Sunderland

One of the most anticipated summer transfer window sagas involving an American player got kick-started earlier this week as forward Jozy Altidore was the subject of a bid made by English Premier League club Sunderland (via SportingNews.com).

Altidore has been the subject of transfer speculation for a few months now after he starred in the Eredivisie last season with AZ Alkmaar.

The 23-year-old scored 31 goals in all competitions for the Dutch side last season, and he followed that performance with four goals in the month of June for the United States men's national team.

To be fair, most American fans are unfamiliar with the club who have reportedly had one bid for the forward denied already (via ESPN UK).

The one characteristic about the Black Cats that will stick out immediately to American fans is their rather outlandish manager, Paolo Di Canio, who barely saved the club from relegation to the Championship last season.

During his seven matches in charge of the Wearside-based club at the end of last season, Di Canio preferred to use a 4-4-1-1 formation, which is a formation that would suit the talents of Altidore.

Last season at AZ Alkmaar, Altidore lined up in a 4-3-3 formation but was the lone forward in a lineup that featured the playmaking midfield talent of Adam Maher.

For the United States, Altidore has been lining up as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 with Clint Dempsey playing behind him in support.

As a physical forward who can create something out of nothing, Altidore would fit into the 4-4-1-1 that Di Canio used last season at Sunderland.

If he were to end up on Wearside before the transfer window closes, Altidore would be a massive weapon up front for the Black Cats midfielders to provide service to.

Currently, the Black Cats possess two of the most underrated players in the EPL in Stephane Sessegnon and Sebastian Larsson, both of whom are strong crossers from the wing.

Larsson has proven in his time in England that he can be a valuable asset on free kicks, and if he has a target like Altidore to provide crosses to, his assist total would be much higher than the three he recorded last season.

As if having Sessgenon and Larsson on the roster wasn't enough incentive for Altidore to join the Sunderland attack, which is in desperate need of a consistent, healthy goal-scorer, the Black Cats also have young talents Adam Johnson and James McClean on the depth chart.

Johnson, who was rescued from his bench horror at Manchester City last summer, led the club in assists with six in 35 appearances last season.

While Johnson's career is beginning to come into bloom quite nicely, the potential of McClean has yet to be realized, and having someone like Altidore in the lineup to provide with assists would do nothing but boost the confidence of the 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international.

As for who would play in the position right behind Altidore in the 4-4-1-1, the easy answer would be Steven Fletcher, who led the club in goals with 11 last season.

Fletcher would have easily scored a few more goals last season had he not been downed by a season-ending injury in March.

Having an experienced player like Fletcher, who has played in the EPL with Wolves and Sunderland, in the lineup alongside Altidore would help the young American ease into a permanent life in the EPL as well as give him someone he could combine with in attack.

If there ever was an ideal scenario for Altidore to enter into it would be the one at Sunderland, a club who are in need of a young, proven goal-scorer and have plenty of weapons to assist him on his way to a strong first full season in the EPL.

What do you think of the potential move of Jozy Altidore to Sunderland?

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

Nationality: Argentine

Club: Velez Sarsfield

Position: Right full-back/right-sided midfielder

Age: 21

Height: 1.78m (5'10")

Contract situation:

The young right-back has been linked with various Serie A clubs, in particular Internazionale, for the past two seasons, but according to Ed Malyon of Mirror Football, Sunderland may be close to pulling off a transfer market masterstroke by signing Peruzzi.

Malyon writes:

Now, despite being watched by Europe’s top clubs, it appears the rebuilding Black Cats may be on the brink of securing the starlet’s signature.

Boasting four international caps already, Peruzzi is eligible for an Italian passport and will therefore not require a work permit to complete a move to the Wearsiders.

Peruzzi confirmed to fans on Wednesday that he was in talks with Sunderland ahead of the Argentine league’s ‘Superfinal’ on Sunday.

Comments from Velez general manager Christian Bassedas on radio station Rock & Pop confirm that Peruzzi is on his way out of the club, as reported by Ole.

Strengths

In short, Peruzzi has the potential be the signing of the century for Sunderland, especially if his price tag is around the $5 million mark as some reports are suggesting.

The player was already touted as future star when he established himself as starting right-back at Velez, one of the current powerhouses of Argentine football, but he really caught the attention of pundits with a flawless performance over two legs against Santos in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals in 2012. 

