Considering Sunderland are just six points off top spot right now, you wouldn’t have thought there’d be such toxicity surrounding the Stadium of Light.

However, such is the ruthless nature of this fan base that rarely are they satisfied.

You can’t blame the supporters either. They have been through it all in the last few years. Whether it was back to back relegations, losing a final or spending money where it wasn’t necessary, it has been a hellish ride in the north-east.

The latest bump in a topsy-turvy affair came only a matter of days ago. Sunderland sacked Phil Parkinson and now are on the lookout for a new manager. At the same time, Stewart Donald is trying to close a deal to sell the club to Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

Clearly, he is a very busy man.

Some of Donald’s decision making at Sunderland has been particularly alarming. In signing Will Grigg for £4m, it has been a big waste of money. The former Wigan striker has netted just eight times and is yet to find the back of the net in 2020/21.

Another player who hasn’t scored in the league this season is Danny Graham, someone who was signed for a second spell on a free transfer. Evidently, Donald hasn’t learnt anything from the catastrophe that occurred during Ellis Short’s reign.

Short spent £5m on the forward and didn’t get a lot for his money. On a wage of £30k-a-week during his first stint, one that included various loan moves away, he cost the club £6.56m.

Now in his second spell with the Mackems, by the time his one-year contract expires next summer, he will have cost Sunderland a grand total of £7.28m.

If you’re looking for a further breakdown, that’s a colossal £3.6m for every goal he’s scored for the Black Cats.

He has been shocking in front of goal and from only 54 outings in the red and white, has two goals to his name. To put things simply, Graham isn’t the man who’s going to fire Sunderland to promotion.

The 35-year-old has proven on two occasions now that he doesn’t have what it takes to play for the Black Cats and it’s worrying that Donald thought he was good enough.

After all, this is a man who also had serious attitude problems when he first signed in 2013. In an interview earlier this year, he spoke of how players would regularly drink and would even be drunk in the early hours before a training session.

Of course, Graham is now a wiser head but it’s clear that he’s not been worth the fee and wages paid over separate spells.

Donald should have done some more thinking before signing him again. He has ransacked two owner’s pockets.

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