New Head Coach

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We spent over 10 million pounds this season. We are in a transfer deficit of around 8 million since we got promoted. Both of them numbers are one of the highest in the league. What are you talking about?

10m this season ?
 
10m this season ?
Yep. Over 2mill on Rusyn, just under 2mill on Seelt, Mundle, Jobe and Hjelde, Mayenda was around 1mill I think and then Hemir and Triantis were around the 500k mark were they not? Thats not including Aouchiche and Pembele who would've signed for fees aswell. Can talk about the quality of the signings but we've spent pretty heavily compared to the rest of the league. Would love to know how many sides under 2 years removed from League 1 have spent more than us?
 
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The glaring problem here is that the rivals to sign 'unknown' young foreign players, for £2m, will be fewer and less determined ...

... so those players are easier to sign, although more time consuming to scout and evaluate.

It's different for established players in the £5/6m bracket. There'll be serious determined competition for a striker, as an example, who can come in and, with less risk, make an immediate difference. So, the wage you're offering has to be more and the player holds the best cards. You'll also be competing against lower level PL clubs who can offer a higher level of football, albeit possibly temporarily. For international players, before major competitions that can be a big factor. And we have to remember that experienced players are more likely to have settled partners, and young families, who may not want to relocate to the far NE coast.
I wouldn't move to South Wales for twice what I'm earning.

I'd imagine we'll target high/er priced young players from PL clubs, or from Europe ... I'll say Adil as an easy example. The problem is that we'll have to catch them before they're obviously 'too good for us' but good enough not to be a 'Burstow'. How can a 6'2" athlete, at a top PL club who's been in the England set up, be so ineffective?

And this is the defence for Speakman/recruitment, in my opinion, that for every Clarke and Ballard there'll be those who really should be good enough but aren't, sometimes inexplicably ...

... we have to judge the recruitment as a whole imo, not by dismissing the likes of Hemir who may yet become another player who fills the scout benches at the SOL.

We have a very good squad, damn those injuries, and don't need much to be nailed on for the top six next season ...

... ffs Sunderland, make it happen.
 
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Spot on. Personally, I am not really sure why they both have been thrust into the main positions and actually a barrier to brining in top quality main head coaches. How many across the world would come with a demand that they both are prominent and on the first team bench ?

I hope Dodds smashes it and wins all games and gets it permanent btw. I just find it mad that we are reducing the pool of potential head coaches due to the obsession with proc and Dodds progression.

This is definitely the crux of the problem imo/, I will add that any conjecture would have been swept away if those three had had a semblance of unity. It was obvious to me that from their body language that they did not.
 
https://theathletic.com/5282536/2024/02/21/still-interview-reims-france?source=user-shared-article

Will Still saying today that he'd be interested in "an ambitious Championship club".

Of the Sunderland job in December, he said:

Any manager in the world would have listened to the offer. If someone offered you a better job, better life, you’d listen. Any human being would listen.’

It sounds like he's open to a conversation again in the summer.

He is very vocal though which is a bit concerning and he speaks a lot about his ambitions being different to Reims.

It'll be interesting to see if this happens and whether it results in a slightly more aggressive summer in the transfer market (spending the entire Clarke money if he goes).
 
https://theathletic.com/5282536/2024/02/21/still-interview-reims-france?source=user-shared-article

Will Still saying today that he'd be interested in "an ambitious Championship club".

Of the Sunderland job in December, he said:



It sounds like he's open to a conversation again in the summer.

He is very vocal though which is a bit concerning and he speaks a lot about his ambitions being different to Reims.

It'll be interesting to see if this happens and whether it results in a slightly more aggressive summer in the transfer market (spending the entire Clarke money if he goes).

You beat me to it! Just read that article and although I know absolutely bot all about him, he came across as a decent coach who solves problems. The fact that players have been sold or moved and he still has the team pushing up the table impresses me slightly. I wouldn't be adverse to him coming here