Peruzzi marked Brazilian wunderkind Neymar out of the tie for the entire 180 minutes to confirm his status as Argentina's most promising young defender.

Consistently strong displays for Velez further added to his reputation, so much so that Peruzzi is now on the fringes of Alejandro Sabella's Argentina side. He was called into the squad for the Seleccion's last two World Cup qualifying matches and won a starting berth against Ecuador in Quito.

Why is he rated so highly?

"El Tano" is a technically gifted and tactically proficient right-back who shows canny positional sense and has a big enough engine to allow him to bomb back and forth down the touchline all day long.

In recent times he has also shown himself to be a threat going forward. Though he is not lightning quick, he has an ability to cruise past opposition defenders and send in accurate crosses. He is sometimes utilized as a right-sided midfielder at Velez.

It is Peruzzi's poise at the back, however, that is most noteworthy. He has the confident swagger of a player many years his senior, and that is generally an indicator of a future superstar.

Weaknesses

Most of the faults in Peruzzi's game can probably be put down to a lack of experience. 

He can sometimes be left flat-footed by pacey attackers, especially if he is not getting sufficient support from teammates. 

In the last six months, he hasn't enjoyed the same levels of consistency as in previous seasons, and his place in Velez's starting 11 has become less secure. 

Verdict

Any fee under $10 million is a bargain for this player, who will be worth substantially more in five years' time. 

All indications are that he is set to follow in the footsteps of Javier Zanetti to become Argentina's next rock at right-back.

In what will come as no surprise to U.S. soccer fans, English Premier League side Sunderland are set to make a run at signing American striker Jozy Altidore from current club AZ Alkmaar, according to Graeme Anderson of the Sunderland Echo.

Altidore, folks. Someone I can assure you is at the top of S'land's shopping list. http://t.co/yeL3udkTk2. Thoughts? #safc

— graeme anderson (@sunechograeme) June 21, 2013

The 23-year-old New Jersey native scored 31 goals in 41 matches for the Dutch side this past season, and he has also been on fire for the U.S. national team, scoring in each of his last four matches for the Red, White and Blue.

Part of the interest in Altidore could stem from Sunderland owner and chairman Ellis Short, a Missouri-born and Dallas-based businessman who took over the club late in 2008.

Per Graeme Anderson:

Although [Spanish side] Villarreal signed the then 18-year-old prospect for a hefty £7m in 2008, he is expected to cost less than that to buy this summer – despite his recent goalscoring record.

Short would hope to get his man for as little as £5m as AZ look to cash in.

But despite the American connection, there isn’t expected to be a shortage of interested parties when it comes to Altidore.

Even earlier in the season, prior to Altidore’s goal-scoring breakthrough, AZ sporting director Earnie Stewart—himself a former U.S. international—revealed on the club website that “scouts from big clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have visited AZ games,” wanting to watch the American up close.

Similarly, AZ manager Gertjan Verbeek recently told Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl he expects Altidore to make a move during the summer transfer window, joining a bigger club in the Netherlands or another country in Europe.

Late in May, MLSSoccer.com reported that Lazio and Schalke were among the bigger European sides showing interest in Altidore.

Wherever Altidore ends up, U.S. fans can only hope that he continues to get playing time. That seems likely at a place like Sunderland; the Black Cats tied for the third-fewest goals scored in the league with just 41 in 38 games.

So, what do you think? Would Sunderland's Stadium of Light be a good fit for the young American?

Follow @ahirshfield

Ten-man Sunderland struck back on Monday night to draw 1-1 with Stoke City and breathe life into a flailing campaign.

Stoke opened the scoring inside 10 minutes after Jonathan Walters fired home the second attempt from a corner, but Sunderland pegged the visitors back in the second half.

Dean Whitehead flicked a Black Cats corner toward the back post and John O'Shea was on hand to steer the ball home.

The result stopped Stoke from clawing their way to genuine safety at 43 points, while also hindering Sunderland's attempts to reach the sought-after 40-point mark.

It also represented yet another 90 minutes after which no conclusions can yet be drawn on the English Premier League dogfight.

There are still eight sides competing to avoid falling into that dreaded 18th spot in the table, joining Reading and Queens Park Rangers in the Championship next season.

