Sunderland may regret allowing a “dangerous” Mundle upgrade to go.
This former Sunderland player would be a significant boost over new Black Cats signing Romaine Mundle.
Sunderland is in danger of relegation to the Championship following six consecutive defeats in the second division. They are only nine points away from the bottom three.
At one stage, the Wearside outfit’s main ambition was to gain promotion to the Premier League. Now, the more immediate goal might simply be to restore stability to the building and stop the deterioration before they fall farther down the league standings.
Sunderland fans were pleased with Romaine Mundle’s first goal for the club against Southampton, despite a quiet start for the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youth player.
Sunderland would love to turn back the clock and have one previous loanee back on their books to brighten the mood, with the former Black Cats attacker currently shining down the right wing – where Mundle has lined up for his new club – in the Premier League.
Antoine Semenyo’s time with Sunderland
Antoine Semenyo’s brief loan period at Sunderland has been largely forgotten, given how little influence the current AFC Bournemouth forward had on those at the Stadium of Light in 2020, and what he has gone on to do since the short-term transfer.
Despite playing only 184 minutes for Sunderland, the 24-year-old winger was highly regarded by then-manager Phil Parkinson during his brief tenure.
| Lineup for Semenyo’s debut | |
|---|---|
| Portsmouth 2-0 Sunderland: League One, Feb 2020 | |
| 1. GK – Jon McLaughlin | |
| 2. RB – Luke O’Nien | |
| 3. CB – Joel Lynch | |
| 4. CB – Jordan Willis | |
| 5. CB – Bailey Wright | |
| 6. LB – Denver Hume | |
| 7. CM – George Dobson | |
| 8. CM – Max Power | |
| 9. RW – Chris Maguire (Antoine Semenyo subbed on) | |
| 10. LW – Lynden Gooch | |
| 11. ST – Charlie Wyke | |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt |
Parkinson praised Semenyo for having a “dangerous” presence for his then League One Black Cats club coming off the bench, but the teenage loanee was never able to dislodge the likes of Charlie Wyke and Chris Maguire, who were seasoned and solid heads up front.
Despite making only seven games for the Wearside giants, the Ghana international failed to make an impact and returned to Bristol City without scoring.
Despite this unsuccessful loan stay so early in his career, Semenyo would go on to have a successful return to his native club.
Even the most optimistic Sunderland fan could not have predicted that Semenyo would go on to have a Premier League career after failing to break into the Black Cats’ first team, but the Wearside outfit must now watch on knowing the heights Semenyo has reached and wonder if they could have used the Cherries star more effectively at the Stadium of Light.
Antoine Semenyo’s statistics after leaving Sunderland
Semenyo would ultimately develop into a creative, goal-scoring threat back at Ashton Gate, with Bristol City rewarded for persevering with their one-time Academy prospect until he repayed their unshakable trust with outstanding performances.
Semenyo’s breakout 2021/22 season saw him score eight goals and 12 assists in 31 appearances, making him a significant contributor for the Robins after previously drifting in and out of games.
He was even called up to the Ghana squad as a result of his outstanding performance, with higher-level suitors following fast behind.
Bristol City accepted a £9 million deal from Bournemouth to sell their star winger.
| Bristol City’s record departures – top five | |
|---|---|
| 1. Alex Scott | €23m (£19.6m) |
| 2. Adam Webster | €22.22m (£18.9m) |
| 3. Lloyd Kelly | €14.80m (£12.6m) |
| 4. Jonathan Kodjia | €12.80m (£10.9m) |
| 5. Bobby De Cordovia-Reid | €11.35M (£9.6m) |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | |
Still, although Bristol City managed to bank a respectable £9m, Semenyo doesn’t quite break into their top five record departures looking at the table above.
His exit will sting more now when you look at how swimmingly he’s taken to top-flight life, however, with the Cherries winger onto five goals now this campaign in such a demanding and tricky division.
Sunderland will try not to dismiss Mundle as quickly as they did with Semenyo on loan, with the Bournemouth number 24 lately shining as a goalscoring hero in Andoni Iraola’s side’s 2-0 away triumph at Burnley.
Mundle hopes to adjust well to his new surroundings after breaking his duck against Russell Martin’s Saints. The Black Cats want a reliable attacker like Semenyo to snap their losing streak.
Romaine Mundle struggles at Sunderland
Mundle had moments of brilliance at St. Mary’s, including a deflected shot that caught Gavin Bazunu off guard. The ex-Standard Liege player won four duels to prevent Southampton’s comeback.
However, Sunderland want a prolific figure in attack, particularly with Jack Clarke in the Stadium of Light treatment room, and Mundle will need to demonstrate this passion and willingness to score goals on a continuous basis away from this one-off game against the Saints in order to impress further.
The 20-year-old’s lack of continuous first-team minutes away from this game has hindered his acclimatization, with an average of only 46 minutes per match in a Sunderland shirt.
The faltering Wearside team will have to be patient and hope Mundle, like their other novice squad players, can develop into a hero for the club over time.
They will be concerned about history repeating itself, given that Semenyo was previously viewed as an uninspiring winger while on loan and has now gone on to become a devastatingly successful attacking force for Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply