Summer window

Why on earth are you not a fan of Dodds? Because he struggled in two caretaker games? Can't just be that.

 

transfers can happen at any time. It’s a business transaction so there is nothing stopping the businesses transacting.

The transfer window is purely the window where clubs can register new players. And so it’s pointless in most cases doing transfers before then.

 

Not disagreeing with you, but generally the ones pulling the strings for the clickbaiting are the site owners who want more traffic to the site for more revenue, but there are people who'll pass things on or leak things for their own agenda (cough Methven, cough John Hall). Some will do it just to cause problems for someone, regardless of if it's true or not.

To be honest I can see us scouting out Farioli and others with a view to being the next manager. After all, we don't want a repeat of what happened replacing Johnson or even Parkinson, so a bit of succession planning makes sense. Just look at the chaos around Spurs right now.

My own opinion is that it's potential planning for the future and some how it's leaked out and sites like this are twisting it and pushing it to get mugs like us to go there because the extra traffic means extra revenue and to appear relevant and informed to get more followers.

 

I'm sure the Brighton owner said yesterday live on Sky that they always have to have a replacement in mind. Even though De Zerbi has done so well, and the manager was standing right next him live on Sky when he said it. It seems pretty much par for the course to have at least a shortlist of potentials lined up.

No harm in us doing our homework at all imo. Hope Mowbray is the man to take us up next season but if things go south for whatever reason then it would be daft of the club not to have a few names on the list.

 

The whole "model" is going to be hard work for some Sunderland fans. We're almost ready to accept that we now employ Head coaches rather than managers, but selling good players that we replace with players within the squad and having shortlists for future head coaches will be a lot to take for a section of our "old school" fans.

 

If it was as a straight choice between a De Zerbi type option now or another season with TM I'm sorry but I would go with the progressive option. TM has done a fantastic job against all odds! He has won my respect massively..
But if we could get a Fariolli etc (spell check)...what would happen if for whatever reason we hit a poor run of form next season and the fans (who can be fickle at any club) turn...and the options we had aren't available anymore...

 

No it's not just that.

 

It isn't just incase someone fails at a club, it could easily be that they get head hunted by someone else. Potter is a great example of that. We've recently had two managers head hunted from us, Allardyce for England and Neil for Stoke, so having some options ready makes perfect sense.

 

I agree. If big offers come in for our top players then they will be accepted (for the right price with the right deal I.e % add one's etc). I'm quite comfortable with it personally. It a lot better than wondering why the **** we signed Steven Pienaar.

 

Absolutely. I think that was the main point of the Brighton owner. He was saying "we won't lose de zerbi because we will sack him, we will lose him because he is ****ing class" type of thing.

 

Well, don't be coy, what is it? He seems a blameless sort.

 

I sort of agree but the problem is, you never know which way these progressive new managers will go. Look at Potter at Chelsea, everyone was sure he'd be a massive success but it was a complete nightmare. It's a big risk, difficult to justify if the current man is already doing a fine job i.e. TM

 

Because he knows the Dodds the fans see ain't the real deal.
He is more of a mole in the speakman camp
Looks like Begraoui [or however it is spelt] ain't coming.
No deal agreed, so they are now looking elsewhere

 

If I’m reading this right we’ve got the football leadership and direction team (speakman, Davison, directors and Harvey et al) and then we have the football coaching team (Mowbray, Dodds and Co and anyone Mowbray has brought in)

I think you are saying Dodds is hybrid and both speakmans and coaching team. It makes sense that some members are hybrid as the coach is meant to be interchangeable and if you have fairly permanent members of coaching staff as well as whoever the new coach brings in you aren’t reinventing the wheel each time and it’s not a battle between the new coaching staff about football direction which results in the coaching team already having the same philosophy in that department.

 

If that is what's being implied then surely the same has to be said about Stuart English.

 

“Mole in the Speakman camp” sounds like a good thing rather than a bad thing. Who on earth wouldn’t want our coaching team and our recruitment teams aligned on an ongoing basis? The only time it would become an issue is when Dodds starts overruling Mowbray / whoever the manager is; pulling the “bosses mate” card. Which I just completely doubt TM would ever let happen.

I will obviously never know why those ITK dislike Dodds but whilst he’s publicly very well talked about and respected by everyone else who knows him and has worked with him then I’m fine living in the dark on the “real” Dodds. As long as he’s not got a criminal side after work like.

 

Things seem so refreshingly upbeat with nearly all facets of SAFC pulling together which is a rarity in football.

This is quite an intriguing summer imo, hopefully including the following:

1. unearth a couple more hungry gems from other academies with 1st team chances limited like Cirkin, Alese etc.
2. See a couple of our own academy lads break into the squad
3. Secure 1 or 2 more established players aged mid 20s
4. Get Stewart fit and on an improved contract.
5. Secure a couple of high quality loan signings from top end PL clubs u23s/subs bench.

If that means getting good money in for 1 of our higher performing players from season gone so be it.

Nagging doubt is been going to watch SAFC since mid 70s and letting some optimism in as usually it’s followed by a let down. Bring on pre season.

 

Aye last thing you want is an us and them mentality between the coaching staff and the owners/Speakman. Everything nice and clear and open is the way we're doing it and it's working, everyone seems very happy.