Fair enough but folk also said we would lose the majority of players this summer n we only lost Clarke It's impossible to predict if this is the perfect time or not, there is no pressure on us this yr in terms of that we have go up The way this team is being built is with both short n long term planning in mind I also wouldn't say we got lucky, it comes down to good recruitment and then good coaching
Disagree We didn't go up in 2023 and only lost Stewart We didn't go up last year and only lost Clarke Why would we suddenly sell all our best assets if we don't go up this year? Why would Jobe, Ballard, Rigg etc all sign new contracts in the summer if they were intent on leaving the instant we don't get promoted? The way this model works is that we will likely always sell an asset each summer for a large profit to fund that year's recruitment. I don't see any need/reason/evidence of a fire sale.
Fosu Mensah available a free, could be a shrewd signing for someone like us. Hasn’t played much since the bad knee injury he picked up at Leverkusen that kept him out for over a year. Get him fit this season and ready to come into the fold if we lose someone next year.
I don't think the club would want to sell them, but it's likely (just my opinion) that we will get offers in next summer for a few players, and if we're not promoted said players may ask to move on . In that case, we might have to sell a few. Hope not, and I hope the club can convince them to stay, but it will be easier with promotion
I certainly hope so! To some extent the acid test is Brighton. I know they owe Bloom hundreds of millions, but most of that money went on infrastructure (the ground plus numerous significant projects at the training complex). They also owe money from the early part of his tenure, where the way they operated was quite different. Ultimately I tend to think that even for a club that is undoubtedly well run (as Brighton are), they are only one or two bad decisions from the trap door. Relative success for all but the legacy PL big clubs is a bit of a tightrope. Here's hoping we can buck that trend, though!
We didn't get promoted last season and we had offers for players this summer. We didn't sell It's not an automatic process whereby we fail to get promoted and we sell all our players.
To be fair I think because of fan base that Brighton may have reached a ceiling (not really sure) but I believe our ceiling could be significantly higher. Manchester city had lived in the shadow of United for years but with good planning and investment are now a powerhouse of European football in a little over something like 20 years (don't forget they were in league 1 around 1998-1999) so they are proof that it can happen. their history has a lot of similarities with SAFC and I believe they have had a similar journey to us, kind of. Until the investment from Thailand and then the arab money, but it still shows what can be achieved weather you agree with how they did it or not other clubs have spent and invested more with worse results. Chelsea have spent more in 5 transfer windows than Man City did to build the whole club up.
I know everything, these days, is fixated around TV money and some clubs seem to see that as a permanent crutch ... ... either that or the support of a rich 'investor' with money to waste and good lawyers. I like to think Sunderland are 'bucking that trend' by running the club properly and becoming sustainable. And, despite how gate receipts are often dismissed, having 40,000 gates along with the corresponding merchandising must be a significant contributory factor. If we occasionally have to sell a player, rather than go into debt, I think that's a price worth paying especially if we're 'replacing them' by bringing in players to understudy them as we've done with Clarke. Let's not forget, those other clubs, 'spending more', and buying big, are still having to sell off players. Ambitious players will look at Clarke's Sunderland experience and be attracted ... ... brought in, given time to develop, received proper coaching and allowed to move up when the time was right. That's the 'model', in my opinion, and it's a Supermodel compared some of the models we've had. Short's model was like Jordan ... ... loads of money wasted but looking slightly ridiculous, gradually going down the pan and not particularly attractive. And of course you end up in heaps of debt please log in to view this image
Smug, man How can you say that she's 'not particularly attractive' . . . . she's fecking hideous, as she was before the 'improvements'
Some people still defend her and believe she's a 'role model' ... ... she couldn't model plasticine even though she's 50% made of the stuff
I didn't say it was an automatic process. The difference between this season, and last season, imo, is that certain players might feel that they are ready for a new challenge if we don't get promotion. So yes, we might have had bids come in this summer (we don't actually know that for a fact) but the players didn't push for a move. Except Clarke. Next summer more players might push for a move, because they are more likely to feel they are ready. (If we don't get promoted). Maybe they won't, maybe they will be happy continuing to improve with us with an extra season in the championship. But I feel like there is a chance that a few of them might say, let's take the next move.
Probably one for @Scout73 (or anyone with an eye for these things). Given how good Mepham looked at this level what would you say makes him surplus to requirements at PL ? Pace? Physicality? And how does Ballard compare? More upside long term? Cheers
I watched that video showing all of his touches v Boro, he didnt do anything wrong, but difficult to judge against a **** team with no attacking threat
I actually think Mepham is good enough to play week in week out in the PL, he is decent on the ball but not great so that gets found out more in the PL. I think he is better than the CBs at the newly promoted sides so would start for all of them, even teams like Palace I think hes good enough to start for. Bournemouth have some good CBs so that's why he struggles for game time there. Mepham edges ballard in terms of potential (just) imo, mainly due to Ballard's lack of pace. Both are or can be regulars in the PL, hopefully with us but I reckon both will be playing PL football in the nxt yr to 2
I agree I think the problem was the CBs at Bournemouth are better than him. it’s just his on ball ability that lets him down but at championship level it won’t be a problem
I also think Ballard’s over commitment /recklessness can be a winner and a loser. He is a major competitor but it can lead to fouls / injuries as well as inspiring blocks.
But more of a possibility of players wanting to leave next summer if we don't get promoted. Rigg, jobe, Neil, Ballard.... Promotion has to be the aim, and promotion gives us a better chance of keeping our key players. But nothing guaranteed either way
