Off the field operations

[ab65]

The Mags, Leeds, Burnley fans etc, may content themselves with posting ‘second season syndrome’ etc …

… but I simply can’t see KLD allowing us to stagnate and slip back into mediocrity.

In my opinion we should enjoy this period of being liked by most of the other clubs. I suspect there’ll come a time, if we keep spending and progressing, when they start to become as jealous as the L1 fans did as well as the likes of Boro, Sheff Utd, Coventry, etc.

We may also wonder if the club is still ‘ours’ and whether the advances suit our culture and our pockets …

… just a thought.

Cracking post mate.

Not a chance of us stagnating , its just not his nature.

I could see this being a massive summer for us both in terms of signings, not as many as last summer but think the quality will be undeniable, also looking forward to see the type of sponsors we can attract and who else comes in on the coaching side and permanent CEO.

If they are cutting edge people then we will know that we are going for it.

Very valid point about culture and pricing.

 

[kirkyboy]

A few have mentioned the importance of this summer window (arn’t they all!) Will the size and the value of any new sponsorship deals impact on our transfer budget this summer (sorry I’m clueless when it comes to football finances) or are we still going to be reliant on selling 1 or 2 each season in order to reinvest and move forward? I for one hope we keep Roefs for another season at least as he has been amazing but hopefully a nice tasty front of shirt sponsor will allow us to resist anything but a stupid offer!

 

[Yes but no but]

Interesting summer ahead. With these major roles in the staff available it feels like something is lined up, ppl coming in as part of investment etc. hope so anyway

 

[Juanito Caminante]

I’m as confident as I’m allowing myself to be (as a Sunderland fan with many more disappointments than successes) that we are just at the start of the upwards journey.
My mind goes back to last summer when the phrase ambitious project was repeatedly used by players we were signing. Top level players.
An ambitious project isn’t a one or two season thing, for me it’s a ‘we are aiming for the stars and this is how we are going to reach them’ thing.

I’d love to know the details of the project, but if it’s good enough to convince the likes of Granit Xhaki, Nordi Mukiele etc to sign up to it, it’s probably for the best that I don’t details because I might internally combust!

 

[Sol97uk]

I’m as confident as I’m allowing myself to be (as a Sunderland fan with many more disappointments than successes) that we are just at the start of the upwards journey.
My mind goes back to last summer when the phrase ambitious project was repeatedly used by players we were signing. Top level players.
An ambitious project isn’t a one or two season thing, for me it’s a ‘we are aiming for the stars and this is how we are going to reach them’ thing.

I’d love to know the details of the project, but if it’s good enough to convince the likes of Granit Xhaki, Nordi Mukiele etc to sign up to it, it’s probably for the best that I don’t details because I might internally combust!

Also the 10 year plan xhaka mentioned, if other players know some or all of that plan they might not want to move after one season or at the first sign of a big money move.
I honestly think KLD has plans for us bigger than we have ever hoped for.

 

[Slim Jim B]

This season is not over and I am already desperate for the next one to start, whether we make Europe or not. There is no way that we will stand still or suffer a ‘second season syndrome’, there is more chance that the ‘visitors’ will struggle next season. Looking at the Championship promotion contenders I cannot see any of them competing to stay up, so none of the premiership survivors should panic.

A few sensible, quality additions to the squad, no AFCON and fewer injuries to our players, should allow us to push for a top six space.
If that does not happen we will comfortably survive to become an established Premier League team, allowing KLD and his team to further improve our sponsorship and finances.

 

[Monkey69]

Nowt wrong with being optimistic mate as its a great way to live your life .However we will just have to disagree on whether we can bridge the gap between fiscally us and the top five or six in the premiership.

Of course we can grow with sustained effort and acumen but the gulf is just to wide to bridge in a sustainable way without a takeover and probably not even then given the new fiscal rules.

It will of course be interesting to see what Wrexham,Newcastle and we do do over the next few years but I predict in ten year time the same clubs will be at the top of the revenue and success pyramid as are there now.

Probably mate but Man City are still building as we speak (obviously charges depending) and that is numerous years in the building progress. Trouble is because of the way football is now every move is under the microscope because of financial irregularities, not just UK but world wide. The trouble with that I it always tends to favour the current powerhouses and stops any pretenders to their dominance.
This is a very complicated and interesting discussion which TBH teams like Real and Barca do not want but PSG and Man City have had to break rules to be involved which should not be the case.
I don't know the answer but I do know fair competition owners being allowed to invest should be OK however that should never be allowed to impact the stability of the club they choose to invest in.

 

[rowley]

Fairly confident this lot know what they are doing. They are very smart people, well connected and focused.

I take a simplistic view though.

If we were still struggling to make an impact in the Championship, or even still trying to get out of League One, I'd be persuading myself that we were more or less on the verge of a breakthrough. Just a lucky goal, or a win against the wind, and we'd be off.

Many on here can remember us slugging it out for years in the second division, with 15,000 being a decent crowd at Roker. If not, most or all will remember watching Parky looking hopelessly lost in his grey jumper. That stuff has you make your own optimism.

I don't know what KLD will see as our future. But I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have to persuade myself that we might somehow be okay. We are, with bells on. I've no idea how he ended up here, but he's the bloke we've been waiting for.

 

[The Professor]

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Table as it currently stands

Wiw id expect arsenal to be top, odd, surely they are about to win first title in a long time

 

[The Professor]

I wish someone would come forward and admit they thought of Till the End.

