The 2017–18 season was Sunderland's 139th season in existence, and their first season in the Championship since 2006, after relegation from the Premier League in the previous season. Along with competing in the Championship, the club also participated in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The season covered the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
Simon Grayson began the season as Sunderland manager, following the departure of David Moyes in May 2017. However, he did not complete the full season, instead being sacked towards the end of October after only one win in his first fifteen league matches saw Sunderland rooted to the bottom of the table. He was replaced by former Wales manager Chris Coleman.
Sunderland suffered a second successive relegation on 21 April 2018, following a 1–2 home defeat to fellow struggling side Burton Albion, after they had led the match 1–0. Results elsewhere meant that the club competed in League One in the following season.
The events of the season formed the backdrop to the first series of the documentary programme Sunderland 'Til I Die, which was released on Netflix on 14 December 2018.
First team squad Ages are as of 4 August 2017. Squad No. Name Nationality Position(s) Age at Season Start Contract Ends Signed from Goalkeepers 1 Jason Steele GK 2021 Blackburn Rovers 12 Lee Camp GK 2018 Cardiff City (loan) 25 Robbin Ruiter GK 2019 Utrecht 32 Max Stryjek GK 2019 Polonia Warsaw Defenders 2 Billy Jones RB 2018 West Bromwich Albion 3 Bryan Oviedo LB 2020 Everton 4 Paddy McNair CB/DM/CM 2020 Manchester United 15 Brendan Galloway LB 2018 Everton (loan) 16 John O'Shea CB 2018 Manchester United 18 Tyias Browning RB 2018 Everton (loan) 21 Adam Matthews RB 2019 Celtic 22 Donald Love RB 2020 Manchester United 23 Lamine Koné CB 2020 Lorient 35 Jake Clarke-Salter CB 2018 Chelsea (loan) 36 Marc Wilson CB/LB 2018 Bournemouth Midfielders 6 Lee Cattermole (C) DM 2021 Wigan Athletic 7 Jonny Williams CM 2018 Crystal Palace (loan) 8 Jack Rodwell CM 2019 Manchester City 11 Kazenga LuaLua LW 2018 Brighton & Hove Albion 13 Callum McManaman RW 2019 West Bromwich Albion 14 Duncan Watmore RW/LW 2020 Altrincham 19 Aiden McGeady LW/RW 2020 Everton 24 Darron Gibson CM/DM 2018 Everton 26 George Honeyman AM 2019 Academy 27 Lynden Gooch AM 2019 Academy 28 Ethan Robson CM 2018 Academy 40 Elliot Embleton CM 2019 Academy 53 Ovie Ejaria CM 2018 Liverpool (loan) Forwards 9 Ashley Fletcher ST 2018 Middlesbrough (loan) 20 Josh Maja ST 2019 Manchester City 29 Joel Asoro ST 2019 IF Brommapojkarna
New contracts
PlayerUntilSource26Midfielder George HoneymanJune 201916Defender John O'SheaJune 2018
Transfers and loans Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 13 July 2017 LW Aiden McGeady Everton £250,000 13 July 2017 ST James Vaughan Bury £500,000 26 July 2017 GK Jason Steele Blackburn Rovers £500,000 2 August 2017 GK Robbin Ruiter Utrecht Free 31 August 2017 CB Marc Wilson Bournemouth Free 31 August 2017 LW Callum McManaman West Bromwich Albion Free 25 January 2018 LW Kazenga LuaLua Brighton & Hove Albion Free
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Until Ref. 5 July 2017 LB Brendan Galloway Everton 30 June 2018 8 July 2017 RB Tyias Browning Everton 30 June 2018 26 July 2017 ST Lewis Grabban Bournemouth 5 January 2018 31 August 2017 AM Jonny Williams Crystal Palace 30 June 2018 8 January 2018 CB Jake Clarke-Salter Chelsea 30 June 2018 31 January 2018 CM Ovie Ejaria Liverpool 30 June 2018 31 January 2018 ST Ashley Fletcher Middlesbrough 30 June 2018 31 January 2018 GK Lee Camp Cardiff City 30 June 2018
