So Gus is now probably our longest serving manager since Ellis arrived (must be close). So how is he doing? I've heard some disgruntlement at the style of football. Here is my take on it for what it's worth. Okay Gus took over what was an absolute calamity. No two ways about it. Both on and off the field. We had just brought in a raft of garbage, chucked decent wages at them too. Added to that a massively disgruntled squad wanting Paolo out. Add to that 3 quick managers who used sticky tape to patch up the squad. No real full backs. No real strikers. So Gus has had 2 windows to address this. In this time given Ellis's spending restraints, the difficulty of offloading deadwood at a loss and nobody wanting to offer them the crazy money we did and also the ridiculous contract situation of 5-6 players contracts running out with all the power in the players hands. Now I really do think Gus performed a miracle. To stay up this season I also felt would be a minor miracle. Gus's style of play. I would argue that this may not be. Remember Gus is really still managing some one else 's players. Pantillimon - PVA - Gomez - VIrgini and arguably Wickham (as Gus really took an interest, sent him on loan, played him etc) on the fringes Bridcutt, Buckley and Rodwell. None of these players have cost a fortune Rodwell aside. So considering what he really has I think Gus has to play the way we are playing as we don't really have the players to play a high pressing game, or two up front etc. I don't expect a lot to happen in January other than loans. However I think Gus has done really well thus far, how much say he has on the transfer market and how much Short is willing to back him makes dealings in the transfer market difficult to judge. I think most will agree since congestion we have made good and not so good buys. I would suggest we have a stronger squad and better options from when Gus took charge. Only really Colback has been a loss. A case could be made that he would make the first team. So I'm still firmly on the Gus bus. What about you.....
To get rid of Gus now would be disastrous imo Quite happy with Gus in charge, he seems to have a vision of the style he wants And he is making do with the squad at his disposal atm
I like him. A brilliant coach We play defensively but I think that is through necessity rather than by design We need to offload expensive misfits and invest in pace going forwards
I agree, not that I think he is in danger of being sacked. I can see him building something. He was the first manager to give us full backs in a generation, the man seems to get it. A bloody good striker would be nice but that's a little tougher. Even if things get a little sticky as the season progresses I would hope Ellis sticks with Gus, last thing we need is another manager......
Definitely need stability so would be madness to get rid of Gus...However, I feel that it is imperative that we develop a more attacking style of football if we are going to take it to the next level..
Agreed JD but we will take a massive loss on Graham and Altidore. Probably losing 10 million in fees and then still subsidising their wages. It's madness. Clear those two out and wages will ease but the club will still have lost a fortune.
I think it will take time though due to the mess he inherited. We could really do with 2 good quality centre backs and 2 quality strikers cost how much? a lot depends on how well Congerton can deal. If I were Ellis I'm not sure I would be loosing the purse strings....
Jury is out for me. He did a great job saving us but then so did Di Canio, so did Marty. Hopefully this season he goes one step further and leaves us without the need for a saviour. I'm pleased of the stability that we seem to have at the moment. He gave us the cup run which was great. He's been clear that he's only playing the negative brand of football that he is as he feels we lack ability. I'll judge him once signings come and we have that ability.
I absolutely love gus bar one thing, he has managed us to the miracle escape, a league cup final and an fa cup semi final. for me he has re-shaped the team and still has a little way to go for the next level. although he is almost there with what he has got, its sometimes not nice to watch, but i would rather watch paint dry than us get beat. he's made that very hard! i think the business that will be done this month will shore up the cracks. we are never gonna sign messi. i'm not for one minute gonna knock any of his signings to date, some are really top drawer for a club like us operating in limited constraints. its a working progress at Sunderland and one that i personally see working well, yes this window is huge but only coz idiots will be hoying daft bread about, we should just stick to what we are doing, plug the gaps, we'll be ok the one thing - stop airing his dirty laundrey to the media, although i must say he's toned it right down, reckon an agreement came in after a slap across his really close eyes for his "give me money and let me decide rant"
Without doubt he has been a victim of footballs's vagaries over his time but that is what management is about. Leaving his achievements to speak for themselves we have to balance this against his mistakes and he has made plenty especially with his substitutions some of which contributed to unnecessary defeats . Will never forget his face or interview after Spurs thumped us, but it was after he took off Cattermole at 1-1 that we caved in. He is our manager though so he gets my support but with the condition that there is a change no matter how gradual in our playing style.
I know we should stick with Gus Poyet, however, going by what he said in the media a few weeks ago he's not getting the background support he feels he should be getting, he may decide to leave!
