Sunderland play their first top-flight game for more than eight years when they host West Ham United at the Stadium of Light this afternoon, with their squad having been completely overhauled since Tommy Watson’s Wembley winner secured promotion in May.
The Black Cats have brought in 11 new players this summer, with Nordi Mukuele set to become the 12th addition when his move from Paris St Germain is confirmed in the next couple of days, with their total expenditure having exceeded the £140m mark.
Speakman and the rest of the Sunderland hierarchy have done everything possible to give the club the best opportunity of successfully re-establishing themselves in the Premier League this season, but the sporting director insists the spending has not jeopardised the Black Cats’ prospects of long-term stability.
“You know, we’ve seen history not be kind to some clubs who’ve had a real go,” said Speakman. “So, it’s bound to be a bit of a gamble, it always is.
“But how much is the club future-proof to make sure everything will be okay in the long run? Yeah, we’ve always tried to look at every outcome when we make decisions.
“We’re always looking at what’s the short-term, and obviously for us that’s the Premier League season, and obviously what the medium and long term is.
“So, we certainly have always been well-planned with that. I think you’ve always got to look at all the different outcomes, whether they’re positive or negative.
“We’re all geared up for the positive. You can spend a lot of time, I think, talking about the challenge and the difficulty. We’ve tried to assess the focus on what the solutions are and how we can build a really positive team for the Premier League.”
Sunderland host West Ham this afternoon looking to hit the ground running, and having been an integral part of the club’s journey from League One, Speakman cannot wait to experience life in the Premier League.
“Yeah, look, I think everybody wants a positive start, of course,” said Speakman. “We’ll have a packed stadium today.
“It’s been eight years since we’ve had Premier League football, so there’s a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of excitement behind the scenes with the team and in the stadium.
“But ultimately, we have to progress and today will be the first start of that. Hopefully, we can have a positive outcome, but we need to keep working, keep progressing, and keep developing the team.
“I think the reality of it will hit me when the team comes out. I joined in League One and the journey was to get back to the Premier League.
“The next cycle for us is to become an established Premier League team again, which is where the club’s always been. So, for us, it’s a lot of excitement today.
“I’m very proud in terms of the work that’s gone on over the last five years with the team, with the players, with the staff, and look, most of all for the supporters. Sunderland’s always been a Premier League team in my lifetime. We’re here to make sure they can become a Premier League team for the future.”
