Yet another false dawn as young star leaves
MUMBA’S EXIT SHOWS THE CLUB’S LACK OF AMBITION
IN May 2018 John O’Shea suggested making a symbolic gesture to end a dreadful season with cause for hope.
In his final appearance for Sunderland as they were already confirmed as relegated from the Championship, the captain suggested handing a first-team debut to bright academy product Bali Mumba.
The youngster was just 16 but he had excelled in the club’s academy.
So much so the former Manchester United academy graduate rightly suggested handing him his debut in that dead rubber would be a symbol of a brighter future at the Stadium of Light, over which dark clouds had hung over for far too long.
Mumba was duly subbed on by former under-23 boss Robbie Stockdale in the 87th minute in place of the Irishman, who duly added the captain’s armband to the schoolboy for good measure (thus becoming the youngest player to ever captain Sunderland).
Mumba’s emergence was not the only new dawn at the Stadium of Light supposed to bring about the start of better times for the Wearsiders.
Sat in the stands watching that unlikely 3-0 victory over Premier League-bound Wolves were new owners Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven.
Acquiring the club from Ellis Short, the Oxfordshire businessmen were arriving from nonleague Eastleigh with huge ambitions to take Sunderland back to the Premier League.
At least that is what we thought and certainly wanted to believe.
Fast forward two years and that new dawn of May 2018 has vanished.
Few could have envisaged that just over the horizon a storm was coming. Fresh and calm waters there were not.
As Sunderland prepare for a third season in League One, fans are May 2018 is about to be hammered. angry. Mumba, having failed to break into While understandably having to the first team, is being offloaded to cut costs to bring the Wearsiders’ ail- Premier League Norwich City for the ing finances more in line with being paltry sum of just £350k. sustainable the owners, finding the While it is likely the deal will difference between running Eastleigh include other add-ons or and Sunderland too meteoric a bonuses, such a small rise, have sacrificed the strength of fee for such a bright the side on the pitch. prospect is the latest Two seasons have passed and in example of a not one have Sunderland ever lack of long-term looked like the giants of League planning at the One they are on paper. top of Sunderland. While Cats fans rightly expect to dominate this league, they It is also know better than anyone history another bullet and how many fans in the armoury of you have in a stadium those who believe, mean nothing if the rather than having players on the pitch are any long-term vision, not up to the task. the current owners are That is why there is here to make as much money as possible so much animosity as quickly as possible. right now between One thing Donald cannot be Sunderland fans and blamed for is Mumba’s lack of firstteam the owners. involvement.
Now, in the latest shocking At the start of last season Mumba insult to fans, the final started Sunderland’s first two league nail in the coffin of that games and then played just 22 minutes symbolic day of hope in of league football thereafter, despite the fact at 17 he did not look out of place when involved.
He was clearly good enough and dropping to League One, if nothing else, should have been Sunderland’s opportunity to make use of their first-class academy.. Instead, Mumba spent 18 months with the hapless under-23 side, where he was switched to right-back over fears he lacked the physicality to be a central midfielder. Mumba is an England youth international and has shown the ability to be a first-team player every time he has been handed an opportunity.
If that is what he can do at 18, imagine how good he might be in five years?
His departure leaves a lot of questions. Two years after emerging as the symbol of Sunderland’s new dawn, Mumba will depart as a symbol of the latest storm which threatens to sink SS Sunderland AFC.
History and how many fans you have in a stadium mean nothing if the players are not up to the task Craig Johns