Poyet - quality over quantity

Gus Poyet putting quality ahead of quantity in Sunderland's recruitment drive

It's more than just a numbers game for Gus Poyet, as he looks to improve his squad rather than merely add to it
Gus Poyet insists he is focusing on bringing in quality, rather than quantity, this summer.

The Black Cats this weekend agreed a £14m fee with Liverpool to bring striker Fabio Borini back to Wearside following his successful loan spell last term.

But so far the only new recruits to have arrived are the three Bosman captures, Costel Pantilimon, Billy Jones and Jordi Gomez.

With a dozen players having departed since the end of last season, Poyet knows he must bring in more reinforcements before the Premier League season kicks-off in four weeks’ time.


It is not just a numbers game however, as Sunderland found last summer when they signed 14 new players - half of which failed to make the grade.

And Poyet is prepared to be patient in order to get the players he wants.

“I’m really calm regarding that,” said Poyet, who was speaking after watching Pantilimon, Jones and Gomez all make their debuts in a 5-1 friendly win over Darlington 1883.

“As everybody knows, it is not about numbers, it’s not about quantity, it is about quality.

“Everybody knows where Costel Pantilimon has been and what he is going to bring, we saw Billy [Jones] and the energy he is going to give us, and Jordi [Gomez] has the quality to not only make us play but also score some goals.

“So there is a reason behind everything.

“It’s been quite a strange summer for me, with the World Cup in the middle and people buying players for so much money.

“We need to stay calm and make sure we do things slowly but in our own way.”

Sunderland are also looking to unload several players before the transfer window closes to balance the books and free up cash to fund new signings.

Alfred N’Diaye, Danny Graham and Modibo Diakite have all been deemed surplus to requirements, while Argentine striker Nacho Scocco is on the verge of a return to his homeland with Newell’s Old Boys just six months after arriving in England.

Poyet said: “I can’t comment on the names, but yes [some will leave]. They know.

“It is clear. There is no doubt.

“But for now they are our players, we respect them and we make sure they do what they need to do.

“If they are professional and they behave, I don’t have any problem with them working with us.

“But if we get the players we want, it’s going to be difficult for them to play in the next few games.”

Steven Fletcher scored twice against Darlington as he made his comeback after four months out with an ankle injury, with Emanuele Giaccherini, Connor Wickham and new boy Gomez also on the scoresheet.

Poyet said: “It was a good workout for us.

“We only started three or four days ago to do some tactics.

“At the beginning it was really more about coming back into the group.

“As for Fletcher, he has been running a lot and doing plenty of work, which is good for him and for the club.

“His goals were simple, but for a striker it is always nice however they go in!”

Poyet used 22 players at Darlington but midfielders Liam Bridcutt and Adam Johnson were both missing from the squad after picking up minor knocks in training.

“They had little knocks and it wasn’t worth taking any risks,” said Poyet.

“Liam is working on the fitness side, and Johnno was running the other day and turned his ankle a little bit.

“It’s a little bit swollen but it’s nothing serious and he will play on Tuesday or Wednesday [at Carlisle or Hartlepool].”

 

Excellent to hear. Seriously dont understand why some users on here are getting upset we haven't signed 10 players by now, when thats all we've done over the last 5/6 years (bar MON to an extent) and its gotten us no where except have a stupidly high wage bill.

Happy for us to take our time this year, Borini and Alonso wouldnt go a miss though!

 

I agree mate, and this is music to my ears. Tells me that Borini won't be the Marquee signing. We've got money to spend on the right players. We need players and Gus wants quality. It won't be cheep but better than spending a lot on **** like we've done in the past. Need to shift this dead wood though, get those wages off the books which I think is one of the main reason for the hold ups.

 

The suspense is killing me

 

I will believe it when I see it.

27 days to kick off & we look weak as piss.

 

You couldn't see us getting any points in any of our last 8 games of the season, we just about managed that if I remember. Have you not learned anything from last season?

 

And most people thought we was down. If I remember right, you said we was going down to.

 

You remembered rightly. Difference being, I learned from it.

More patience required. Keep the faith

 

I agree with this at the moment..But expect it to change.

 

My patience ran out months ago with Sunderland pal.

 

What do you think will change then?

 

Some signing, who or what quality i have no idea. At present, i'm less than impressed, and his main targets seem to be the loan players we had last year. For the majority of the season, we know how that went.

 

We hear this every year. I'm not reading too much into it.

 

100% agree pal. it will be the same old same old next season by the looks of it.

 

I don't follow really, I guess what you are saying but how will bringing in 2 of the best players from last year be a bad move, id like some 'known' quantity back in the side personally.
I also think the 3 free signings are good signings, maybe if they had cost 5 million each people might be a bit more optimistic about them.

Alonso and Borini are exactly what we need, we know this because we needed them last season, add to this the experience brought in and I think we are ticking over nicely.

And yes before I get slated I do think we need others especially in defence, but I think going forward we look strong, maybe just missing a winger.

 

Some of you lot are so impatient it's laughable, already decided we'll be playing the same sheet as last season even though our three signings to date weren't with us last season

You do know some of our loan signings were our best players and without them we're even worse than last season. We spend every season bitching that we don't make loan signings permanent and all we try to do it there's still bitching. ****ing backwards, thank **** Gus is in charge. The funniest thing about it is we had about 7 or 8 players on loan last season and as it stands we're only trying to make two of them permanent.

 

Alonso and Borini are exactly what we need, we know this because we needed them last season, add to this the experience brought in and I think we are ticking over nicely.

That's what we need will we get them that's the ?

 

I just hate waiting pal but at this moment in time we are weaker than last season & out of the 3 players we signed only 1 is a first team player.

 

Surely Jones and Gomez will both play?

 

Jones will be our first choice RB but I will not be happy if Gomez is first choice. I thought Gomez is Gardners bench replacement.