It’s feeling very difficult to get a read on Sunderland right now, isn’t it? They’re doing things and making decisions that make next to no sense at all and proving no one wrong after they do. Alex Pritchard is seemingly next on that list.
The 30-year-old is in the last six months of his current deal and there appears very little movement on attempts to extend it.
This week, reports have emerged from Alan Nixon that he is disappointed by that and wants to stay, while the media in Türkiye have also claimed Sivasspor have made contact with the midfielder.
And so the current Sunderland-brand madness continues.
The Alex Pritchard situation this season has been one of the most frustrating things about Sunderland.
We all know he should, along with the likes of Jack Clarke, Dan Neil and Dan Ballard, be an absolute automatic starter for Sunderland. The midfield three should consist of Pritchard, Neil and whichever one of Jobe and Pierre Ekwah is being rotated in on any given week.
Purely from a tactical point of view alone, that’s a total no-brainer. When Pritchard tires in games, as he can, that’s when you bring on Adil Aouchiche and get him some regular minutes too.
In fairness, for all Michael Beale has taken a lot of reasoned and deserved criticism, one thing he has done right is recognise the importance of Pritchard. I’m not sure he has implemented it all that well, mind. I mean, Alex Pritchard is important, but he’s not more important than an entire right-hand side.
But the biggest reason Sunderland should be doing all they can to keep Alex Pritchard at the club, even more compelling than his obvious quality, is because we trust him.
Supporters trust Pritchard cares about Sunderland. Fans trusts that he understands Sunderland. We all know, without any doubt whatsoever, that Pritchard will be a player and a character who will uphold the standards at Sunderland.
That’s important, especially within such a young squad who, at times, are spared a degree of accountability due to their age.
Luke O’Nien is valuable here of course too, but his leadership is really more of a friendly big brother kind of flavour. There is value in that, a lot of it, but it’s not enough by itself, and frankly nor should anyone – most of all the club – expect one experienced leader among a squad of youngsters finding their way to be enough.
It’s quite difficult to articulate, but Pritchard feels like he’s one of us. He’s one of those relatively rare players who not only seems to understand Sunderland but he actively relishes representing the club. He’s a big club player, one who wants the responsibility. That’s been hard for this club to find in the past. Far more experienced players have shrivelled in the spotlight here than have risen to it.
Because of all that, he provides a real connection between the supporters and the team. We trust he gets it, so when he’s on the pitch we trust the team can get it too.
And let’s face it, trust is in dwindling supply at Sunderland. Between the appointment of Michael Beale, Beale’s awful performance and relentless bulls**tting, the now three-year (and counting) failure to sign a striker ready to deliver right now and the club’s embarrassingly incompetent handling of the derby, many fans are finding it difficult to muster enough faith in the club to trust them to boil an egg.
Allowing Pritchard to walk away for nothing now would only burn what little embers remain of that trust and serve to further alienate a supporter-base feeling ignored and taken for granted.
After all, if the club can’t see the value in Alex Pritchard, what can we trust them to value? Letting him go would be something akin to a drowning man not valuing oxygen.
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