Steven Fletcher was a huge Sunderland gaffe

Sunderland have been trying to find dependable marksman for a few years. It’s a search that really stretches again so far as 2012 once they unloaded £14m to signal Steven Fletcher from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The wily Scotsman was coming off the again of a nice 12-goal season within the Premier League, and at simply 24 years previous he appeared like he could possibly be the reply to their issues for the foreseeable future.

Who was one of the best signing for Sunderland out of those names?

To again it up with 11 targets for the Black Cats in his debut season solely sought to verify this notion, because it regarded like they lastly had the dependable aim scorer able to firing them up the desk to security.

Nonetheless, the shape he would again it up with proved that this season had been nothing a couple of that bred a false sense of safety for the followers on Wearside.

He wouldn’t come even near equalling that tally once more, scoring three, five and four within the three seasons following respectively.

The 35-year-old was handed quite a few possibilities to recapture this manner and featured 108 instances for Sunderland. Nonetheless, a return of simply 23 targets marked one more depressing switch for a facet that may get relegated only one yr after Fletcher’s departure.

To make the scenario even worse, they misplaced his companies on a free after his contract had run down. While he sat on wages of round £45k-per-week, his toothless nature in entrance of aim price his facet and the membership dearly.

Fletcher now performs his soccer within the Scottish Premiership however nonetheless struggles for targets it appears. With simply one aim in his opening six to start out the season, plainly Dundee United too are affected by his lack of lethality.

Ex-manager Martin O’Neill definitely had blood on his fingers with this switch blunder because it provides to an extended listing of silly monetary selections that finally despatched the membership down the divisions.

Now again within the Championship and praying for a promotion push, maybe underneath Tony Mowbray there would possibly lastly be some mild on the finish of the tunnel with teen Ellis Simms up high.