Sunderland

Paolo Di Canio is out as Sunderland's manager, per the club's website. This announcement comes as little surprise to anyone who has followed the club's fortunes in recent days. Despite his clear attempts to show solidarity with his club's fans, Di Canio was out of step with his team and its supporters.

With Saturday's 3-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion, the Black Cats remained rooted to the Premier League table with one point from their opening five matches. Apart from last week's 3-1 loss to Arsenal—a match in which Sunderland had a perfectly fine equaliser ruled out incorrectly at 2-1—Di Canio's men have by and large performed poorly this season.

Following an opening-day loss at home to Fulham, Sunderland picked up their only point of the season in a 1-1 draw at Southampton on Aug. 24. Then came losses to Crystal Palace (3-1 away) and the aforementioned Arsenal and West Brom defeats. 

All the while, Di Canio preached a tactical revolution, a new style that would presumably lift the Black Cats from the relegation zone and into mid-table or even beyond. But it didn't work, or as he would argue, it didn't get enough time to work. Instead, the revolution has ended prematurely, and we'll probably never know how it would have looked.

Not that it was likely based on the early results, of course. And not that Di Canio helped his own cause, either.

After the loss at West Brom, Di Canio accused his players of having "rubbish in their brains," as per David Kent of the Daily Mail. And it got worse.

"It's obvious we're still not together," Di Canio told BBC Sport after the match. "We don't have many leaders in terms of desire to play with a premier style. We had our chances to come back into the game but we missed them and conceded very silly goals."

Those aren't the words of a fearless leader bringing about a glorious revolution. Those are the words of a man searching for a scapegoat. And that's certainly not what Sunderland needed from their manager.

But that still wasn't the worst of it. Immediately after the final whistle, the Italian walked over to the traveling support and engaged the fans in a bizarre impromptu standoff.

The aim, according to Di Canio, was to admit that he understood the criticism that was coming his way. The way it played out, however, suggested insanity more than solidarity.

In fact, the incident almost became a tragic farce. A manager doomed for the axe was on the pitch desperately trying to win over fans. Those fans, meanwhile, simply rained down their scorn on him, effectively bringing his tenure to a close.

The criticisms might or might not have been warranted. Di Canio received precious little time to implement his revolution, and the rest of the season will determine whether his successor will fare any better.

But as Saturday's farce showed, Di Canio's revolution came to an abrupt end on the pitch at the Hawthrorns.

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After just five matches in the English Premier League this season, Sunderland have earned just one point and have become the laughing stock of the top flight.

The main reason for the troubles the Black Cats are experiencing is their manager Paolo Di Canio. 

Di Canio took over at the club at the end of March and provided the club with a boost of fresh energy that kept them away from being relegated to the Championship last season. 

While Di Canio's efforts from the 2012-13 season were celebrated, those accomplishments are now buried deep in the mind of the Black Cats and their fans. 

In their four defeats so far this season, Sunderland have conceded 10 goals, including three in each of their last three matches, and have scored just twice. 

Their current three-match losing streak has seen the club lose what were supposed to be very competitive matches against the likes of Crystal Palace and West Brom. Most would have chalked up last week's loss to Arsenal as a loss when the fixture list was released. 

The multitude of signings that Di Canio brought into Wearside during the summer transfer window have not molded together yet.

The patience of everyone around the club is beginning to run dry. 

American forward Jozy Altidore has yet to score and pairing him with established goal-scorer Steven Fletcher up front has failed to succeed.

Di Canio let one of his better playmakers, Stephane Sessegnon, depart for West Brom on deadline day. Sessegnon enacted his revenge on the club with a goal on Saturday against the Black Cats for West Brom. 

Di Canio has not done himself any favors in the eyes of the fans either. His strange post-match antics—after the most recent loss to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday—looked like a manager conceding to his supporters that he has nothing left to offer. 

After the match in his press conference, Di Canio admitted that the dreadful form of his club is his own fault. 

According to a report by the Mirror's Dean Jones, the Italian manager has two matches to save himself from becoming the first EPL manager to be sacked this season. 

The report also states that a replacement for Di Canio could already be waiting in the wings in the form of former Chelsea and West Brom boss Roberto di Matteo. 

