Sunderland kick-started their summer spending spree last Wednesday with the acquisition of centre-half Sebastian Coates from Liverpool. Having spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light, the 24-year-old has made his switch permanent, signing a four-year contract for a fee believed to be around the £2 million mark.
The Black Cats sporting director Lee Congerton hailed the player’s acquisition and reckons Coates’ previous year with the club will ensure he slots in seamlessly:
“Sebastian was an important part of the team under Dick [Advocaat] last season and we are delighted that he has joined us on a permanent basis. He has Barclays Premier League experience, which is important and, after spending last season on loan with us, he will be able to settle into the team very quickly.”
Coates, meanwhile, admitted that Dick Advocaat’s decision to stay at Sunderland, having previously quit the post, proved pivotal in persuading him to sign up:
“I think it was 90%, because he gave me confidence last year when he came [to the club] and for me it was very important to play and to be involved in the team. When the manager came [back], it was very important for me to be here. He gives the players confidence, the team, and the supporters. When he came we were not in a good moment, so he gave everyone confidence. He trusted in the team, that we could get safe and that was important. I’m really happy to be here. It is a pleasure for me to come back again. I will try to do my best this season and to help the team.”
The History
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Coates joined top-flight outfit Nacional from the age of 11, where he progressed through the youth set-up and assumed the role of captain at every level. Coates earned his first senior cap during the 2008/09 season, before spending the subsequent two campaigns as a starter in central defence, tallying career stats of five goals and seven assists across 78 outings.
In the summer of 2011, Coates made the switch across the Atlantic to Liverpool. The Uruguay international failed to muscle his way into first-team contention, mustering just 12 league appearances throughout his three seasons at Anfield. Coates suffered a knee injury in an international friendly prior to the start of the 2013/14 campaign, which ruled him out for the majority of the season. A loan move back to Nacional in the latter stages saw him chalk up five appearances in South America.
In the dying embers of the 2014 summer transfer window, Coates was shipped out to Sunderland on a season-long loan deal, teaming up with fellow-Uruguayan Guy Poyet. Coates saw limited involvement while Poyet was at the helm, however, and managed a mere three starts until his compatriot’s sacking in mid-March. Under Dick Advocaat’s stewardship, Coates started all of the Black Cats’ final six fixtures, with the Wearside club narrowly avoiding relegation by virtue of a five-match unbeaten streak from Gameweek 34.
After earning 10 caps for the Uruguay U20s, Coates registered his first start for the full team in the 2011 Copa America. Los Charrúas went on to scoop the trophy that year, with Coates named as the Young Player of the tournament. More recently, the six foot five inches centre-back clocked just two minutes in the 2014 World Cup, while he featured in a 1-1 draw to Paraguay in the 2015 Copa America. In all, Coates has recorded one goal in 17 appearances for Uruguay.
The Prospects
Having earned starts in the final six Gameweeks of the previous campaign, Coates will be hopeful of ousting Wes Brown from the starting XI to partner John O’Shea in the heart of Advocaat’s defence for the season ahead.
Although the Uruguayan’s improved pitch time was due to Brown sustaining another injury, it’s fair to say his impact over those final few matches, in which the Wearsiders secured their safety, was vital for the Black Cats. Between Gameweek 34 and 37, Sunderland were breached on just two occasions in five matches and gave up the fewest big chances (five) of any side in the league before their 3-1 loss to Chelsea on the final day of the season.
In terms of Sunderland’s defensive prospects, Patrick van Aanholt looks set to remain the prime route into their rearguard. The former Chelsea left-back tallied just 84 points last term – having sat out 10 matches in the middle of the season through injury – which should ensure that his value doesn’t increase beyond the 4.5 mark. Van Aanholt notched 17 more attempts on goal (30) than any other Sunderland backline option and averaged a shot every 81.2 minutes, which was fourth amongst defenders with 1000+ minutes. Furthermore, Van Aanholt crafted 25 more chances (35) than the next best among their back line and averaged a key pass every 69.6 minutes, which was third for defenders with a minimum of 1000 minutes in 2014/15.
If Coates is afforded a run in the side, however, his underlying stats paint a promising picture. Only two Sunderland defenders attempted more efforts than the former Reds recruit (seven), even though he clocked a paltry 872 minutes. In comparison, O’Shea (seven) and Brown (four) achieved their totals while being afforded 3448 and 2101 minutes of pitch time, respectively, suggesting that Coates’ aerial ability in the opposition box could be a real weapon for Advocaat’s outfit.
Elsewhere in the Sunderland backline, Costel Pantilimon – who amassed 123 points in 28 appearances over the previous campaign – is sure to attract investment from managers looking to source a cheap keeper. Despite finishing just two places above the relegation berths, Sunderland registered as many clean sheets as Arsenal (13) and only one fewer than Manchester City. Furthermore, only two sides (West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool) carded more clean sheets away from home than the Wearsiders, illustrating their proficiency at shutting up shop on the road. Pantilimon’s penchant for picking up save points looks key here – he earned at least one save point in 18 of his 28 appearances and averaged 4.4 points per game.
Looking at the fixtures, Sunderland enjoy a highly favourable start to the new season which is sure to earn Fantasy managers’ attention. Given that they face just two of last season’s top seven in the opening 11 Gameweeks (lei, NOR, SWA, avl, TOT, bou, mum, WHM, wba, NEW, eve), Advocaat’s backline certainly look worthy of our investment in the opening few months as the Dutchman looks to build momentum and avoid another relegation scrap.
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