full story here https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/19303445.sunderland-transfer-plan-ready-summer/ SUNDERLAND'S Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman says there is a plan in place for post season recruitment, regardless of whether they’re in League One or the Championship. The Black Cats are gearing up for their League One play off semi final legs against Lincoln City. The first leg is next Wednesday while the second leg will be played on the Saturday at the Stadium of Light in front of a sell-out crowd. Speakman has been in the role since December and is keen to identify new talent ahead of next season. Speakman said: “Ultimately, you’re running a process for player selections, retentions on meeting the philosophy of what we’re trying to play.
It's the philosophy that counts. We've all seen good players arrive and become bad players. We've all seen players improve under the new regime. What's needed is a squad of players who totally buy into the philosophy, team spirit and tactics. There are only 10 outfield players, so two not playing the right way is a fifth of the team, and that pulls everyone else down. You can see that the winning teams, like Leicester, have faith in each other even when it's not going right. We need to avoid boat rockers, mercenaries and egomaniacs.
Top of that list Smug is mercenaries imo, we've had a belly full of them in our slide from the Premiership
It's shameful that the 'Rodwells' are content to take the money without caring whether they play or not. The current 'money without effort' culture, in the game, is destroying in from the inside. For many players success isn't being the best, or winning things, it's the size of their bank balance. As you say, we've had a bellyful at this club.
We need more than one mind. One for the Championship and one for League One. It's not very hard this, we can brute force it at the level we're currently at. A bit more difficult if we progress up the leagues, but in League One we could probably recruit based entirely on data and improve on Coton and co's blank looks and no targets left on deadline day. Even I'd have had half a dozen options ready to look at.
SAFC and transfer planning just don’t seem to go together , at last we seem to have an owner and management team that are working together for the club .
