“It’s fine that nothing is happening — because it secretly probably is!”

“The usual post-season lull is here, and frustrations from Sunderland fans show that we just need to relax,” writes Paddy Hollis.

The summer break has left many Sunderland fans in something of a void, with no news and plenty of uncertainty.

Almost three weeks have passed since our 2023/2024 season came to a disappointing ending with a 0-2 loss at home to Sheffield Wednesday, and the club has since shut up shop in terms of updates.

Anger at a lack of news has dominated social media during what’s always been the quietest time for a football club; after all, most of the players are on holiday, the transfer window is yet to open, and there are no fixtures to chat about or look forward to.

Plenty of other clubs – including several in the Championship – still need a head coach or manager, but as Sunderland fans, perhaps we feel more stressed over a lack of activity.

The situation does of course need to be put into context.

Almost one hundred days have passed since we sacked Michael Beale and placed Mike Dodds in charge until the end of the season. This was the club effectively saying that they would choose the next permanent head coach, and that the next appointment, whenever that may be, is spot on.

We’ve heard nothing from the club lately, but at this time of year, that’s fine and it isn’t out of the ordinary. Sunderland’s fanbase is passionate and we all want the best for the club, but at this point, it feels like we’re overly concerned about things we can’t control.

The club hasn’t covered itself in glory over the past few months and a lot of goodwill has been eroded. With that in mind, it’s no exaggeration to say that they need to get this summer’s decisions spot on.

The pressure is on and a delay in appointing a new head coach is no good in the eyes of some fans, but I just think some perspective is needed.

Even if Beale’s successor were to arrive this week, there’s still a couple of weeks before he can really do anything. Indeed, even when pre-season gets underway, the first few days are usually spent with fitness coaches and in getting the players up to speed.

In the modern age, it often feels as though the fans need to know absolutely everything that’s going on at the club at all times, when in reality it’s normal for nothing to be happening at this stage.

Many fans are paying more towards the club than I am, with thousands of season tickets already renewed for next season. We all want to know what shape Sunderland AFC will be in ahead of 2024/2025, and the big decisions should be being made sooner rather than later.

As long as we have a new head coach installed for the start of pre-season, that’s fine.

Until then, it’s a chance to take our minds off this often-frustrating club for a couple of weeks before we return with a new gaffer, lovely new Hummel kits, and hopefully some transfer news.