Fan Letters: Can Dan Neil make the step up to the Premier League?

Dear Roker Report,

Can I perhaps offer a different perspective on the saga that’s beginning to cause some ripples — that being Dan Neil?

There’s quite a bit of speculation building that the skipper may leave before he runs his contract down and could then leave for free, and there’s also a lot of sentimentality around due to him being a homegrown captain of the team and living everyone’s dream.

I get that, but certain realities need to be faced. I’ve admired Neil ever since he came into the fold; likewise I admire Anthony Patterson and I also had a lot of time for Jobe.

However, during last season, there were a number of matches when Jobe and Neil went ‘missing’ for long periods of the game. I happen to think the business deal for Jobe was brilliant as I honestly don’t feel he’ll cut the mustard at the highest level. His workrate was excellent, but as mentioned, he often went AWOL during games.

This also happened to Neil, and Patterson was found wanting on a number of occasions when it came to ball distribution and also his split-second clearances as a forward was bearing down on him. That said Patterson, I’m fully aware of the brilliant job he did for us at Wembley.

What I’m trying to say is that the Premier League is unforgiving and we simply can’t have members of the midfield engine room or the pivotal position of keeper having an off day. I’m not expecting them to be world beaters every week, but they must be on their game and Neil just wasn’t at it as much as he should’ve been — and let’s not forget that was in the Championship.

The same can be said of Patterson, and the amount of times he managed to clear the ball with only a micro-second to spare was unreal.

The players coming in all seem to have one trait in common: they’re fully tuned in to the fact that effort and commitment are utmost at our club. The recruitment team knows something isn’t right with certain positions and I believe Neil could well be a casualty.

We have a nucleus of around six or seven players who could make the step up, but the others will just not cut it and that’s life. It’s harsh but true.

I like Neil a great deal but I don’t think he has the consistency to shine up there. I may well be wrong and the incoming players may well push him to a new level and I really hope so, but at this moment in time, I genuinely have doubts about him and a fair few others in the squad.

Of course, we all know some aren’t going to make the cut and I am only saying what is obvious, but we cannot — and I am sure the club won’t — allow any sentimentality or other factors get in the way of the club maintaining their new found status.

Peter Milton

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Peter. Thank you for your letter.

I actually wrote an article on this very subject earlier in the week (you can read it here) and for me, the crux of this argument is not whether Neil is sold this summer — and for what it’s worth, I really hope he isn’t.

Instead, it’s about the eagerness in some quarters to see him depart Sunderland, and that’s something I simply fail to understand.

Did he have a perfect season in 2024/2025? No. Did he grow into the captaincy and begin to master his new role in midfield as the season went on? Absolutely, and the same goes for Jobe, who I thought was one of our key players last season and particularly in the second half of the playoff final.

It’s perfectly fair to highlight that there’s no guarantee that the likes of Neil and Anthony Patterson will be able to step up and make an impact in the Premier League, but in my opinion, they’ve earned the right to call themselves top flight footballers and they deserve a chance — a view that’s based on their ability as players and not sentiment.

Let’s see how it pans out.

Dear Roker Report,

I hope the players we’re signing are ready to step straight into the first team — unlike past signings who either weren’t up to speed, carrying injuries or simply weren’t good enough.

The Paolo Di Canio era comes to mind.

Fred Walton

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Fred. Thank you for getting in touch.

I do recall being drawn into the drama of the 2013 summer window, when we signed around seven million players from all around the world — most of whom turned out to be on the wrong side of useless, but this feels different to me.

There seems to be a real plan in place and we seem to be targeting areas of potential weakness and addressing them.

So far, so good, but there’s a lot of work still to do!

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I’m really excited by all the business we’ve done so far. It looks like we’re taking the Premier League seriously and that’s promising.

If we’re going to stay up, we’ll need a lot of luck but also a squad capable of producing, and the early signs are good.

We need probably another six or seven signings and we have a lot of players to get rid of, but the early work has been brilliant.

Keep it up Kyril, Kristjaan and Florent!

Ian Hughes

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Ian. Thank you for your letter.

I fully agree that our recent transfer business has certainly felt impressive and the reactions from fans of other clubs to the signings we’ve made seems to suggest that we’ve pulled off some coups by attracting the likes of Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Simon Adingra to Wearside.

As you rightly say, there’s still a lot to do.

I’d like to see us focus on defensive signings in the next few weeks, and the decks will undoubtedly need to be cleared as we move some fringe players on, but I think we’re going along quite nicely at this stage and I’m excited to see what’s next!

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Dear Roker Report,

I’m not convinced that Hendo would be a good signing, to be honest.

The club’s model is to sign young lads who we can improve and also nurture the players we already have, and Henderson signing would probably spell bad news for Dan Neil, who’s our captain and still has room to grow.

I think this will play on the minds of the higher ups and is probably a big reason it won’t happen. Plus, he’d want mega bucks and do we want to give that to a thirty five-year-old?

I’d say not.

Graeme Doody

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Graeme. Thank you for getting in touch.

I just don’t see a scenario in which Jordan Henderson returns to Sunderland this summer, if I’m honest.

It’s natural that people would link him with a Stadium of Light homecoming after he left Ajax as a free agent, but as Sky Sports’ Keith Downie noted on Thursday, we’re building a new midfield and it’s tough to see the veteran Henderson fitting into what’ll hopefully be a dynamic side built to handle the demands of Premier League football.

I can understand why people would love to see him in a Sunderland shirt for next season, but it feels like a very slim chance to me.

Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images