakman has been a ‘success’
Journalist Michael Graham is one of few who believe he has actually been a ‘success’ on Wearside, despite a bad season.
He wrote on X: “If Kristjaan Speakman does leave #SAFC this summer, he’ll surely leave a success? Been here three full seasons, two of them good ones, and the club is far stronger now than it was the day he arrived. Had a bit of a ‘mare this season, but judging his time overall it’s a success.”
Kristjaan Speakman has been at the very top for our most successful period for a very long time, and has brought in a long list of players who will undoubtedly play in the Premier League.
Signing the likes of Jack Clarke, Dan Neil and Aji Alese has proven to be exceptional business, while his activity in the transfer window could well earn us over £50 million in the years to come.
Without Speakman, we wouldn’t have enjoyed the success we did last year. In fact, it was also him that brought in Mowbray and Alex Neil too.
Will we regret letting him leave?
There is no denying that he has had a terrible season this time round, and I am one who has become very frustrated with him.
However, surely the wonders he has worked up until this season has proven that this season could potentially just be a one-off and he should be given the chance to find solutions to his mistakes.
If he is the one steering a move away then fair enough, but I think we could end up regretting it if we are forcing him out. I would give him the summer to turn things around, personally.