Its a hell of a thing to own

 

[Smug in Boots]

Wiw id expect arsenal to be top, odd, surely they are about to win first title in a long time

It just shows what a bunch of entitled ballbags the Chelsea fans are.

Struggled for years, bought by a Russian won all sorts and are still World Champions or summat ...

... yet they're blobbing their bottom lips out and telling everyone how unfair it all is.

 

[Becs]

I wish someone would come forward and admit they thought of Till the End.

Someone in the marketing dept for the 21-22 season.

When they were trying to think up ideas for 24-25 season, David Bruce suggested reusing Til the End. It was a bit of a mixed reaction as some didn't want to use it again but they ended up going with it. The rest is history!

 

[rooch 3]

Someone in the marketing dept for the 21-22 season.

When they were trying to think up ideas for 24-25 season, David Bruce suggested reusing Til the End. It was a bit of a mixed reaction as some didn't want to use it again but they ended up going with it. The rest is history!

So still no wiser

 

[rooch 3]

Someone in the marketing dept for the 21-22 season.

When they were trying to think up ideas for 24-25 season, David Bruce suggested reusing Til the End. It was a bit of a mixed reaction as some didn't want to use it again but they ended up going with it. The rest is history!

Wouldn’t it be a nightmare if it turned out to be SD

 

[BRMC]

Wouldn’t it be a nightmare if it turned out to be SD

He was mainly out of the picture then.

More likely one of the marketing team or KS.

 

[Mart]

Fairly confident this lot know what they are doing. They are very smart people, well connected and focused.

I take a simplistic view though.

If we were still struggling to make an impact in the Championship, or even still trying to get out of League One, I'd be persuading myself that we were more or less on the verge of a breakthrough. Just a lucky goal, or a win against the wind, and we'd be off.

Many on here can remember us slugging it out for years in the second division, with 15,000 being a decent crowd at Roker. If not, most or all will remember watching Parky looking hopelessly lost in his grey jumper. That stuff has you make your own optimism.

I don't know what KLD will see as our future. But I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have to persuade myself that we might somehow be okay. We are, with bells on. I've no idea how he ended up here, but he's the bloke we've been waiting for.

Im sure we will be fine in that we will become a top ten established prem club with KLD at the helm and in truth given our recent history that will do me for the next few years.Many responses to my analysis appear to think we are going to aim higher than that and i do applaud the notion and would love to see it happen. I would like to know how we bridge the financial gap in any sustainable way without vast investment beyond what we can derive from our own revenue stream.

 

[Smug in Boots]

Im sure we will be fine in that we will become a top ten established prem club with KLD at the helm and in truth given our recent history that will do me for the next few years.Many responses to my analysis appear to think we are going to aim higher than that and i do applaud the notion and would love to see it happen. I would like to know how we bridge the financial gap in any sustainable way without vast investment beyond what we can derive from our own revenue stream.

That's a fair point and, from what I've seen until now, feel certain KLD knows exactly what he wants to happen ...

... every time he makes changes to the club, appoints or releases people and hints about progress I get a chill.

It's as if we're privy to this latest thing but, in reality, he's already ten moves ahead of the game.

I don't think we've seen anything yet tbh.

 

[Mart]

That's a fair point and, from what I've seen until now, feel certain KLD knows exactly what he wants to happen ...

... every time he makes changes to the club, appoints or releases people and hints about progress I get a chill.

It's as if we're privy to this latest thing but, in reality, he's already ten moves ahead of the game.

I don't think we've seen anything yet tbh.

I think your right.But lets not diminish the task ,its going to take a lot to bridge the fiscal gap and it will involve things like ; extending the stadium in a quality way ,increasing ticket prices top notch sponsorship .kit deals ,naming rights deals (the rumour is that Bruce left because he tied in the club to Hummel for 10 years at a poor rate of return for the club )
The basic minimum will be getting into Europe, making fantastic player acquisitions and sales and much much more. One of the biggest problems as i see it is not just about the amounts of money it will take (it will take a lot)but the fact that the rest of the clubs are not going to be standing still, the top six will still be growing and around five - ten or so clubs around us will be trying to do the same (compete fiscally and try to bridge the gap).

KLD may be ten moves ahead of the game but sometimes thats not enough you just simply need to deploy the funds to get you to where you want to go and im concluding that bridging the gap without huge investment is a fools errand and im not sure KLD is foolish enough to try with his own money.Now with a Partial takeover we might have the funds we require.Anyway this is the greatest period in my long years supporting the lads and its joyous being a Sunderland supporter and im keen to see how we progress in the next few years,im just hoping ill still be around long enough to see us in a champions league final!

 

[Monkey69]

I believe that the project is very achievable, success and growth has a lot to do with connections guided by excellent management in a big business situation. I’m confident that the Dreyfus organisation has both. I also believe that the tie in to other projects, especially E-Sports, which will probably outperform actual sports in the next decade, is going to play a big part in the future development of KLD’s portfolio.
There’s more reason to be optimistic than pessimistic, whether we want to see SAFC as part of a conglomerate or not is another matter entirely.

I personally believe we will diversify in much the same way as Man City and Brighton by expanding the club and brand across multiple clubs and forums, but in truth it will take years and the modern fan does seem to have a need for instant gratification. You only need to have a look at the fall out after Port Vale to see that.
Clear planning clear vision and a progression pathway is vital and TBH KLD and the board have seemed to get this more right than wrong, and have shown that they own upto and also learn from mistakes which is crucial.

 

[TeamOfTalents]

Hummel deal 5 years initially.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cd1389plle4o