After coming back from the brink of relegation last season, and getting one over bitter rivals Newcastle in the process, you may have thought that Sunderland fans would be a little more smug at the start of this term. But with no new arrivals on the pitch and a pretty big departure off it, you can't blame them for fearing the worst all over again.
Big Sam's successor hasn't tasted success for a while and the injuries are piling up for a squad that is already paper thin, meaning it could be another typically long year for fans on Wearside.
Players In
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Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea - £8m), Donald Love & Paddy McNair (Manchester United - £5.5m combined)
Players Out
Steve Harper (released), Wes Brown (released), Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers - free), Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday - free), Santiago Vergini (Boca Juniors - £1.5m), Emanuele Giaccherini (Napoli - £2m) and Sebastian Coates (Sporting Lisbon - loan)
Season Preview
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Who'd be a Sunderland supporter? After years of trying to find the right manager, things were actually starting to look a little rosier than they had done for some time under Sam Allardyce.
The new England manager would've offered stability and continuation heading into the new season - two words that Mackems probably aren't too familiar with after eight permanent managers in the last eight years on Wearside. As it is, the Black Cats are forced to rebuild once again under yet another new boss in David Moyes.
However, the managerial situation isn't all doom and gloom. Despite Moyes taking Manchester United from serial winners to a mediocre mid-table club, along with getting hired and fired by Real Sociedad quicker than you can say, "uno, dos, tres", he did find success with Everton, taking them from the serious threat of relegation to the Champions League places during his time at Goodison Park.
This Sunderland side is more similar to the Everton team that Moyes inherited than both United and Sociedad, so that may give some hope of the 53 year-old repeating his impressive Goodison achievements at the Stadium of Light.
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One step at a time though.
If the Black Cats are to achieve that first step and avoid relegation, their hopes rest firmly on one man's shoulders - and there are no prizes for guessing whose.
After finding the net 15 times in 33 Premier League appearances last campaign, Sunderland's Premier League status could be owed almost entirely to Jermain Defoe's heroics in front of goal.
With no striking reinforcements brought in to share the burden yet, he may have to do it all again if Sunderland are to have a black cat in hell's chance (sorry, couldn't resist) of steering clear of the drop once more.
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The former Spurs frontman is 6/1 with Betfair to be the top English goal scorer in the Premier League this season but if you fancy a safer option, he's also 7/4 to repeat last season's feat and score 15 (or more) Premier League goals.
Another who shares some of the credit for Sunderland's survival last season is defensive midfielder Jan Kirchhoff. The January signing from Bayern Munich was instrumental in tightening up the defensive side of the bargain, allowing Defoe and... well, just Defoe to take care of business at the other end.
If the big German's energetic pressing, tough tackling and tidy distribution can make him as influential this campaign, the unsung hero may soon receive a few more plaudits.
Fans may have to wait to see Kirchhoff in action though, with the 6ft 5" midfielder facing a fitness race to be ready for the start of the season. Jack Rodwell, Patrick Van Aanholt, Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe are also currently side-lined with injury, making the treatment room at the Stadium of Light rather cosy.
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Patience is going to be key, both as far as new signings are concerned and in terms of how long Moyes is allowed to shape this Sunderland side into a competitive one.
Whether he is the right man for the job or not is yet to be seen, and as we're talking about Sunderland, we might have to wait until the final day of the season to find out.
Words By: @mattyLG14