Given that he's had a good run at the job I still can't make my mind up. The positives outweigh the negatives and you seem less likely to get relegated with each passing week, for the time being that is good progress. I'm not that impressed by some of the players he favours over others (which doesn't always seem to coincide with effort/ability/performances) and he does whinge too much to the press about things which are best kept in house. However, a year and a bit in and you're in a better position and looking up the league rather than down it. This is against a backdrop of inheriting some poor players and not having a lot to spend.
I think the only people who are seriously calling for Gus's head at this stage are some of the morons on the "Sunderland News and Banter" Facebook page. Can't believe some fickle fans turn so quickly on a manager with a 100% record against Newcastle, who got us to our first Cup Final in over 20 years, and who kept us up against the odds when every man and his dog thought we were doomed. I'm very confident that we'll see a more attacking style of football once he has the squad he wants. For now, he's made us hard to beat, which is a damn sight better than where we were at last season. I agree with the point that he needs to improve his media-handling, and his substitutions can at times be a little strange, but I'm sure these will get better in time.
Our best manager in recent times, we will stay up without having to change managers. The most important thing here is letting Gus build a team, if we do we will be a success. No doubt in my mind about it
I'm on the Gus Bus. He has performed wonders imo, I do not always agree with his team selections but he is not often far wrong, he has stabalised the club and we are ready to move forward, it will be slow and I would settle for survival this season now, and wish hopefully a more balanced fixture list for next season, not the relegation blue print we are yearly handed by some faceless t**t ., a promoted team at home in the first half of the season would be a welcome u-turn in the fixtures and even one or two of the more average teams at home instead of the usual barrage of big guns we seem to annually face at the SOL before the half way stage.
Taken from We Are Wearside. Gus Poyet recently reached 50 league games in charge of Sunderland. He took over in October 2013 with the club on just 1 point from the first 8 games of the season. Poyet then steadied the ship and pulled of the Great Escape to keep SAFC in the Premier League. His second season at the club has started solid but unspectacular. How does Poyet’s first 50 league games in charge compare to Sunderland’s previous managers in the Premier League? Poyet’s Record after 50 League games: Won:- 13 (26%) Drew:- 18 (36%) Lost:- 19 (38%) Scored:- 52 Conceded:- 71 (Sunderland have played 1 league game since Poyet reached 50 games, the 3-2 defeat at Man City.) Premier League Managers Win% Poyet is only the 5th manager to reach 50 Premier League games for Sunderland and his win percentage is the lowest: Peter Reid:- 18 wins in 50 (36%) Roy Keane:- 15 wins in 50 (30%) Steve Bruce:- 14 wins in 50 (28%) Martin O’Neill:- 16 wins in 50 (32%) Gus Poyet:- 13 wins in 50 (26%) Overall Premier League Record Sunderland have had 9 permanent managers in the Premier League and Gus Poyet currently has the 5th best win percentage. Peter Reid:- 53 wins in 161 (33%) Howard Wilkinson:- 2 wins in 20 (10%) Mick McCarthy:- 2 wins in 37 (5%) Roy Keane:- 15 wins in 52 (28%) Ricky Sbragia:- 5 wins in 23 (22%) Steve Bruce:- 25 wins in 89 (28%) Martin O’Neill:- 16 wins in 55 (29%) Paolo Di Canio:- 2 wins in 12 (17%) Gus Poyet:- 13 wins in 51 (25%) Poyet’s Overall Record Gus Poyet has also done fantastically well in the cup competitions, getting to a cup final and a quarter final in his first season. Here is Poyet’s record including cup games: Played:- 63 Won:- 21 (33%) Drew:- 18 (29%) Lost:- 24 (38%) Scored:- 69 Conceded:- 85 How do you rate Gus Poyet’s first 50 league games in charge? Is he the right man to take Sunderland forward? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think it's worth pondering the circumstances in which each manager inherited, Other managers inherited a mess but Gus' squad was back end of a domino effect imo. There's no doubt in my mind Gus inherited a shambles of a squad both in terms of quality and confidence in what's an unforgiving league. But he's gone about it in the right way. Like any good manager he made making us hard to beat a priority, unfortunately with Short being careful with purse strings it's going to take time to evolve our attacking half of the squad into a dangerous set up. Having pacy fullbacks available again should help give us more of a threat in the mean time. Overall I'm happy with Gus
On the bus, we are travelling in the right direction, but could do with a good fuel stop shortly, as I think there are still a few miles to go.
Talking of win percentages can be a tad misleading without other data being placed along side it. For example, I would like to see the loss percentage placed alongside it, as I believe that Gus's record would look far more favourable due to the large amount of draws we have had..