Di Matteo, unlike his fellow Italian, is a proven manager at the highest level of the game in England and if it was not for a quick trigger by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, he could have achieved much more than just a UEFA Champions League and FA Cup title during his time at Stamford Bridge. 

In all reality, di Matteo may not deliver trophies to the faithful at the Stadium of Light this season if he replaces di Canio, but he will turn the team into a respectable product out on the pitch that will stave off the early-season relegation worries. 

Do you think Paolo di Canio should be sacked this early in the season?

Comment below or leave me a comment on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

While American fans were waking up to the sight of one American, Jozy Altidore, on national television for Sunderland in the English Premier League, rumors of another American, Michael Bradley, joining the Wearside club emerged. 

According to the MLSSoccer.com American Exports blog, a bid of €7 million was made on Saturday by the Black Cats for the Roma midfielder. 

Dan Salisbury-Jones of Sky Tyne and Wear confirmed the speculation in his report that claimed Paolo di Canio was still in search of a central midfielder after missing out on Tom Huddlestone, who joined Hull City from Tottenham last week. 

ESPN's Taylor Twellman contradicted those reports with a tweet that cited his sources, who said a bid had not been made by Sunderland. 

Bradley joined Roma just a year ago after impressing many Italians during his one-year spell at Chievo Verona. 

The 26-year-old is the midfield lynchpin for the United States men's national team, and for him, receiving consistent first-team football is a must leading into the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

The last time Bradley played in the EPL was during a disappointing spell at Aston Villa in 2011, where he played in just three matches during a six-month loan from Borussia Monchengladbach. 

In his young career, Bradley has searched for long-term stability at the club level as he has already donned the kit of six different professional clubs. 

The move seems to make little sense on the surface, but like we have learned with the Clint Dempsey transfer saga from earlier this summer, anything is possible when it comes to American players on the move nowadays.

Does Michael Bradley to Sunderland make any sense? 

Comment below or leave me a comment on Twitter, @JTansey90.

In one of the summer's most surprising coups, Juventus star Emanuele Giaccherini has signed a four-year deal with Premier League outfit Sunderland. The versatile midfielder—who performed impressively for Italy during the 2013 Confederations Cup—has completed a deal that will see him link up with Italian manager Paolo Di Canio, according to the Black Cats' official website.

Di Canio has worked tirelessly across the summer transfer window and has already raided Serie A for fresh talent. The newly installed boss—who recently saved Sunderland from the brink of relegation—brought in Modibo Diakite on a free from Lazio prior to Giaccherini's arrival.

The 28-year-old is Di Canio's ninth summer signing and signals a message of real intent from the charismatic manager. Giaccherini remained a bit-part player during his three-year spell with the Turin giants and only appeared in 26 games across all competitions last season.

According to Whoscored?, the attack-minded player made just 13 starts and 13 substitute appearances during the 2012/13 campaign. He managed to net four goals and provide three assists in this time, the most important strike giving Juventus a 1-0 win over Catania back in March.

Giaccherini will bring a tricky and direct style of play to the Stadium of Light. He possesses decent pace, excellent agility and a willingness to recycle possession when under pressure. The pint-sized player stands at 5'5" and is intelligent enough to move the ball on when facing a physical battle against the opposition's defence. He often looks for key passes, completing an average of 1.9 per appearance last season.

Most vitally, Giaccherini will join Adam Johnson behind Jozy Altidore in a Sunderland attack that is beginning to take shape. The USA international completed his return to the Premier League on July 9, as reported by BBC Sport.

Di Canio's capture of Giaccherini should have Sunderland fans excited. The former Swindon manager always promises fireworks, but with this signing, he may have ignited the fuse for future success.

Having already completed seven signings this summer, Sunderland have been the busiest Premier League club and are only likely to increase their tally of new arrivals.

One of those being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light—and not for the first time—is Tottenham fringe player, Tom Huddlestone, who is once again being associated with those leaving White Hart Lane, per the Guardian.

Although the 26-year-old has fallen out of favour in North London, Huddlestone has the potential to be the most important figure at Sunderland.

Right Place at the Right Time

As of this moment, Sunderland’s midfield is without a doubt the area undergoing the most rigorous change with their new manager at the helm.