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2017 CB Joleon Lescott Free agent Released 1 July 2017 DM Jan Kirchhoff Free agent Released 1 July 2017 CM Sebastian Larsson Hull City Free 1 July 2017 RW Will Buckley Bolton Wanderers Free 1 July 2017 LW Steven Pienaar Bidvest Wits Free 1 July 2017 ST Victor Anichebe Beijing Enterprises Free 1 July 2017 GK Jordan Pickford Everton £30,000,000 1 July 2017 ST Jermain Defoe Bournemouth Free 19 July 2017 GK Vito Mannone Reading £2,000,000 12 January 2018 GK Mika Free agent Released 12 January 2018 FW James Vaughan Wigan Athletic £300,000
Loans out Start date Position Nationality Name To Until Ref. 1 July 2017 LW Fabio Borini Milan 30 June 2018 7 August 2017 RW Jeremain Lens Beşiktaş 30 June 2018 30 August 2017 CB Michael Ledger Hartlepool United 30 June 2018 31 August 2017 GK Max Stryjek Accrington Stanley 18 January 2018 31 August 2017 CB Papy Djilobodji Dijon 30 June 2018 31 August 2017 AM Wahbi Khazri Rennes 30 June 2018 20 October 2017 ST Andrew Nelson Harrogate Town 17 November 2017 2 January 2018 Falkirk End of season 7 December 2017 GK James Talbot Darlington 30 June 2018 20 January 2018 DF Tom Beadling Dunfermline Athletic 30 June 2018 31 January 2018 MF Didier Ndong Watford 30 June 2018
Pre-season friendlies Sunderland announced eight pre-season friendlies against Bury, Hibernian, Livingston, Bradford City, Scunthorpe United, St Johnstone, Celtic and Hartlepool United.
Competitions Championship
League table
Result summary
Results by matchday
Matches
The fixtures for the 2017–18 season were released on 21 June 2017.
FA Cup In the FA Cup, Sunderland entered the competition in the third round and were drawn away to Middlesbrough.
EFL Cup On 16 June 2017, Sunderland were drawn away to Bury in the first round. A trip to Carlisle United was announced for the second round. A third away trip in the competition against Everton was drawn for the third round.
Squad statistics
Top scorers The list is sorted by league goals and then shirt number when total goals are equal. = Player left club mid-season
Last updated on 30 May 2018. PlayerChampionshipFA CupEFL CupTotal1FW11 Lewis Grabban*1200122MF19 Aiden McGeady7007MF26 George Honeyman60174MF4 Paddy McNair50055FW29 Joel Asoro30036DF3 Bryan Oviedo2002FW9 James Vaughan*2002FW9 Ashley Fletcher2002MF27 Lynden Gooch101210DF2 Billy Jones1001MF6 Lee Cattermole1001MF7 Jonny Williams1001MF8 Jack Rodwell1001MF13 Callum McManaman1001DF16 John O'Shea1001FW20 Josh Maja1001DF21 Adam Matthews1001MF53 Ovie Ejaria1001DF22 Donald Love0011Own Goals3031Total520355
Appearances and goals
Last updated on 7 May 2018.
|colspan="14"|Players who have played for Sunderland this season but are currently out on loan:
|colspan="14"|Players who have played for Sunderland this season but have left the club:
Disciplinary record
No. Pos. Name Championship FA Cup EFL Cup Total 1 GK Jason Steele 1 1 3 DF Bryan Oviedo 2 2 5 DF Papy Djilobodji 1 1 6 MF Lee Cattermole 2 2 7 MF Jonny Williams 1 1 8 MF Jack Rodwell 1 1 9 FW James Vaughan 3 1 4 10 MF Wahbi Khazri 1 2 3 15 DF Brendan Galloway 2 2 17 MF Didier N'Dong 1 1 2 18 DF Tyias Browning 1 1 2 19 RW Aiden McGeady 2 2 23 DF Lamine Koné 2 2 24 MF Darron Gibson 1 1 27 MF Lynden Gooch 1 1 36 DF Marc Wilson 1 1 Total 21000007002800
References