Sunderland defender and captain John O’Shea has said that the team's current defensive selection dilemma is a dream for his manager Dick Advocaat.
Advocaat has invested in plenty of defensive recruitments
Ireland international O'Shea was the main staple of the Sunderland defence along with his former Manchester United teammate Wes Brown last season, however, Advocaat has splashed the cash in the summer transfer window with Adam Matthews, Sebastian Coates and Younes Kaboul all being brought to make Sunderland’s defence arguably the strongest area of the squad.
Coates, who was on loan from Liverpool last season, proved a key figure in helping in Sunderland’s relegation battle at the end of last season, and Kaboul will strengthen the back line with his eight years experience in the top flight of English football, whilst at Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth.
Matthews, on the other hand, has not played in the Premier League before, but has Champions League experience from his time with Celtic.
O'Shea pleased with new depth at the back
These new arrivals are expected to give the coach a selection dilemma, but O’Shea believes that it is a “manager’s dream” and the competition in defence is what they are looking for “throughout the whole team.”
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, the 34-year-old believes that depth is how you get “success” and how teams get “better” and with that competition the skipper hopes the team get “better results” this season.
New faces to make debuts this week
Kaboul is expected to make his Black Cats debut on Wednesday night when the team travel to the Keepmoat Stadium to take League One side Doncaster Rovers. However, Coates is expected to be a spectator having only returned to pre-season training last week after his escapades at the Copa America with Uruguay.
Another new addition who is expected to make his bow against Doncaster is winger Jeremain Lens, the Dutchman who was brought in from Dynamo Kiev for £8 million. He could have made his debut during Sunderland’s pre-season tour of America against MLS side Toronto FC, but compatriot Advocaat opted against it.