Summer window

Yep

 

Except for S Davison I hope you mean.

 

What would you rather happen? Keep Stewart with a bumper pay rise but him being a shadow of his former self whilst also limitting our striking options or let him go for a decent sum but see him bang in the goals in an injury free career with Stoke? Its a puzzler. But i think curently we would be mad to offer him a new deal whilst Stoke will be mad to buy him right now. I think he is in limbo until January. We could end up letting him leave for nowt in June.

 

I honestly think he signs a new contract or goes for nowt, I can't see us getting a fee that will make selling worth it.

 

Can't see anyone being daft enough to pay a fee and offer him a better contract than ours until he can prove his fitness which he might not do before the January window is closed.
Want him to stay IF he can recover from his injury but is he blocking another coming in when the club don't know what his fitness future is, it's a conundrum.

 

Stewart is a rare breed in as much he is a proven goal scorer...he has demonstrated he can do this at Championship level. Assuming any team interested in his services, they will go through a thorough medical...if he passes that, then he leaves to whoever is offering the highest pay packet. For me its as easy and as straight forward as that. They get a player who can score goals, we get cash to develop more youngsters...But this (will he won't he) drama will be finished

 

Don't disagree with any of that. However,the problem seems to be one of timing. From RS and any potential buyer point of view,can he recover enough to eliminate any doubt about his future condition and pass a medical,before the end of the window?
From our point of view, how long do we wait before acquiring a replacement,which we will definately need if he doesn't recover sufficiently early enough,or goes. Dilemma all round. Under the KLD/KS regime,we seem to have looked after our players,so I assume this will continue with RS.

 

So, by default, if they're in the first team/squad, then they're good enough.

 

We need to remember FFP.

It’s not KLD being skint he’s a billionaire and is backed by a family Billionaires many times over.

FFP I believe is based on turnover over a 3 year cycle, currently our ‘sending limit’ I believe would be based over 3 years in League One.

Unlike the PL the EFL have history of enforcing it and they absolutely savaged QPR few years back.

Be another 2 years before we can spend £20-30 in a window unless we hit the PL and that changes the game.

 

Agreed. Unless we move a couple on for big money, that changes the equation. I suppose it's a question of whether these players are at their peak value or not, and if we can replace them.

 

We aren’t going to get a huge fee for him, with a year left and currently injured. I would just keep him for now and see what happens. If he’s scoring and enjoying it come January, we can probably offer him a competitive contract to keep him, especially if we are in the running for promotion. I think he’d rather be here with a chance of playing in the Prem, rather than sign a pre contract with Rangers. We have a full 12 months to line up a suitable replacement if required.

 

Well he’s almost a new signing….

Tony Mowbray expects Niall Huggins to have big season at Sunderland



https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...=a73edde4dcb3d8fcf40d517c2718393e&date=180723

TONY MOWBRAY expects Niall Huggins to be a major force in Sunderland’s first team this season.

Huggins joined Sunderland from Leeds United in the summer of 2021, but a succession of injuries have seriously limited his ability to make much of an impact in the senior ranks.

The 22-year-old has made just eight senior appearances in all competitions during his two years on Wearside, and has barely featured at all under Tony Mowbray.

His only Championship appearance in the whole of last season came in November’s 2-1 win at Birmingham City, with a series of niggling injury issues restricting his ability to train and play in the second half of the campaign.

He is operating at full fitness now though, and played at left-back for the first 45 minutes of Sunderland’s weekend win over San Antonio during their tour of the United States.

He could well find himself back in the side when the Black Cats return to action against New Mexico United on Wednesday, with his ability to play at either full-back or centre-half making him a potentially valuable asset with the injured Aji Alese not expected to be available for the start of the new Championship campaign.

Mowbray said: “Niall is a bonus ball for us. He’s a good footballer, very athletic, very versatile, very confident with the ball at his feet.

“I’m really pleased for Niall. He has to prove his robustness throughout the season and play games and be available to play games, and he has to try and force his way into the team, but he’s a really positive asset for the football club.”

 

He can play centre back?! I struggle with that like. Surely they mean centre midfield as I know he’s been in there before

 

Definitely cm mate

 

Pleased with this. This lad is a really good player and I hope his patience with injury, and ours to allow him to recover properly, will pay dividends.
As TM says,it's almost like a new signing.

 

Is his natural position on the left or right? For some reason I thought he was bought to be out right full back but the article mentions left. Been injured that long, I can’t remember

 

Well, no... This whole conversation started around Anderson being in the squad last season when Mowbray / the coaches clearly didn't feel he was ready for first team football (as they decided to play a 5' 8" winger over him at CB)

 

he’s right footed but played left back for Leeds when Bielsa was there as Bielsa liked inverted full backs so they implemented it across the club. So I think he’s comfortable doing both

 

I just can't see Stewart as being so critical to us as some obviously, and reasonably, do.

He's a real worker and never stops making runs, pulling their defence around, defending free kicks and corners, etc. He finds space, scores goals, gets shots away, I'm not denying that.

But, from what I've seen, he doesn't have a great percentage of cleanly hit shots, doesn't always play other people in when he could and isn't convincing with one on one's with the keeper.

I think he's a good determined Championship player but I'm not convinced he'd make it in the PL. I'm also not convinced he's fully on board with what the club is trying to do.

I was upset when Kevin Philips went but I don't think I'd feel the same about Stewart tbh ...

... with height and power elsewhere in the side I'd be happy to see another, the size of Philips, as a focal point, perhaps playing alongside a 'Quinn' as the foil.

I'd like Stewart in the team, and firing, but would still have reservations.

.

 

More of a rb but can play a number of positions