Don't think we were ever in contention for him tbh. He let himself down going to Saudi for the money, it seems he even thought so very quickly! But realistically were we ever going to pay £12 million and the wages he would want? Plus we are probably a step down in level he is capable of at the moment. It would have took a lot of from Henderson to make the move happen, accepting lower wages, pushing Liverpool to accept about a 1/4 of what they got from the Saudi's and being willing to play second tier football all for a love of SAFC.
Just left Edinburgh Station, loads of Sunderland on ... ... more than I've seen before, everyone in good spirits. Hope we're on the spirits coming back
Curious to see how we line up at the back if Ballard misses out. If we go with a back 4, with Hume as a centre back we are losing the game.
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/24189466.mike-dodds-will-not-taking-step-back-sunderland/ It’s a longish article so I didn’t want to paste the whole thing.
I appreciate his ambition and openness but unless he can somehow spin this ship around and pull out some incredible form, like a 5 game winning streak, he is not going to convince people he is the man for the Sunderland job.
Just the quotes: “It’s shown me this is what I want to do,” said the stand-in Black Cats boss. “From a selfish perspective, it’s actually made me cement my beliefs. It’s made me a lot clearer on what I want to do, where I want to go, and how I should go about it. “I think that’s just about being completely open, honest and genuine. I’ve tried my hardest not to moan about things. This is the squad we’ve got, we’re cracking on, and sometime, we’re going to win a game of football. When we do that, it will snowball. “I believe in what I do. People aren’t going to change my thought process on that, and I’m getting on with where we’re at, at the moment. I know if I stick to my plan and my processes, things will change.” “I could take a step back, but that’s not in my nature,” he said. “People say, ‘Are you enjoying it?’ I’m not enjoying it because I’ve lost four on the bounce and your ego takes a real dent. But the pressure is really addictive. “One thing this has done is shown me that once you realise that the negativity isn’t going to help you progress or have clarity in what you’re trying to do, then you become really clear in your objectives. So, in terms of protecting myself, I think the best way to do that is just by being 100 per cent authentic and real in everything I do. “One thing I’m definitely not going to do is say that the players I’ve got aren’t good enough, because I definitely think that they are. A few of them just need a little bit more help, and that help will come when we get some of our higher performers back.” “I’m really confident in the way I work and coach, and I get a really good feel and vibe from the players that they’re completely buying into what we’re trying to do,” he said. “I’ve seen enough in the games, albeit not consistently, for me to have a real belief that what we’re doing is right. “We’ve just got to find more consistency with that, and it’s my responsibility to do that. One thing I’ve realised is that this quite a lonely role, and you’ve just got to accept the negativity that comes your way.”
Evans was better than Neil for us until he picked up that bad injury and I’ll die on that hill. We’d be a much better team with him back in it
Hoping he'll go with Jobe Assuming Ballard fit, I'd go Patterson Hume Ballard Hjelde Pembele Neil Rigg Styles Mundle Jobe Aouchiche Fluid enough to play as a 3 or a 4 at the back and hopefully enough bodies in the middle with some presence up front WTF do I know like - probs be 4-5-1 with Burstow up front
I've been flattened with COVID like symptoms since Wednesday. Totally wiped me out and even missed work which is rare. So today it's rugby all the way culminating in England away to France tonight. Of course Sundland match on the stick. Tough game today. Really tough.
Been away for a few weeks so glad to be back at the SOL today (see if I’m seeing that at 5pm). Going to assume Ballard isn’t 100% and I don’t want him risked when we have so little to play for, this is my team: patto Pembele Hume hjelde styles Neil Ekwah Mundle AA Ba Jobe pretty forced at the back really but at least Pembele gets minutes. I think we look way to open anytime jobe is in 6 or 8 so Ekwah starts. AA is a must and it would have been rusyn for jobe pre injury. Jobe just has a bit more movement than hemir and nothing personal to the lad but I don’t want to see burstow get another minute this season. Haway lads edit: forgot about bloody Rigg! Are we solid enough if he replaces Ekwah?
Mag, in a shirt, just got on at Alnmouth ... ... their seat is right in the middle of the 'Sunderland carriage'. Ten minutes gone, not a word spoken by either side
