Huge Kristjaan Speakman error laid bare after Sunderland defeat at Southampton

The playing team was once again the center of attention as Sunderland lost 4-2 against Southampton on Saturday.

Against Southampton, Sunderland fielded the youngest starting lineup the Championship has ever seen, with an average age of just 20.8 years.

18-year-old Jobe Bellingham also started and displayed some shoddy defending for the first goal, while 16-year-old Chris Rigg was dubbed “incredibly naive” after handing up a penalty.

Joe Rothwell scored twice in quick succession after coming off the bench to give Southampton the lead, despite Bellingham’s spectacular goal in the second half pulling Sunderland level.

Due of their inexperience, Sunderland paid.

EFL analyst Ali Maxwell provided the following analysis of the 4-2 loss to Southampton on the Not The Top 20 Podcast:

Given their inexperience, Sunderland most likely struggled to control the game at 2-2, as they were twice defeated on the break. Their open, man-to-man style of play when they are out of possession can be very difficult for the opposition, but this time they just couldn’t. Thus, from Sunderland’s perspective, it’s simple to blame inexperience here.

Even though he only has the players he can play with, interim manager Mike Dodds is beginning to face more and more criticism for his poor team choices and tactics.

Injuries aren’t helping Sunderland either, and while Dodds will share some of the blame, Kristjaan Speakman, the sporting director, should bear the most of the burden.

Sunderland’s Kristjaan Speakman committed a grave mistake.

When it comes to the transfer market, Sunderland has a very clear identity and plan.

Additionally, despite their successes with players like Jack Clarke and the discovery of prospects in Pierre Ekwah, Dan Ballard, Trai Hume, and other players, far too many players have failed to make a significant impact.

That has made Sunderland a very bad Championship team at the moment, along with a glaring lack of experience in the squad.

Sunderland failed to buy a striker once again last summer, with the sale of Danny Batth seemingly igniting a series of missteps in the transfer window.

Speakman and Sunderland took a chance on players like Luis Hemir, Mason Burstow, and Nazariy Rusyn, who between them have three Championship goals, rather than buying a proven player who could assure goals.

The Black Cats attempted to recruit Kieffer Moore in January but were unsuccessful once more. As a result, they sold Alex Pritchard to Birmingham City for a mere £100,000 in January.

With Rigg struggling, Dodds might have really benefited from having a capable no. 10 on the field against Southampton. Pritchard was in form and on fire at the time of his sale, and his departure removed a great deal of skill and balance from the team.

With a new manager, a losing record, and a lot of fan complaints regarding the club’s status, Sunderland finds itself in an unexpected situation right now.

Sunderland simply lacks experience in the starting lineup at the moment, so they will just need to hope they have enough talent to finish the season.

Hopefully, by the summer, Speakman and company will have learnt their experiences and will be wary of offloading a player due to his age. Instead, they should look to sign players who, while a little older than average, can provide experience and stability

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