Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Blackburn Rovers FC – Monday 1st April 2024 - KO 15:00

Maybe. Maybe not. Depends how we use the Clarke money really.

If (for example) we use some of the Clarke money to sign Morgan Whittaker and Jay Stansfield then that improves the squad without departure from the fabled model - both players are young enough to hold their value

If (more likely example) we sign 17yo Jean Claude Beret from Auxerre and 19yo Filippo Pizzaface from Benfica B and expect them hit the ground running then we are in trouble.

This likely summer represents the first real test of the model - big money incoming for Clarke so how do we use it? Do we take our signings up a level, or do we double down on kids from European academies?

 

They definitely didn’t try to get promoted

Nearly happened upon it by accident but they definitely didn’t do anything to help it. That January was bad. Like all of the windows since

 

Utter nonsense.

So, they didn't try/didn't want to get promoted, but had we gone up it would have been "by accident"?

'kin hell man

Get yourself over to spotify and listen to the last 18 months of WiseMenSay - you'll fit right in with that agenda bollocks

 

They appointed a manager who some turned on before he kicked off. He was our end of the season. The anyone but Beale crew are now saying anyone but Dodds and anyone but Speakman and I’d argue are partially responsible for the messy ending.
No doubt they ****ed up over Mowbray in the summer over the other manager and signing sub standard strikers / no dcm which chased Mowbray out effectively and made any coaches job difficult and that led to Beale and on we go, but revolution often ends in more blood and instability As we fans should know. Speakman has done a lot of good but some ****. There are more than one way to tackle the **** bits.

 

Didn't do anything to help it? Only signed the best player in the league on loan, spent money despite having zero incoming transfer fees, if we are judging it based on just last season Ekwah was a great January signing and Gelhardt was crucial to the style of play. Don't talk nonsense man.

 

This is getting silly again.

 

You wrote off the 2nd half of last season, said we would finish bottom half after the January window but we then finished 6th. You offer zero praise for the work speakman did, you blame him for everything that goes wrong but never once praised him for the work he did in the 1st 2.5 yrs at the club

Cant stand people coming on saying 'told you so'

This season has been shocking and none of us are happy with how its panned out. But taking over every match thread when we lose saying 'its all on speakman' is getting boring as f**k

I am losing faith in speakman n this managerial appt is make or break but no point discussing it on EVERY match day thread

 

Just go busking!!!

 

I have to assume he is running out of time and room to make mistakes now. I've got nothing against him and still think his successes outweigh his failures but yeah, he needs this summer to go his way.

 

He has just enough credit in the bank for me, just tho

Hopefully KLD is monitoring the director of football market as well as always got to be aware of upgrades

Anyway, enough from me on speakman on this thread

Yesterday wasnt down to recruitment, it was down to a shocking performance, that starting line up was good enough to beat that blackburn team and we were shocking

 

Well said mate

 

Offered him praise. You have replied when I have done so. To say I haven't is a fallacy.

It's always going to come round to him. He is the man who controls and makes all decisions. This impacts the match. Like this thread. When we get embarrassed people are rightly fuming.

 

Oh I’d never thought of that!!

 

Deleting my comment as really can be a$$ed with the standard back n forth with you @Prehab26

Yesterday was shocking and a massive reaction is needed for Saturday

 

Dodds and Proctor not changing anything at HT ffs - couldn't make it up - pair of charlatans way out of their depth. That inaction laid it out clear as day for all to see.

 

No worries. Do as you with. I have praised him though.

Just think he isn't cut out for the power he has and we are going backwards.

 

I dont mind them writing off this season by keeping Dodds in charge, as long as we are waiting for a humdinger of a manager to be available at the end of the season. However if we get somebody in who was obviously available straight after Beale got the bullet, and who is anywhere near as underwhelming, then I will certainly share your disgust.

 

In

Part of what went wrong yesterday was **** team selection, too much attacking flair not enough defensive cover.

 

Speakman didn’t make Roberts do a pretend tackle when he should have been defending like a man for the first goal. Speakman didnt make Ekwah make a cheap pass to the opposition just after half time. Speakman don’t make Neil a 20million plus player gift the ball at the edge of the box.

 

Its a totally different season without the boat load of injuries we've suffered throughout it!