Although former FC Basel man, Cabral, is the only central player to have been brought into the side, rumour would dictate that a bevy of midfield names could yet head for the Stadium of Light exit.

According to the Mirror Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon are probable candidates to leave and the Sunderland Echo have reported that David Vaughan is viewed as surplus to requirements. If that wasn’t enough, the Irish Independent now allege that Jack Colback will jump ship having turned down a contract extension under Di Canio.

In short, space could be all too available for a few reinforcements in that area of the pitch.

With Cabral, Alfred N’Diaye, Craig Gardner and Sebastian Larsson seemingly the only safe faces in central midfield, a more creative influx certainly wouldn’t go astray, either.

At times in his career, Huddlestone has been remarked as one of the best passers in the English game. George Burley, the former Derby County manager who gave the then-17-year-old his professional debut has even compared his ex-trainee to former England great, Glenn Hoddle, per the Guardian.

Burley, who managed Crystal Palace as recently as 2011, has stated:

It may be a big thing to say, but there is nobody else in the Premier League with the type of passing that Tom has in his locker. He can play the ball with his left and his right foot, he can send over a 70-yard pass or put through a short ball to send a striker away on goal.

Of course, some plaguing knee injuries have seen Huddlestone’s progress halted in a way, and what was looking like a promising England career is now on hold, at the least.

That being said, the Nottingham native has the playmaking attributes currently needed by the team that recorded one of the lowest goal tallies in the 2012-13 campaign.

Positional Malleability

As the modern game has progressed, so too has the nature of how position is defined and the frequency with which players are called upon to fulfil multiple roles within a team.

In his truest nature, Huddlestone is a deep-lying playmaker, one who pulls the strings from a side’s engine room while others might accomplish the more exuberant feats.

However, the midfielder’s play is not limited exclusively to those confines. As Huddlestone has shown in the past, the 26-year-old is capable of dropping further back, happy to play the role of defensive midfielder.

In fact, some may already classify the Spurs man as an anchor, but Huddlestone’s positioning and penchant to step into more advanced positions points to an altogether more rounded asset.

Huddlestone’s versatility even means that filling in at centre-back is not to be considered out of the question for the playmaker, something Di Canio might require at times given the average age of his central defenders.

With Cabral and N’Diaye undoubtedly the more defensively-inclined of Sunderland’s current midfield batch, Huddlestone would be given license to roam more than he’s been able to at Spurs of late.

Cut-Price Fee

According to the Guardian’s Louise Taylor, talks between Sunderland and Tottenham are thought to be discussing a deal for Huddlestone somewhere in the region of £5 million.

Although the layer made 28 appearances for the North London side last season, many of those came from the bench and have left Huddlestone with a sense of frustration towards Andre Villas-Boas.

All in all, it’s a good state of affairs as far as Sunderland can be concerned. The player is eager to leave, the manager seems willing to sell the player and the player is also something that Sunderland are in need of—a creative but powerful central weapon.

What’s more, if Huddlestone is indeed keen to move on, the promise of playing time with the Black Cats could force through a deal that much faster and at that much less of a fee, too.

For a 26-year-old English international who has one more than one occasion been tipped for great things, Huddlestone looks a savvy expenditure. There’s certainly worse ways to spend £5 million in the Premier League.

Considering it’s the likes of Moussa Dembele, Sandro, Lewis Holtby, Scott Parker, Gylfi Sigurdsson and now Brazil’s Paulinho that the player would be competing for a place with, it’s understandable how he may have slipped down the pecking order.

However, at Sunderland, Huddlestone could be a key presence, the latch between defence, midfield and attack, all in one handy, bargain package.

The general consensus in football is that ages 27-30 is where an outfielder will experience their playing prime. With that being the case and should the player be able to stave off niggling knee injuries, it may yet be Paolo Di Canio who gets the best out of Tom Huddlestone.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that Jozy Altidore is only 23 years old.

It was five years ago, after all, that the New Jersey-born striker departed the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer for La Liga’s Villarreal as a teenager—the same season in which he would make his international debut for the United States.

Altidore has been a household name in American football circles since shortly after his 16th birthday, and over the years, fans have lived the highs and lows of his career alongside him. Perhaps that’s why he already seems like a veteran—while his journey hasn’t been all that long, it has taken him and his supporters to so many places.

