Sunderland boss says model is about getting players 'on a mission to improve themselves'

The Sunderland ‘model’ can be boiled down to one simple principle according to Michael Beale – signing players who are on the up rather than on a decline.

Since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus completed his takeover of the club, the methodology behind his plan for Sunderland has created significant debate among supporters.

Money has only ever been spent on players who are aged 24 or younger while older players, such as Lynden Gooch and last season’s player of the year Danny Batth been allowed to move on.

READ NEXT: Michael Beale says Sunderland want a striker to make an instant impact - but so does everyone

That has left Sunderland with the youngest squad in the Championship and bereft of experienced, and as a result often vulnerable to the more streetwise teams in the division.

For many, indeed probably most, the ‘model’ isn’t necessarily wrong, it’s just a bit too inflexible. There is an argument to be made that keeping it yet making one or two exceptions to add some experience and proven quality now would essentially turbo-charge it.

Links to players such as Kieffer Moore this month have raised hopes that the club are starting to see it similarly, but the debate continues to rage on social media and in pubs.

Beale is aware of that debate, but he has defended the current way the club works, saying that what you get from young players with something to prove from a mental point of view is often undervalued.

"In terms of the model a lot is spoken about that,” Beale said. “We're trying to bring the right players in, players who are on the up rather than on the decline.

"We have recruited young players but in Bradley Dack and Luke O'Nien and Alex Pritchard we have players in their late 20s as well.

“We're looking for players who can come in with the enthusiasm to move forward. We want players coming here who are on a mission to improve themselves.”

READ MORE SUNDERLAND NEWS