Sunderland clamber above Norwich City and Newcastle United—all on 38 points—thanks to a better goal difference and will be looking to leapfrog Southampton in the table by beating them this coming Sunday.

Had the Black Cats failed to peg the Potters back and give themselves a fighting chance, many would suggest a loss to the Saints at home would seal their fate.

Norwich slip to 16th place, sit on a dreaded minus-22 goal difference and face two incredibly daunting fixtures: West Bromwich Albion at home and Manchester City away.

If the Canaries fail to beat WBA, the sides who have already attained 40 points will feel safe. Even a draw would only see them to 39 and an away win at the Etihad Stadium is incredibly unlikely.

Aston Villa will still be feeling pretty good about their situation. Their goal difference isn't favourable, but they have the ability to win the games they really have to and it would take a miracle set of results to see them drop.

Norwich, Newcastle and Southampton fans will be feeling the heat, but it stands to reason that any worrying done is pointless until Wigan Athletic catch up on games.

Their clash with nothing-to-play-for Swansea on Tuesday will truly shape this relegation battle and a win for the Latics would see Newcastle drop into the relegation zone with just two games to play.

That brings a whole new meaning to the word "tension" as the Magpies step out onto the pitch at Loftus Road. If they can't win, they're hoping for a miracle on the last day against Champions League-chasing Arsenal.

Who's your favourite for the drop?

Follow @stighefootball

As Sunderland go into a pivotal point of their season, they are one of the most talked about clubs in world football, following the appointment of new manager Paulo Di Canio.

Like many, I was shocked by the sacking of Martin O'Neill. I thought he would be given at least until the end of the season, but after losing at home to Manchester United, owner Ellis Short had clearly seen enough. 

He didn't want Sunderland relegated and so a change was made with the controversial Italian appointed to his first top-flight role.

So what is Di Canio actually like as a manager?

The only experience he has is a rollercoaster season and a half in charge of Swindon. However, what can't be denied is that he was a great success during his time at the club. He led them to the League 2 title, playing a style of football rarely seen at that level of the game. Di Canio and Swindon carried that form into League 1 and were among the favourites for a back-to-back promotion when Di Canio resigned in February.

He has shown all the attributes needed to succeed as a manager. He is incredibly passionate about his work and is very hands on at training, which players appreciate in the modern day.

However, there are certain aspects of his managerial style that he will need to curb to be a success in the Premier League. The main one being that he cannot afford to fall out with his players so consistently at Sunderland as he did during his time at Swindon.

Premier League players are worth big money and have large egos, much like Di Canio during his playing days, and they have to be managed, rather than confronted.

Di Canio, though, is a smart man. He will recognise the big change in style that is required and will adapt to make a success of his job. Because what is beyond doubt is that Di Canio is one of the smartest young managers in the game, and Sunderland have found the man who will not only save them this season but has the potential to take them on to the next level of the game. 

So, Paolo Di Canio is not a fascist. He's said so himself in an official club statement to distance himself from rumours that he held far-right beliefs. Rumours that all started when he said he was a fascist.

The Italian's appointment has caused a deluge of debate and horrified reaction across England, but it's difficult to see why. Di Canio is neither the first nor the last footballer to say something stupid, and unless UEFA plans to punish each and every one of them it's time to move on.

Di Canio's comments, and his actions, have often been abhorrent. But then, John Terry racially abused someone in front of millions of people and went on to represent England at Euro 2012 while the powers that be in the FA delayed his case. English football's not exactly leading the way in the fight against racism. 

Of course, giving the Sunderland manager job to someone with right-wing connections was always going to be controversial. A club with proud working class, socialist traditions might not seem like the most obvious destination for someone like Di Canio, but this is professional football.

There was an opportunity, and he took it, in much the same way as the club took the chance to secure the services of someone who's proving to be an effective—if still controversial—manager in a time of dire need.

Plenty of other people took the opportunity, too. The opportunity to fill newspaper columns and to earn political kudos, in the case of David Miliband, the former Labour MP, who resigned from the club's board in protest. That Miliband is moving to New York to take up an important new charity role and was probably looking for an out anyway has nothing to do with it.  

"in the light of the new manager's past political statements, I think it right to step down," said Miliband, possibly as he checked in online for his flight. 

