Sunderland have appeared to be timorous and bereft of ideas in the Championship this season and no wonder they are stagnating in the relegation zone. A second relegation in successive seasons isn’t going to go down very well with the fans and it goes without saying that they must up the ante from now on to avoid getting doomed at the end of the season.
The former Wales manager is scrutinising the transfer market thoroughly to churn out some more deals before the transfer window shuts down. Frankly speaking, he hasn’t had the luxury of working with a notable amount of proven talents and has had to content himself with the limited amount of resources at his disposal. However, the Black Cats have arguably done a good job by luring Kazenga LuaLua to the Stadium of Light.
LuaLua was in the books of Brighton & Hove Albion before the Seagulls decided to terminate his contract and this facilitated his free transfer to Sunderland. The 27-year-old wasn’t getting much game time under his belt after his side’s promotion to the Premier League due to the plethora of stars in Albion’s wide areas and given that he was keen to resurrect his career, the move makes a lot of sense.
He started his professional career with Newcastle United and after loan spells with Doncaster Rovers and Brighton & Hove Albion, he signed permanently for the latter in 2011. He was out on loan with Queens Park Rangers in the first half of the season but could merely muster 2 starts and 6 substitute appearances for them.
LuaLua struggled to make his presence felt under the tutelage of Chris Hughton and probably a step down to the second tier to salvage a favourable outcome for a side in doldrums might prove to be a beneficial move for his career. He is quick, experienced and showcases immense work-ethic. Besides, he is capable of playing in the middle of the park as well, thus rendering an element of versatility and overall it seems to be an interesting signing.
Moreover, LuaLua knows how to stretch the defence of the opposition, make the overlapping runs and ping decent crosses into the box from the flanks more often than not. However, the main cause of concern for Sunderland might be that he is not in the best shape. To ensure their survival in the Championship, Coleman needs to be spot on with his targets and has to try to get a few more fresh faces to uplift the calibre of his resources.