In the past, Kristjaan Speakman has caused division among Sunderland supporters.
However, Kristjaan Speakman, the sporting director for Sunderland, is currently receiving a lot of recognition for the operations he has assisted in managing at the Stadium of Light this summer.
During the summer transfer season, Sunderland signed nine new players, four of whom arrived on deadline day.
The first team roster of Regis Le Bris appears to be well-stocked as we approach the new year.
Additionally, Sunderland has had a great start to the 2024–25 season, sitting atop the Championship table following four straight victories.
It follows a trying summer for the team, during which the Sunderland owners and Speakman came under intense fire for taking so long to select Michael Beale’s long-term replacement.
Speakman is crucial to Sunderland’s decision-making process. But it seems that many people have an inaccurate impression of his actual influence over the transfer procedure.
Kristjaan Speakman talks about decision-making and transfer policy at Sunderland.
Many believe that Speakman, as the sports director, has the lion’s share of influence when it comes to choosing the players the club signs in the transfer window.
Even while it seems like Speakman has a lot of influence, he has downplayed rumors that he is the driving force behind the entire transfer procedure.
Speakman was questioned how much influence Le Bris had over the club’s summer transfer operations during an interview with the BBC.
In response, Speakman said, “That’s a really strange question.”
“To ensure we have the right players in the building, it’s an absolute collaboration between myself, him, ownership, and the recruitment team,” he continued.
Speakman continued, “You’re responsible for all those things as a sporting director.
“However, we’ve never been interested in signing players who the coaches don’t think can improve the team.”
It’s time for Sunderland to finally give Kristjaan Speakman the credit he deserves.
Speakman has undoubtedly faced detractors in the past. He has overseen a number of disastrous signings for Sunderland, thus criticism has occasionally been warranted.
However, generally speaking, his admirers are beginning to recognize and value the excellent work he has produced.
He has given Sunderland an extremely valuable team, one where some individuals appear capable of bringing in significant sums of money for the team in the future, as demonstrated by the sale of Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town.
Speakman is crucial to the entire transfer process, but as he notes, Le Bris is also heavily involved in the team effort.