The papers have made plenty out of it too. The Daily Mail selectively deleted some passages in Di Canio's autobiography to concoct this quote:

In his autobiography, Di Canio describes Mussolini, the National Fascist Party leader until his execution in 1945, as 'basically a very principled, ethical individual' who was 'deeply misunderstood'.

The full quote is slightly more nuanced: 

He deceived people. His actions were often vile. But all this was motivated by a higher purpose. He was basically a very principled individual. Yet he turned against his sense of right and wrong. He compromised his ethics.

Clearly, anything but a full denunciation of someone like Benito Mussolini leaves a foul taste in the mouth. But Di Canio is better left to hang himself. Twisting his words to make them worse than they already are is needless and only serves to weaken an argument against him. 

For his part, he's done his best to put the past behind him. His statement on the Sunderland website read:

This is a historic, proud and ethical club and to read and hear some of the vicious and personal accusations is painful. I am an honest man, my values and principles come from my family and my upbringing.

I feel that I should not have to continually justify myself to people who do not understand this, however I will say one thing only - I am not the man that some people like to portray.

I am not political, I do not affiliate myself to any organisation, I am not a racist and I do not support the ideology of fascism. I respect everyone.

Does he? Who knows? But until Di Canio commits a crime or causes controversy with racist remarks, he should be left to do his job. Football has bigger problems, and chasing one controversial foreigner out of English football will do little to tackle the big issues. 

Racially charged events, like that between Terry and Anton Ferdinand last year, are still common. And the gay rights organisation Stonewall claims that seven in 10 fans attending a football match in the last five years has witnessed homophobic abuse. They say that as many as 78 percent of fans believe openly gay players would be targeted. 

Di Canio once said that the best lesson his father ever taught him was when he slapped him in the face at dinner, in front of the footballer's own wife and child. He'd been rude to his mother, and he deserved to be put in his place. He's clearly not above taking criticism, and 10 years on from his hateful comments it's possible that he regrets them and has developed as a person. 

They were, after all, made at a time when England's much-loved Ron Atkinson was insulting Chinese women and calling French legend Marcel Desailly a "lazy f*****g thick n*****r."

Atkinson's defence—"I've offended nobody more than me at the moment. It's cost me roughly a million quid"—was laughable. But it got better. Oddly similar to Di Canio's disputed 2005 claim that he is "a fascist but not a racist," Atkinson said he wasn't a racist but was "an idiot."

Di Canio has already suffered for his fascist connections. It was largely due to his right-wing ultra links that his contract was not renewed by Lazio president Claudio Lotito in 2006, and the remarks have been dogging him ever since. 

Having now come out publicly denouncing racism and fascism, Di Canio should be allowed to move on with his career. He's a character that will always divide opinion but short of finding someone guilty of a thought crime it's time to put this controversy to bed, even if this writer is among the many who find the Italian to be a repugnant character. 

He says he "respects everyone." Let him prove it. 

After a lifeless home defeat to Manchester Utd Saturday, Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill was sacked for the first time in his 26-year managerial career.

At Leicester in the 1990s, the Ulsterman was treated like a God after two League Cup wins and three top-10 Premiership finishes. The former law student—famed for his forensic approach—also won multiple titles at Celtic and was at various stages in his career tipped to be both England manager and a successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester Utd.

Yet after defeat to the Red Devils—The Black Cats' fifth loss in a winless run of eight games—O'Neill finds himself with no job and the wilting remains of a reputation he has worked so hard to build.

While O'Neill's dismissal has evoked some controversy and disputation, it is nothing compared to the circus that is currently revolving around his replacement.

Late Sunday night, Sunderland announced a two-and-a-half year deal with Paolo Di Canio.

In his first year of management last season, the Italian guided Swindon Town to the top of League Two but resigned in February following financial disputes. He was, by all accounts, pretty successful at the County Ground.

Yet while some may doubt he has the credentials and experience to survive a Premier League relegation battle, most of the headlines have been dominated by Di Canio's political leanings.

The former West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday forward is an outspoken fascist. On several occasions while playing for Lazio, he celebrated with a Roman salute, known better as a Nazi salute. He has a tattoo dedicated to Benito Mussolini, and praises the fascist dictator at length in his autobiography.

When asked to defend his Nazi salute celebrations, the hot-tempered Italian simply said "I'm a fascist, not a racist."

