Looks like Di Canio is very serious: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderland-pull-out-stops-land-4694365
£3.5m was being bandied about. Seems they changed their minds when they heard the scale of interest.
It's the red and white stripes that attracts them, oh and the money ! Hopefully you lot will take some MORE of our deadwood. A decent casino in Hull ?
Just surprised that Altidore would consider a nice life in Spain for Sunderland actually ? Good Luck.
He has spent time in Spain before joining us but didn't seem to settle there. He has had offers from Lazio but there have been a few 'racist' taunts from their supporters to some players which put Jozy right off. Schalke were another Club who showed initial interest but I believe they went for another player. Depends which Spanish club are showing interest I guess. I personally believe that whereas he has improved out of sight compared to his days spent here the EPL might just be a step too far. He is very comfortable in the Eredivisie and I believe the Bundesliga would suit him even better. Just my opinion.
I honestly do wish the Tigers the best of good fortune for the coming season (except on 2nd November and 8th February) We've still got to get used to the Barmy Italian
He came to Hull - and from experience I can honestly say that they're just about on par. PL football, money... it could happen.
I still can't believe you considered Elmo deadwood? He's brilliant. I heard a lot of people slating his crossing at Sunderland, but he has to be one of the best crossers of the ball we've had for a long time and I can't wait for him to become a City player, especially for just £2m. When we had the other Egyptians in the squad he was electric.
He couldn't hack it in the premiership mate, you'll find out !. Brucie bought him and then didn't play him and MON didn't rate him at all. £2m for Paulo's kitty will do me. David Meyler is the same, not quite good enough for the premier league i'm afraid. You are going to have to spend big money to stay in the Premier league this time around !
Well, we'll be competitive. We're looking like spending £12-£18m at least in this window, but we have the core of a PL team in Figueroa, Chester, Quinn, Koren and Elmo, plus with deals close for McGregor and Curtis Davies, we'll just need a couple of strikers and a back up goalie and we should be set to go.
Am i the only one then whose quite sceptacle that they'll be any good? I don't get where people are getting all this (add name) will tear the league apart. Chester has played about 20 minutes in a League Cup game and 3 years in the championship. That's not much to go on. Quinn has had 1 season in the premier league. Elmo & Meyler looked good in the championship, but can they cut it every match in the premier league? Koren was sold by West Brom because he couldn't cut it anymore. I hope i'm wrong, but Bruce needs to buy a few more players in the summer to make me feel comfortable that we can achieve safety next year.
Nobody is suggesting they're going to rip PL teams to shreds, but we've seen enough evidence to suggest that they'll be capable PL players. The amount of times I watched Fulham, Southampton and the like and saw their CM and thought "Quinn's better". You get more time on the ball in the PL as teams like to sit off rather than go for the tackle straight away. Maybe one or two will get found out, but that's only natural when making a step up. We asked similar questions of Turner, Ash and Daws. They didn't set the league alight, but they held their own against the world's best players.
I was still on cloud nine that season so I'm not sure if my opinion of Altidore is slightly rose tinted but, I loved him for us. He was a good worker and had some fight in him. I just wasn't sure if he should of been playing the popular US Football with the pig skin. He has come on leaps and bounds it seems so i'd gladly have him back.
Most people are comparing this squad with the players we had the last time, and I would say man for man we are stronger across the park than before. Having said that, you are right. SB who I am sure doesn't need us to tell him, will try to build the spine of the team, which if we get McGregor/Davis/mid fielder who dominate the mid-field and say Austin, then this looks a reasonable foundation to work from.
I didn't say I wouldn't have him back, he's obviously improved greatly, but he didn't really enjoy his time with us and there's interest from elsewhere, I don't think he'd consider a return.
