2004–05 Sunderland A.F.C. season

During the 2004–05 season, Sunderland competed in the Championship, Football League Cup and FA Cup. They finished first in the Championship, becoming champions of the Football League and gaining automatic promotion to the Premier League. They were knocked out of the League Cup in the second round and the FA Cup in the fourth round.

Season summary

The 2004–05 season was Sunderland's second consecutive season in the second tier of English football, rebranded as the Championship this season. Under the management of Mick McCarthy Sunderland came first in the league, winning the title and, therefore, automatic promotion to the Premier League. McCarthy's team blended youth with experience, epitomised by the strike partnership of the veteran Marcus Stewart and the young Stephen Elliott, the backline featuring the experienced Gary Breen and the youthful Steven Caldwell and the midfield of Dean Whitehead and Carl Robinson.

With very little money at his disposal, McCarthy had to rely mainly on free transfers, although a little money was spent on compensation for the clubs the players were signed from. The most successful signings were Steven Caldwell, Stephen Elliott, Liam Lawrence and Dean Whitehead, voted the Players' Player of the Season at the end of the season; all were free transfers. The young players successfully compensated for the absence of key players who were injured for much of the season, including Kevin Kyle, Mart Poom and Matt Piper.

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Starting 11

• GK: #41, Thomas Myhre
• RB: #2, Stephen Wright
• CB: #5, Gary Breen
• CB: #6, Steven Caldwell
• LB: #3, George McCartney
• RM: #7, Liam Lawrence
• CM: #4, Carl Robinson
• CM: #14, Dean Whitehead
• LM: #33, Julio Arca
• CF: #10, Marcus Stewart
• CF: #19, Stephen Elliott

Transfers

In

• Danny Collins - January
• Dean Whitehead - Oxford United, free
• Liam Lawrence - Mansfield Town, free
• Stephen Elliott - Manchester City, free
• Steven Caldwell - Newcastle United, free
• Carl Robinson - Portsmouth, free
• Neill Collins - Dumbarton - £25,000
• Simon Johnson - Leeds United - loan, August to November
• Brian Deane - January
• Andy Welsh - Stockport County - £35,000, November
• Darren Carter - Birmingham City, loan, January

Out

• Tommy Smith - Derby County, free
• Jason McAteer - Tranmere Rovers, free
• Paul Thirlwell - Sheffield United, free
• Darren Williams - Cardiff City, free
• John Oster - Burnley, free, January
• Ben Clark - Hartlepool United, free
• Darren Williams - January

References