Phil Smith: The transfer mistake that Sunderland cannot make again after contract decision confirmed

Phil Smith: The transfer mistake that Sunderland cannot make again after contract decision confirmed

Sunderland revealed on Friday morning that Corry Evans’ stint with the club would come to an end this summer.

The Sunderland shirt is typically described as ‘heavy’. Wearing it is a privilege, but due to the club’s ferocity, it also comes with a lot of pressure.

Some footballers grow taller, while others may shrink. There was a point when you weren’t sure what would happen with Corry Evans.

He had been a consistent presence in the side since signing from Blackburn Rovers,

but when it appeared like another League One promotion push was failing, the criticism he received was often harsh.

It did not last. Evans established himself as an important component in Alex Neil’s team,

a leader and calming presence in the XI that dealt with its weak centre and ground their way to Wembley victory.

Evans can depart knowing he did a good job. His last season on Wearside was hampered by injury,

but he performed what he came to do, to help haul Sunderland back to the Championship and stabilise them there.

In an emotional statement, the 33-year-old stated that he and his family would continue to support the club,

with Evans ultimately living up to his brother’s legacy.

Supporters now hold him in high regard because of how he was able to eventually persuade others who were sceptical.

The decision to release Evans is understandable; he had played little in the last 18 months,

and as he continues to rehabilitate from his serious ACL damage,

there are no promises that he would be able to establish himself as a regular in the club.

With that in mind, it makes financial and footballing sense to look ahead,

but it’s also evident that in the process, Sunderland are going to lose something that they simply have to replace.

When Evans talked to The Echo ahead of the play-off final against Wycombe,

he appeared undeterred by those more difficult days.

He’d been a holding midfielder for most of his career and deadpanned the fact that he’d never been a fan favourite –

his role wasn’t always going to make headlines, which was great with him.

By this point, Evans had seen almost everything in the game.

He was aware of his own talents and shortcomings, as well as the significance of avoiding extremes.

He, like Lynden Gooch, Danny Batth, Alex Pritchard, and Bailey Wright, had the fortitude to stick with it when the going got tough.

With a sprinkle of star dust around them, they were able to get the job done.

Incredibly, his departure, along with Bradley Dack’s, means that Luke O’Nien will be the oldest player on the club next season at the age of 29.

A team that struggled in the second half of the previous season due to a lack of experience is about to lose its captain.

Even after spending months on the sidelines due to an ACL injury,

he remained a vital sounding board for the players, and even in the latter weeks of his tenure at the club,

younger members of the squad praised his steadying impact.

Sunderland’s leadership is always eager to point out that age does not always equate to experience,

which is obviously true. Dan Ballard and Dan Neil, for example,

are both quite young  players but who now have enough second-tier appearances under their belt and have reached

the stage where you can be sure of a certain level of consistency in their performance.

There were not enough of those in the squad last season and Sunderland’s struggle for stability was no surprise as a result.

In fairness,Dack’s arrival was meant in part to offset the loss of Gooch,

Batth and co but the hope that he would be fit enough to feature in a significant number of games proved to be misplaced.

Few would wish to see Sunderland dispense with the youth policy that has created a genuine

pathway to the first team and a (previously at least) thrilling style of play,

but that class of 2022 is a reminder that there is a balance to be struck.

This season, Sunderland didn’t find it.

Evans will be missed on the pitch as well.

To see this, just look at how Mike Dodds frequently went to him in games during the latter weeks of the season,

acknowledging at times that he was playing more football than was expected or intended.

Why? Because no one else in the squad can match Evans’ dependability in front of the defenders,

his simple but effective ball play, and his positioning to protect against counterattacks.

Sunderland has had three opportunities to replace him since his knee injury, but they have consistently declined.

Tony Mowbray and Michael Beale both expressed a desire for extra cover, but it never came,

and while there has never actually been a clear answer on why that was the case,

the inference when the question has been asked has been that Sunderland are trying to move the team forward.

By which we mean, to play a more attacking style that requires ‘hybrid’ midfielders – good out of possession but able to impact the final third.

The truth was that the balance in midfield was never quite right.

Sunderland consistently looked vulnerable to opposition counter attacks and though Dan Neil’s maturity has been impressive,

dragging him deeper has taken away some of his best skills around the opposition box.

The apparent desire to build a more aggressive team also jars with the reality of what happened over the final months of the season,

when a more conservative style did little to reverse results.

In short, then, Evans will leave a greater void than might initially be apparent –

both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

Sunderland simply cannot miss another chance to replace him.

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