Sunderland Women target ‘unbelievable’ achievement ahead of huge Durham clash
SUNDERLAND forward Mary McAteer admitted it would be an “unbelievable experience” if the club earned promotion to the Women’s Super League.
The Black Cats sit top of the Championship table with 34 points going into the final four games of the season, but the race for promotion remains incredibly close.
Several teams are still in the running as Crystal Palace, Southampton and Charlton all sit just a point behind the Wearside outfit, while Birmingham are three points further back.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Sunderland, who avoided relegation last season after finishing second-bottom, and McAteer believes this year has been the “most competitive season” as the club aim to secure promotion to the top flight for the first time since 2018.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Who should get Sunderland head coach job, Mike Dodds’ future & key transfer question
- Sunderland delight at new long-term contract – and an encouraging injury update
She told the PA news agency: “It would be unbelievable (to be promoted), an unbelievable experience.
“I think it’s where the club belongs and as a group of players, it would mean the world to us, to do it together would be an unbelievable experience.
“I think it’s the most competitive season there’s been in a long while, especially Championship and WSL in the women’s game.
“It’s amazing to have so many teams up there competing and being that competitive, I think it just shows how far the women’s game has come to have five teams up there and within points of each other.
“I do think for us it’s just exciting to be up there and be a part of it, we’re just going to keep our focus, not get carried away with it and take it game by game.
“We’re taking each game by game and we just know if we win all four games we win the league and that’s going to be our mindset going forward, so each game we have to win. So yeah, crunch time.”
Sunderland’s final stretch kicks off with a huge clash against local rivals Durham and as part of Women’s Football Weekend, the FA are highlighting four derbies including the River Wear derby taking place at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground on Sunday.
Serie A clubs are turning to the Championship in the search for transfer bargains and Lazio are one club in particular that have paid notable interest to England’s underrated second-tier in recent months
The recent trend has emerged in light of the England international’s remarkable impact at Real Madrid after three outstanding campaigns in Germany with Borussia Dortmund following his £25million transfer from Birmingham City in 2020.
Lazio are leading the charge having seen two bids rejected for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke in January and they’re expected to reignite interest this summer as the Black Cats have made little progress in contract negotiations with 23-year-old.
Jobe Bellingham is also on their radar after impressing scouts while Lazio also failed with an offer for Plymouth’s Morgan Whittaker and an enquiry for Norwich’s Jonathan Rowe in the winter window.
Additionally, Atalanta tried to execute a deal for Birmingham’s Welsh international Jordan James, who has since been eyed by Fiorentina after staying put in the Midlands.
Meanwhile, Charlie Cresswell emerged as a shock deadline-day option for AC Milan despite struggling for minutes at Leeds, though the move did not materialise. Milan had also previously bid around £6m for Nottingham Forest defender Andrew Omobamidele last summer when he was at Norwich.
Rivals and last season’s Champions League finalists Inter had looked at Alex Scott before his big-money transfer to Bournemouth from Bristol City.
An Italian scout, who does not wish to be named, has provided insight behind the craze, telling Mirror Football : “The Championship has a big record for generating talent and it’s a fast-paced league with lots of matches. There is a feeling that it is underrated in England and has produced many top players that now play in the Premier League but the talent is not hugely expensive.
“It’s not just about Jude but English players have also been successful in Serie A, guys like Chris Smalling, Ruben Loftus Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham. They did not come directly from the Championship but these players also did not receive the appreciation they deserved in England.”
Serie A clubs, particularly Bologna, have also cherry-picked Scottish players from the SPFL. It all started when Liam Henderson joined Bari in 2018, impressing in Serie B, before moving to Hellas Verona, Lecce and then Empoli.
But Bologna tapped into the surprise market by landing Brentford full-back Aaron Hickey from Hearts while also bidding for Liverpool’s Calvin Ramsey before his move from Aberdeen.
Lewis Ferguson has been the greatest success story of them all following his 2022 transfer from The Dons. He is now a regular under Thiago Motta with Bologna currently occupying a Champions League spot.
Bologna also have 22-year-old Englishman Luis Binks on their books, formerly of Tottenham’s academy, who is currently on loan at Coventry City. Furthermore, Scotland U21 international Josh Doig recently moved to Sassuolo in January having also been the subject of a bid from Marseille after flourishing at Hellas Verona, who he joined from Hibs.