Fascism—or any kind of extreme political belief—is not compatible with the beautiful game. FIFA has a ban on any kind of political gesture on the field, and Di Canio once received a £7,000 fine for his salute antics. More recently, a Greek midfielder was handed a national team ban for a Nazi salute but has continued to insist he has no political affiliation in subsequent disciplinary hearings.

Di Canio is not the only man in the game with fascist beliefs—Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati is one example of a similarly minded footballer. It should also be noted that there was very little fuss when he was handed the reins at Swindon Town.

Yet his appointment at Sunderland feels particularly ill judged due to the traditional socialist leanings of the club. Tyne and Wear is a working class area and a stronghold for the Labour Party. Fans will often sing a version left-wing protest song "The Red Flag."

Minutes after Di Canio's appointment, Labour Member of Parliament David Miliband resigned from his position on the Sunderland board, stepping down "in light of the manager's past political statements."

Miliband isn't the only one being driven away by the Italian's arrival. Bob Hudson, an academic at Durham University has been attending Black Cats games since 1955 but now describes himself as a "former Sunderland AFC supporter."

Ellis Short has made one of the worst decisions in the history of #SAFC. Ripped the heart out of the club as far as I'm concerned.

— Bob Hudson (@SAFCBOB) March 31, 2013

Elsewhere on Twitter, it has been pointed out that Sunderland signed a partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation the day before they appointed a fascist manager. The Foundation may not be entirely pleased with this apparent hypocrisy.

Aside from his political beliefs, Di Canio might prove to be a volatile presence at a time of crisis at the Stadium of Light. This is a man who rarely contained his temper on the pitch—just ask referee Paul Alcock. This is a man who ranted after getting sent off from the dugout at Swindon and who punched one of his own players.

Is a manager with such a short fuse and an utter disregard for invoking controversy the type of person to lead the club out of such a sticky situation?

Di Canio now has seven games in which to prove himself, including visits to Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa and the Tyne-Wear derby. That's away days at two Champions League contenders and two fellow relegation battlers.

If he manages to turn the club around to winning ways, owner Ellis Short's gamble of bringing in a relatively inexperienced manager at such a crucial time will have paid off. Provided he is not overt in political discussion, perhaps Sunderland's socialist contingent will even tolerate his presence in time.

Yet his appointment is definitely a gamble and one that has undoubtedly struck a sour note at the club. Sunderland are now losing the public relations battle, hopefully at the expense of surviving the relegation one. 

Sunderland have wasted no time in finding a replacement manager for Martin O'Neill, hiring Paolo Di Canio as their new manager for the rest of the year.

According to BBC Sport, Di Canio has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light, with his first task that of saving the club from relegation.

The Black Cats are currently winless through their past eight games and have slipped to just one point above the relegation zone.

With only seven games remaining in the Premier League season, Sunderland will seemingly have a real fight on their hands to stay alive —which, when you think about it, makes Di Canio the perfect man for the job. 

Di Canio led Swindon Town to League Two success last season, but he has no managerial experience in the English Premier League. He does, however, have playing experience in the league, which saw him chalk up seasons at Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United and Charlton Athletic. 

Moreover, Di Canio has the passion and energy needed to fire up Sunderland over the remaining seven games and awaken the talent that has gone dormant inside them.

Known as a very enigmatic player during his time in the league, Di Canio's wholehearted enthusiasm could well be a huge catalyst for change at the Stadium of Light—which could well be the difference between staying up or going down at the end of the year.

And while Sunderland won't admit to it, the reality is that should they drop to the championship, Di Canio is a great manager to have there.

His experience in the lower leagues will be invaluable to the club, and he could win them back to the top flight as a result.

Sunderland chairman Ellis Short said of Di Canio's hiring (via BBC):

Paolo is hugely enthused by the challenge that lies ahead of him. He is passionate, driven and raring to get started. 

The sole focus of everyone for the next seven games will be to ensure we gain enough points to maintain our top-flight status. I think that the chances of that are greatly increased with Paolo joining us.

Di Canio has won 54 of his 95 games as a manager so far (all at Swindon Town) and will be looking to improve on his 57 percent winning percentage here.

However, with the chance to keep a struggling club from being relegated, it seems everything else will be secondary to that for the dynamic Italian manager.

Di Canio's first game in charge will be against Chelsea on April 7.

What do you think of Sunderland's decision to hire Paolo Di Canio?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter:  Follow @dantalintyre