Summer window

Its all about opinions i suppose, we will all have players that we give more credit to than others. A lot of it is down to credit in the bank, suppose thats why people still want batth starting as he has so much credit in the bank for the way he played last season but against crewe he looked poor n sluggish - but we will give him more chances as hes had more good games than bad

I don't think anyone has been particularly bad this season (hemir is the only one but we cant judge him as hes getting thrown in before hes ready) but i do think a few are below last seasons standard

Not been a bad start imo but obvious not a great start, just a meh start for the team n individuals

 

i've grew up on the boarders of newcastle, had an NE post code before i moved, to this day i still class newcastle as my home,

i love seeing sunderland city centre starting to move with the times but newcastle city centre is years ahead of sunderland,

i've had a season ticket for twenty years now,
and to be honest i still don't class my self as a mackem, to me mackems are who were born in Sunderland, not because of the team the support, people in shields sand dancers
people in newcastle Geordies,

don't know if that's me being old fashioned or not

 

I have no issue with people going through Newcastle, but let them know when they complain about how bad Sunderland is.

I've never been a fan of going through there. The last time I was out there the taxi driver thought going around past the Metro, team valley up through Boldon via Washington was quickest route back

 

A lad I used to work with and socialise with is a Mag.. He once borrowed my van to move house. On its return it had a NUFC key fob attached to the keys.. That Key fob now has pride of place on my Dart board covering the Bulls Eye ever since. I never miss the board..

 

Not sure why you need to explain mate. You do what's best for you and your family. I live in Dunston and I'm a season ticket holder that make me any less a safc fan then someone who lives in Sunderland

 

I agree but some people need taking to water and showing them how to drink it.

 

I'm fanatical about SAFC but from Durham and the NE in that order. My family were originally Border Reivers so Northumberland comes into how I feel.

I want the whole NE to prosper as long as it's fair. As I said, banter is fine, but there are Mags who won't buy a Nissan despite them living south of the Tyne.

I sometimes stay in Newcastle for games because Sunderland is often more expensive, it's no different to Manchester imo.

 

Just out of interest, do the club for whom you work rely much on data in their recruitment? If so, how does that interact with your scouting? The eye test to confirm what the data says or vice versa?

 

I couldn’t agree more.
I would love to see all the NE teams in the Premier League, but that’s a pipe dream.

 

Sunderland city centre is a dive. Even the most staunch of us will admit that. It is getting better though, we’ve got a few projects ongoing at keel/Vaux site and it’ll look good when finished. Sheepfolds will be a cracking little spot as well.

The only problem with Newcastle is it’s full of geordies

 

Not far from me. I am in Whickham

 

Yeah they do mate. The chief data analyst, will run reports from across certain leagues in Europe based on certain criterias. Once he identifies targets based on data he allocates out to the video scouts who will watch highlights of those players from 1 or 2 games. Based on our scoring theyll then allocate out to other video scouts to watch full games and see how they score them. Once they have enough positive reports theyll then send the full time scouts out to watch a live game.

Data is key but its only a small part of the journey to sign a player, the eye test is still the most important thing - both on video n live.

Data is mostly used to narrow down targets n can help you decide between 2 similar players - if the eye tests are the same itll be what data looks better

Love how data is used in the game but the eye test is always the key data that teams will use

Hope that helps mate

 

Bit like Bally.

 

Couldn’t agree more.

 

It's just fact. I'm Shields, always been considered a Geordie or Sanddancer Nothing to do with football. If I decide to support Liverpool I cannot call myself a Scouser.

 

. Agree mate. I've got friends coming from la this week taking them to the match Saturday but taking them out in Newcastle Saturday night. Wonder if that still classes me as a supporter haha.

 

Just quoted you to follow the discussion

Born in lake District, moved down south when I was 4 . Supported spurs because all my mates did, until I was 12 and my dad took me to my first Sunderland game. Red and white ever since, despite rarely being able to get to games (living in France last 26 years).

Dad and all of his family from Sunderland. I have a great uncle, in his 90's. Went to his first game when he was 12, and was a season card holder from them up until COVID when he had to give it up. Grandad also in his 90s, lifelong fan as well though he moved away so hasn't had a season card for a fair few years.

My son is 12, hoping to get him to his first game this season. Will be with my dad, pick up my grandad and hopefully great uncle as well to make it a 4 generation family trip (not to mention other family members who we will join)

All that just to say, if geography is what makes you a fan or not, no clue what I am then

 

Nah I would agree with your points.

 

That’s fascinating stuff, thanks very much, I love the insight.

It doesn’t apply in the context of recruitment I guess but when it comes to fans’ assessments of players (like those being discussed over the last couple of pages) the risk with the eye test is that it’s always so at risk of being skewed by preconceived biases which distorts our visual perceptions.

The worst I see for it in our fanbase is the number of people that don’t rate Neil based on ‘his inability to do the defensive side of the game’. Despite watching all last season this is still their opinion because it’s what they now believe and so their perception in watching the game is swayed by confirmation bias.

I do like the influx of stats into the game that enable us to cut through those preconceptions and biases. The sort of stats that show Neil was one of the better midfielders in the league in a raft of defensive measures (not that the doubters accept this even when presented with the evidence!).

I couldn’t agree more that it needs to be a balance though.

 

On all of the days we’re due to sign a forward, UK air traffic control goes into meltdown

cursed