Morning Chaps, So, ive started my day off by going to the garage, buying 20 Marlboro and a paper. Ive read an article in the paper, that states "Unless the men with the purse strings at the Stadium of light are prepared to loosen them, it wont matter who they get as a replacement" Ive got to ask, have these people who write such rubbish actually watched Sunderland play this season? Steve Bruce signed in excess of 30 players, who, obviously he rated to be able to take SAFC to the next level, and ive got to say, most of the players he signed I was happy with. What it boils down to is the fact that unfortunatley, Steve Bruce, was tactically clueless. When you look at the SAFC first 11, versus the NUFC first 11 on paper, SAFC should walk all over NUFC. But it hasnt happened, and why, because the tactics that Bruce employed were dated, inflexible, and boring. He lacked the ability to 'change it up' mid way through a match if things werent going our way, and also lacked the ability to respond to opposing managers changing it throughout a match. His faith in keeping with certain players who were not performing, when there was much better available to him, often left us all wondering what he was actually thinking. My response to the article I have read is, anyone with any idea of tactics could get SAFC working like a well oiled machine. Yes we are a striker and a left back missing, but in honesty, if people like Pardew can do it, then Martin O'Neill, or whoever it may be, will certainly get our team performing at a much higher level than we have previously seen.
Agree with this. MON will be able to inspire this group of players to a top 10 finish, of that I have no doubt at all.
Good morning Rightboot, firstly as I love Sunderland and all Sunderland supporters please do yourself a favour and stop smoking, I've had the dreaded big C myself and have lost too many friends and relatives to it. Secondly I am very happy atm, and as you do, I expect that MoN will make difference even without new players. But what has done for the inept SB was and is a lack of goals. Bendtner after a bright start is proving my Gooner friends right, they were happy to get rid. So despite noises from the club about money I do expect at least one new experienced striker to come into the club in the Jan window and if Short is going to back MoN I would also expect one creative midfielder as well. I also wonder if the little trees around the AoL will have lots of people hiding behind them as folk look to see if MoN makes an appearance?
Morning Sunderpitt, Firstly your right about the smoking. Easier said than done to quit!! What about Ryan Noble? The one thing about MoN is that he wont "stick with big names" Id love Noble and Meyler in instead of Bendtner and Cattermole......
our first 11 does not walk all over theres, lets be honest about it boys on current form if i was to pick a Newcastle/Sunderland 11 it would be Krul O'Shea, Collocini, Brown, Bardsley Larsson, Cabaye, Tiote, Sessegnon Ba, Bendtner To be fair as well, Larsson could easily be forfitted for Gutierrez, I hate to play up the mags but as lucky as they've been they are 4th because they have some very good players
Not only Tactically clueless but also (apparently from what I've seen) - couldn't motivate a player to run onto the pitch let alone to play well!! MoN was not my first choice but he will get my full support (as will the team - as they always have)
Do you reckon there was something going on behind the scenes there? Bent, gyan and welbeck all left. I know welbeck was always going back to manure but I'm sure he said he wouldn't play under Bruce again or words to that effect.
Hi Rightboot, Yes it would be good to see young Mssrs Noble and Wickham up front, but realistically they need time to make an impact, one experienced striker in the team would enable those two lads to work off them and ease themselves in, as long as it not Heskey! As for Catts well he was a poor choice as skipper and whilst he is a strong defensive central midfielder, I would put him behind Jack and Meyler. I know what has helped lots of people to stop smoking is thinkking of their family, you do it for your kids/partner/family
pat, I agree they have some very good players, but the reason why they are good is because they have a manager behind them that has worked wonders with the resources available to him. Thats all I was saying, with the right manager behind them, the players we have, should blossom. The likes of Vaughan and Gardner, who were squad players at best under Bruce, will be given the chance to play under MoN, maybe Noble will be given the chance? All I was saying in this article, is that 11 superstars directed by an inept manager, will not play like 11 Superstars. Look at Huddersfield, they were on a tremendous run until Monday night, 43 games unbeaten I think, and with the same squad that struggled the year before
Patthemackem I noticed you said on current form but you seem to have made a mistake as there is Sunderland players in there. No jonas or Taylor?? Brown?? Bendtner?? Are you ****ing kidding me like? That's about a biased comparison of our teams this season as I've seen. Utter nonsense.
Let's face it, it doesn't ever matter what is written down on paper. If paper counted then we might as well all pack our bags and go home, leaving Man City, Real Madrid and Barcelona to fight amongst themselves. Managers like Holloway at Blackpool spring to mind, as much as I really disliked seeing his stupid face on TV every 5 minutes last season, he had his players united as a group and playing for the badge on their shirt - even though they got relegated they punched well above their weight for most of the season. I think MON will be an improvement on Bruce, definitely in the short term but he does have a tendency to demoralise the odd player here and there, which I believe did him absolutely no favours at Villa. Nigel Reo-Coker (an £8m acquisition of O'Neill's) springs to mind after a training ground bust up. It all boils down to, like it or not, O'Neill has a very big ego. His shopping is sporadic and ruthless at times, acquiring players players on his wishlist at all costs seems to be his modus operandi. Having said that, he is a fan of Sunderland, or was growing up as a boy along with Celtic according to the press, therefore I'm sure he will put the interests of the club first, and as the saying goes "We do not become professors until the day we die", I think Martin O'Neill can, if he takes a humble approach, right his wrongs at the perfect club for himself.
I disagree 2bh with our team walking all over there's I personally think there team is better than ours and has more balance and creativity ESP in midfield. Richardson at left back and Sess on one of the wings are the only two players that would get in there side currently
Bendtner and Noble together, why drop bendtner? Cattermole should be ****ting himself, and rightly so. IMO Meyler, Vaughan and Gardner should all start ahead of him.
Have to agree with Michael Chopra's bookie... What the heck is that?? Because it certainly isn't a team of form players... I'd say remove all the Sunderland players bar Larsson, and that 6 players would beat the full complement you've picked!!! Brown and O'Shea??? Hahahahahahahaha These half-wits have cost you points, yet you'd still take your mutilated composition over one of the in-form defences in the league?! Bardsley? Sausage boy over Jonas? Hahahahahahaha... Don't even get me started on B52 or whatever he calls himself (rather that than ironically calling himself a good striker!).... Just hilarious. On form, we're better... On paper, Sunderland are decent, no more, and I don't regard myself as being biased but realistic in this judgement... Look at your team honestly? It's not one you'd back for a relegation scrap, but consisten mid-table. Ours is little better in truth, and when Ashley has devestated the side in January, I'll worry, but I think we're just a little better in the key areas... Unfortunately you have a decent owner, who spends money.
