Not any more....just wanted games.. CRAIG Gardner says tales of his homesickness have been over-exaggerated. And the good news for Sunderland fans is that the goal-threat midfielder is enjoying his stay on Wearside now his game has come together under new boss Martin OâNeill. Rumours were rife in the lead-up to the January transfer window that the £5m summer signing was desperate to return home to the West Midlands after failing to settle at his new club. But Gardner told the Echo what fans want to hear this week when he insisted that he now sees his future as being with the Black Cats. âIâve heard a lot about homesickness but I donât really think itâs right to describe it as that,â he told the Echo. âI came to Sunderland under Steve Bruce and I wasnât playing and it was tough for me, not playing. âMe and Steve Bruce had a chat about it but Iâve never once come out and said in the media that I was homesick and wanted to leave. âItâs just that I thought to myself: âWhy did I come here? Iâd come here to play and I wasnât playing. âI could have gone somewhere else and been playing, I could have stayed in Birmingham and kept on playing.â That was where I was coming from. âItâs all about playing, if youâre going to be happy. Donât get me wrong, I donât mind fighting for my place, but I felt as though I wasnât getting a fair crack of the whip. I felt as though I wasnât been played in my right position, felt as if I was being reined in. âThose were the things that made me unhappy and think that if it wasnât going to work out, then it might be better for me to go back to the West Midlands where there were plenty of opportunities.â Gardner is at pains to point out that fans shouldnât think heâs suddenly gone from being Mr Grumpy to Mr Happy overnight. âIt would be wrong to portray it like that and I wouldnât want fans to get the impression that Iâm as changeable as that. âThe truth was that I found it tough when I first got here, for a variety of reasons, but it has gradually improved to the point where Iâm really enjoying it and looking forward to the games and I think everyone in the squad is. âWeâve become a tight knit unit and whether youâre playing or not, youâre feeling part of it.â Gardner is now looking to continue with the upswing in form â with the team in general and himself in particular â that has been such a heart-warming feature of the Sunderland story over the last few months. âIâve been here now six months and Iâve got say that Iâm loving it here, I genuinely am,â he said. âIâm enjoying it, Iâm settled down and I want the fans to know that. âI want to keep my head down and keep going and keep helping the club progress.â
This is good news. I always thought it was about him not playing and, under Bruce, he couldn't understand why. Seeing his performances lately that is is a question we can all ask. He sounds like a thoughtful lad and, despite the high wages etc., it can be difficult for anyone to settle away from family and friends when you first move away. I am glad he is happy and it is certainly showing in his play. Long may it continue.
Smashing stuff. The lads getting better week on week, and his confidence seems to be building. In the Boro replay he was absolutely outstanding, and he offers a huge amount to the team. We were all pretty excited about his signing, and it may of taken a few months, but he's proving us right, as said above we are absolutely better with him.
Just found this. Good news! Sunderland star pledges future ahead of Arsenal cup clash Published on Thursday 16 February 2012 12:38 CRAIG Gardner says tales of his homesickness have been over-exaggerated. And the good news for Sunderland fans is that the goal-threat midfielder is enjoying his stay on Wearside now his game has come together under new boss Martin OâNeill. Rumours were rife in the lead-up to the January transfer window that the £5million summer signing was desperate to return home to the West Midlands after failing to settle at his new club. But Gardner, pictured, told SportMail what fans want to hear this week when he insisted he now sees his future as being with the Black Cats. âIâve heard a lot about homesickness, but I donât really think itâs right to describe it as that,â he said. âI came to Sunderland under Steve Bruce and I wasnât playing and it was tough for me, not playing. âMe and Steve Bruce had a chat about it but Iâve never once come out and said in the media that I was homesick and wanted to leave. âItâs just that I thought to myself: âWhy did I come here? Iâd come here to play and I wasnât playing. âI could have gone somewhere else and been playing. I could have stayed in Birmingham and kept on playing.â That was where I was coming from. âItâs all about playing, if youâre going to be happy. âDonât get me wrong, I donât mind fighting for my place, but I felt as though I wasnât getting a fair crack of the whip. âI felt as though I wasnât being played in my right position, as if I was being reined in. âThose were the things that made me unhappy and think that if it wasnât going to work out, then it might be better for me to go back to the West Midlands, where there were plenty of opportunities.â Gardner is at pains to point out that fans should not think he has suddenly gone from being Mr Grumpy to Mr Happy overnight. âIt would be wrong to portray it like that and I wouldnât want fans to get the impression that Iâm as changeable as that. âThe truth was that I found it tough when I first got here, for a variety of reasons, but it has gradually improved to the point where Iâm really enjoying it and looking forward to the games and I think everyone in the squad is. âWeâve become a tight-knit unit and whether youâre playing or not, youâre feeling part of it.â Gardner is now looking to continue with the upswing in form â with the team in general and himself in particular â that has been such a heartwarming feature of the Sunderland story over the last few months. âIâve been here now six months and Iâve got say that Iâm loving it here, I genuinely am,â he said. âIâm enjoying it. Iâm settled down and I want the fans to know that. âI want to keep my head down, keep going and keep helping the club progress.â
Great news this. I like the bit where he states that "WE ARE A TIGHT GROUP". That is what MON has done to our club, bring the players back together and let them play football. Round pegs round holes....
Is he your first-choice CM? If not, I wonder how he would be if your other two first-choice CMs took their places again.
Think he'll be hard to shift now Chappaz. Whereas Vaughan, Catts, Meyler and Colback all have decent defensive qualities, Gardner has a lot going forward, i'm surprised recently how good his feet are, and of course he has a bullet shot on him. I'd think Gardner and any one of the above is the way forward CM for us. He's in smashing form.
I just heard (can't remember where, probably here or on some news site) that your first-choice CM pairing was Cattermole and Vaughan or something? Might be totally wrong. You're right though. If someone is on good form they should keep their place.
That's actually a fairly good pairing tbh. However, they both got injured & others have came in & taken their chance.
I think it probably was Catts & Vaughan, but now that Gardners finding his feet, he offers a wee bit more going forward than Vaughan (who's a smashing player, BTW, much better than I credited him for). I'd personally go with Gardner & Catts, if all were fit and ready.
Does Gardner offer anything apart from long range shooting? He may well have improved since leaving us, but his all round play was always a bit ****, but his shooting made up for it.
Lat few weeks mate he's been winning balls, playing it simple, and taking people on. His passing range isn't the best, but he doesn't need it in the role for us. He's visibly improving all round, week by week.
