I’ve just been texting with my lad saying the same thing. This isn’t the Sunderland I grew up supporting. Not that I would’ve swapped that for anything mind, but this is mind blowing stuff.
I think, juding by the fact Fab has specifically mentioned Lucumi is keen, it probably indicates that the player has finally given us the green light. We won't bother bidding until a player has told us yes. Based on the timing, I'm guessing our performance at the weekend is what's pushed him over the edge...
I mentioned how Lucumi and an aerially dominant CB would be a ridiculous pairing. our other two certainly bring that these CB options would be ridiculous if we pull off Lucumi. I think the fact Fabrizio is tweeting this now saying it’s our first official bid despite conversations all summer and now the player saying he wants the move, this might finally move quickly. how are we potentially going to have Ballard Lucumi Alderete Mukiele Reinildo O’Nien as CB options for a newly promoted side. Good lord man.
I genuinely believe for some games we will play with a back 5, 2 wing backs pressing higher up the field and getting the balls in early. Le Bris will have us very flexible to play different systems.
The squad will be ridiculously strong. Definitely doesn’t fit with the way our Reggie works though. We’ll have to hope he has a mindset shift this season to get these players enough football. Think we need to get used to two left footed centre halves playing mind. That’s gonna irritate
I’m such a sadsack on this thread However we need to be super careful about maxing PSR this summer, just because we can. To me, doing so means we’ll be forced to make one or two big sales next summer to keep right.
4 points would be a very good return, never mind 6. We definitely don’t ’really need’ to win them both
Think part of the problem will be familiarity as the likelihood is that they won’t have ever been asked to do so. That being said, Lucumi looks pretty comfortable with his right, so should be okay.
I still don't get this view tbh, the lad has had poor depth everywhere he's been, maybe he just need an actual strong squad then he will rotate from game to game and in game haha
we only need two more, Lucumi being 20m or so and then the winger who could be 20-30m, then we still haven't maxed it
If we aren’t targeting Burnley and Brentford as winnable games then what are we targeting? Common sense would say beating the teams we expect to be at the bottom of the table is where we’ll pick up points rather than the off chance we take a big scalp. Burnley are really poor they’ve barely strengthened and Brentford is a home game against a team a lot have tipped for relegation. 4 points wouldn’t be the end of the world but we have to look to be beat those around us especially the team we all expect to finish rock bottom.
we have spent 135m NET, Chris Weatherspoon reckons we can spend up to 220m. If we get a solid squad we won't need to do much business next season bar a couple and if any of them do well they will likely be poached by top 6 clubs