Four summers ago, Altidore was sent on a second loan stint from Villarreal—this time to Premier League side Hull City. (He had spent part of the previous campaign at Xerez.) And while there was some obvious prestige about the move, it turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, with only a single goal to show from 28 Premier League appearances and a spell in the English top flight that ended with an ejection for violent conduct.

More disappointment was to follow the next season at Villarreal and Bursaspor, where he spent a third loan period, but in July 2011, a permanent move to AZ Alkmaar gave the then-21-year-old both a fresh start and a new, understanding manager to work with in the form of Gertjan Verbeek.

It was in Dutch football that Altidore, with Verbeek’s help, was finally able to polish the rough edges of his game. Slowly but surely he became a more well-rounded forward, and his efforts paid off with back-to-back seasons of 20 and 31 goals.

This past spring he helped AZ Alkmaar to the KNVB Cup, and in a June friendly against Germany he scored his first goal for the United States since November 2011. He would subsequently open the scoring in World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica, Panama and Honduras—each of which the Americans would win.

“I think I’m more complete,” Altidore told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle in a recent interview. “When I say that—my passes, my holding the ball up, being a better finisher, taking free kicks, taking penalty kicks—I’ve added more to my game, trying to become more all-around.”

No doubt his two seasons in the Eredivisie helped in his maturation as a footballer, and now it seems he is ready to once again test himself in the Premier League.

On Friday, AZ Alkmaar accepted Sunderland’s £6 million bid for Altidore, who is expected to join up with his club as early as Sunday, per Colin Young of the Daily Mail.

At Sunderland, Altidore will work with manager Paolo Di Canio, who will employ a traditional 4-4-2 formation at the Stadium of Light this coming season. The system should work to the United States international’s advantage, as he will be able to work off a more solitary centre-forward such as Steven Fletcher while benefiting from the supply of wingers Sebastian Larsson and Stephane Sessegnon.

This time around Altidore is arriving in England confident in his abilities and with a recent track record of success on which to build. It’s an entirely different set of circumstances from his Hull City days, and it’s an entirely different player who, this time, will be looking to make an impact at club football’s highest level. 

In a move that has been speculated a great deal ever since his recent red-hot play with the U.S. men's national team, Jozy Altidore is set to leave Dutch club AZ Alkmaar. 

UPDATE: Tuesday, July 9, at 7:40 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

SAFC.com reporter Kate Smith confirmed Altidore's move to Sunderland:

Sunderland AFC have confirmed the signing of US striker Jozy Altidore from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. 

The 23-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the Black Cats, for an undisclosed fee. 

---End of update---

UPDATE: Sunday, July 7, at 11:50 a.m. ET by Ian Hanford

SKY Sports provides the latest on Altidore:

Altidore briefly revealed on Friday that a deal had been done before removing the confirmation from his personal website.

However, it appears there has been no late hitch and the United States international will now fly into Wearside on Monday to complete his move.

---End of update---

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the 23-year-old striker will make his return to the English Premier League with Sunderland, and the deal will be finalized Monday. 

For such a young player, Altidore has already endured quite the roller-coaster career. 

After establishing himself as one of the most tantalizing American-born players in recent memory, he signed with La Liga side Villarreal as an 18-year-old in 2008. 

Failing to make much of an impact in Spain, he was loaned to several different squads, including EPL club Hull City. He continued to struggle, however, scoring just one goal in 28 appearances, while at the same time falling out of the starting XI for Team USA. 

When all hope was seemingly gone, a move to the Eredivisie club restored his confidence and resurrected his once-promising career. 

In 67 matches with AZ, he found the back of the net 38 times, including 27 across all competitions during the 2012-13 season. 

That success translated to the international level, as Altidore most recently scored goals in four straight contests, including a couple of beauties in World Cup qualifying to put the Americans at the top of the CONCACAF table. 

Although he has scored 17 international goals for the senior team, there is little question he is currently playing better than ever. 

Nearly relegated Sunderland—and Team USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who will need Altidore for the rest of qualifying and the World Cup—will be hoping the talented striker can continue that tremendous form going into 2014.

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