EPL Predictions - Overachieving Team

In fact, before his stint in the Dutch league Altidore was quite an underwhelming player. He has been a relative non-factor in his time before AZ, including a stint on loan at Hull City where he scored just once as Hull were relegated from the EPL in 2010. His disappointing play meant that he was able to move to Alkmaar for very little in 2011. Now, after two seasons of ripping up the Eredivisie, Altidore is back in the Premiership, this time by way of a $13 million purchase.

For every Kezman and Afonso Alves in the Dutch league, there is also a Dennis Bergkamp and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. In all likelihood Altidore will fall somewhere in between, failing to set the world alight but offering enough to see Sunderland become an improved attacking team in 2013/14.

While many aren’t sure what to expect from Josy Altidore, Emanuele Giacherrini is a much less risky proposition. In fact, he may well end up becoming the signing of the season when all is said and done.

The versatile Italian came to Sunderland by way of Juventus, for whom he played 40 games between 2011-2013. He was a big part of the side that has won back to back Serie A titles, including an unbeaten league campaign in 2011-12. For those who doubt Giacherrini’s quality, consider that Juventus manager Antonio Conte put up a real fight to try and convince his club not to part with the versatile Italian international. However, his hands were tied as the club were required to recoup funds which were paid out for earlier in the transfer window for players such as Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.

If anybody had lingering doubts, Giacherrini’s quality was confirmed for all during the recent Confederations Cup. He put in a number of outstanding performances for Italy, and might well have been the player of the tournament if it weren’t for the brilliant Brazilian forward Neymar, whose contributions essentially won the competition for the home nation. Giacherrini was undoubtedly the best player in an Italian side which featured the likes of Mario Balotelli, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi. His now unquestioned quality makes the Italian the sort of player who can single-handedly lift a team from the bottom half of the table to the top.

With his new signings and a new attitude at the Stadium of Light, a lot can be expected of Paolo Di Canio’s team this season. However, the Italian maestro hasn’t solved all of the problems facing the North East club. While Di Canio has done a lot of positive things since he arrived on Wearside in April, the defence is still somewhat of a problem area that, in truth, Di Canio has all but ignored.

The team only conceded 54 goals in the last campaign, which is a much better total than almost every other team in the bottom half of the table. On top of that, they will have Wes Brown returning from injury which should provide a sizeable boost to the defensive efforts.

However with ageing defensive stalwarts John O’Shea and Brown leading the back line, Di Canio can’t expect that such defensive security will last. His team is weak at full back and old at centre back, a combination which makes them vulnerable against virtually everyone. Above all else, that should be the biggest worry for Sunderland fans as they enter this new season.

Having said that, with the plethora of attacking options and the new elite level of fitness that he has demanded from his players, Di Canio should have enough to see the Black Cats rise significantly from last season’s precariously low perch of 17th place. The annual flirtation with the premier league’s trapdoor may well be a thing of the past now, and fans should be expecting a safe and comfortable campaign on Wearside this season.