Those who were all hot and bothered are now calm and relaxed and people like me who were all calm and relaxed are now all hot and bothered. Do I trust MON, of course I do, its just I cant understand how a glaring problem that has been there for 12 months is suddenly no longer a problem at all. I dont get assessing the squad, we need a striker and its so obvious I cant see what needs assessing. Yes I know Campbell is coming back but is it not a tad risky to gamble on him being the answer? I know we have Wickham and Ji who could both come good, but is this the sme Wickham and Ji who we all thought it may be next season before we see the best of them? I know we are now scoring goals from midfield but does that really mean its now acceptable to be still missing chances that a natural goal scorer would get? I have spent months reading how last year we had Bent, Capmbell,Wellbeck and Gyan and now we dont but suddenly its not important and I honestly dont get it. I understand that Cisse was not the answer for MON and thats fine and I understand it may be a loan and we still have time, that to me is saying I trust MON and we will sort it. I dont understand well if we dont sign anyone its OK, we have the squad and players to cope, how do we and why do we if we did not a few weeks ago. All I see changing is Campbell is near coming back but we still dont know if he is the Campbell of old and the young gun many told me was the answer, Noble, is gone. I know we now have MON and I know how good he is but sadly when that ball is crossed he cant tap it in, a goal scorer would. I hope I end up with egg on my face, Campbell starts knocking them in, Wickham does the job and we shoot up the table, just seems one hell of a gamble to me.
Its the same for the majority of teams Syd, everyone wants a goalscorer. I agree with you though, I think we need a natuaral finisher, a fox in the box, a SKP type. I'd love to go for Defoe, he'd be perfect for us.We can then afford to send Bendtnar back as he has been a big disappointment, I really had high hopes for him....
I think we all know we need a goalscorer, but I think what most are saying as there is no need to panic buy one now when our options would likely be better in the summer.
Agree with you Syd. Let's not forget Campbell has had two really serious injuries. I really hope he can back to his best but it is a huge gamble. What if one of the other strikers gets injured? I trust MON to see us through but I have a nagging doubt that if we don't sign a striker we could be in for a few tough months ahead.
And thats my confusion Tony, we all know we need one but seem willing to accept us taking a risk. I dont want us to panic buy but I am hoping we are trying to solve the problem by either finding the player to buy or to take on loan, maybe MON is doing just that. If he is not doing that then IMO we are taking a massive risk, Bruce did it twice and I hope to god the club have learnt from it.
Morning syd. I agree and disagree with you in equal parts. I don't think the situation is the same as a year ago. Then if Bent (later Gyan) didn't score, Sunderland didn't score. So we really were desperate for a replacement striker then. In the last six weeks, we've had seven different goal scorers. So it's not quite so pressing now, is it? The Cisse situation might not be just a case of MON liking or disliking him. It might be more a matter of how much do we want to spend in January with the Gyan talks coming up just five months away? People say Gyan isn't an out-and-out striker, but he scored eleven last season in front of the most negative midfield imaginable. With today's wing support and back-up, he's almost certain to grab more then eleven next year. I think that's what complicating things now. A loan is probably what we can expect. Davies at Bolton would do the job, as would Djib Cisse. Age doesn't matter as long as he's proven his Prem credentials and can see us to summer. That's probably the thinking in the club right now. The next two weeks will tell.
and that I would be more than happy to go along with mate, I accept that summer will be the main rebuild and I would only want a top striker now if the right one became available at the right price. A loan would solve what I see as a short term problem and would be happy with that, what I dont understand is a we dont need anyone argument.
MON aint stupid, and will be looking. But if no strikers, that MON likes, are available (to buy or on loan) then at least now we dont have to worry as much as before because MON has got us scoring from other areas. Chelsea we missed some sitters, but against Wigan we put them all away. Under Bruce buying a striker would have helped us not to be relegated, under MON buying a Striker will help us cement a top ten place. If MON does not get us a striker this window, it wont condemn us to relegation as it would have done under Bruce, hence why people are no longer as worried about it.
I still hope we go for Djib Cisse on loan, afaik his wife still lives in the UK and he would be the perfect stop gap until the summer.
Cant see big djib coming back after the way we didint renew or take up the option on him the last time. He left in a bit of a huff i think. Wouldnt mind him back like! Just dont think he'll come as a stop gap either.
It's still a huge problem but can we realistically expect Mon to solve it in 6 or 8 weeks? It's taken the mags 12 months to get Cisse so if it takes Mon until August to find the right strikers then that's fine. No one who saw the Chelsea game would say we don't need a goal scorer but what we don't want is a rush job either.
There may be some real bargains to pick up in the ACON but even if we do find one it's hanging on to them when the big boys come & flash the cash.
my answer is yes, I do expect it, not a top long term striker but a signing even on loan who can bridge the gap. And is it 6-8 weeks, I'm sure MON knows the market, who is available and who he can get, assuming he is allowed.
This is a good thread. It's highlighting the problem facing clubs like Sunderland. Carsey75 has pointed out that Djib wouldn't come back here just as a stopgap. From a club perspective, that isn't necessary - having Djib and Gyan would be no bad thing for us. But players want regular football. And that's the problem To progress, a club needs a good squad. For players, being part of a squad isn't good enough. Clubs like Chelsea and Man. C. can buy a player's loyalty. He might not like being rotated, but for that sort of money, he'll take it. For Sunderland money, it's a different matter. Every time we discuss a problem on this board, it eventually comes down to that. We desperately need Quinn and Milliband to be successful if we're ever going to progress. And that, I think, is why Gyan will be coming back. Wherever in the world Niall and David go, telling possible investors Asamoah Gyan plays for us gets their foot in the door. The Black Star with the crazy dance - he's as big an asset to us in the financial centres as he is on the field. That dance is television gold dust, and the simple truth is, we need him.
I think you are spot on about Gyan cutey, the only way his season long loan deal makes any sort of sense is a way of getting him away while the Bruce problem was sorted. If Bruce had succeeded we could pocket the 6mil aand then sell Gyan and go the Bruce way, Gyan pockets big bucks in the meantime. With the Bruce way coming to an end it gives the new manager options and it gives Gyan options. I say again its absolutly nothing, IMO, to do with trusting MON its trying to understand how the one major problem we all agreed on, the lack of a striker, is suddenly no longer a problem in some eyes. I can accept MON saying we need one and will do our best, if we fail then fine. I dont understand we wont try.
I will be very disappointed if we don't bring a striker in. When Bent left I was told by the club that we would scour the market for his replacement. They even mentioned breaking our record if need's be. 12 month's later and he still hasn't been replaced, ontop of that we have lost Welbeck and Gyan. We have a great new manager and with it some momentum. I think a nice new striker would keep that momentum going. If the board want back those missing fan's, they have to show them time's are changing.
All well and good but we did get Bendtner in on loan and as a panic job and he has attracted as much criticism as he has plaudits. If Bruce were managing still, I'd rip him a new arsehole if he didn't get a striker in this window after 11 months to find one. To rip Mon a new one, when he is merely 6 or 7 weeks into the mess of a job left by his predecessor, is simply ridiculous imo. Mon will need to bring in the right person for his team building not ours and I'm sure if we delved into the market to get just anyone and they flopped, those calling him here would be calling him again. That's not to say we won't buy or loan someone but only if its right for the manager and I'm very comfortable with that. Under Bruce we were relegation candidates. Under Mon we are not and the desperation for a striker has abated somewhat imo.
