All summer we have looked forward to the unveiling of our 15mil plus marquee signing, would it be NâZogbia, Johnson, a foreign superstar, striker, left wing player, who would it be. We have spent hour on hour debating, looking at Youtube clips even falling out over it, maybe we wont get one and do we really need one? Now yes, we all agree that a 15mil plus sinning would lift spirits and should improve the squad, should I said because nothing is guaranteed. My question this fine Saturday morning is,âHave we let our expectations on this big signing distract us from what we haveâ? I wont go through the new players and their merits, we all know what they are and of course we all understand what a new signing could bring, but should we feel a little dissopointed and let down? I just feel that if that early expectation was not there we would now be very happy with how the squad is looking, on the left can Vaughn do the job, I donât know but we seem to think not before he tries because we all scream for that left wing player. Up front can Gyan and Sessegnon score the goals, everyone seems to think yes but we still look, for yes but what ifs.Can Ji and Wickham do the job, we donât know but maybe Bruce does. Iâm not saying I donât want that big signing, just wondering if we should enjoy what we have and be happy if we get more.
Signing Syd............ Maybe it was the quote "we will break our transfer record" that got peoples expectations up. We would all love that "special" transfer, but at what cost? I could name dozens of players i would like to see sign, but i'm more realistic on who we can afford or indeed attract to the SOL. We've made steady progress in the market with a few decent one's coming in, and havn't broke the bank to add depth to the squad. But would i like to see a big name player join? Too right i would, but it ain't gonna happen, so iv'e accepted this fact.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't there's always been a hint of 'big-striker-slash-marquee-signing' in the Sunderland PR rhetoric, from around the middle of that poor run? It doesn't have to be anyone like Hulk or Tevez, Welbeck or Sturridge would make me spontaneously start singing, attempting the cha-cha and gathering bunches of flowers from other people's gardens. Diego Forlan on loan and I'm off to fap-sites-land.com.
We may not have made that Marquee signing but I think we got some good gazeebo signings. Which obviously are smaller than Marquee signings but in the long run are more useful
Our squad has a very solid look to it today. Scratch the surface of last years and there wasnt much to see but on Saturday 30th July 2011, I see a strong hungry squad of players, ready to do battle. However, which ever way you look at it, none of the signings have been 'wow' factor ones. Good, quality, solid and experienced they can all be described as and 2 exciting unknowns in Wickham and Won but 'wow' factor? No. Shameless hit the nail on the head saying it is the club that has again raised expectation of that so called marquee signing by making all sorts of subtle innuendo concerning the possibility. When Judas left, the reason for not signing someone then was to wait until the summer and that the club were not afraid to break the transfer record to get their man? Well, the club have had 7 months to scour the planet for that signing and yet there is still no sign of it. Why? Are there not the players out there, or are they just ridiculously expensive? Are wages the problem? N'Zogbia was £9.5m? His wages reportedly £65k per week. A lot of money yes but just what did SNQ and SB think a top player goes for these days? I'm not too concerned whether we do make the breakthrough or not towards a 'big name' signing but its again the clubs desire to pull the wool over our eyes that annoys me. After Keane left, the club promised a big name replacement and no stone would be left unturned. They gave the job to Sbragia, a rank novice who hadn't managed anything more than York City reserves. A good honest bloke but one who almost sank the boat in the harbour, before it even had a chance to sail. When Judas left we were promised a top quality replacement. Won and Wickham are not bad signings but they are not replacements for Judas goals. Now we are being told Sessegnon is that replacement? Something rankles with me about that way of going about things. I dont mind us not signing the players we all fantasise over, its been treat like a Muppet by the club over these things all the time. Quinny is a top bloke and universally loved by us all but sometimes, just as a friendly voice, someone should just tell him to say nothing, rather than promise something he cannot, or will not be able to deliver. Dampen expectation and deliver big, dont raise expectation then fail to deliver at all. Its the first rule we all do at work.
I'm sure niall said it would be august when we signed a big player. I personally would like a winger but if not, Richardson can do the job their
I still think the powerss that be, have their eyes on the left midfield as well as us. It could well be either Bellamy or Johnson, but I think Bruce, Quinn and Co are also well aware of that viod. I still believe Bruce will sign the 'Wow' player we are all craving !
I agree wholeheartedly with the 'expectations' issue. Quinn and Bruce, like any other chairman and manager, will respond to the press and media questions in a positive manner without giving too much away. They will have had a list of targets for the summer and all will have been with improvement in mind. They will not have achieved all of those targets but what we have done is signed those players that have added depth and quality to the squad and brought in some with future development in mind. I am sure that list contained players that would be sought by many clubs and also those who simply priced themselves out of the market through excessive wage demands, as well as those whose clubs have great expectations for inflated transfer fees. By way of example, I am sure that Cro uch was a target, but, as Bruce has said, it must be at the right price. Do we really want top spend £10m on a 30 year-old? Simple answer, No. N'Zogbia, yes a quality player but not as good as some have suggested on this board. Again, Bruce and Quinn have made the right decision not to spend £10m and £65k per week on a player that would only provide marginal improvement to the squad and bring the potential risk of unsettling the squad. Defoe? Bruce made it clear early days that he was not on the short list, wrong player, wrong attitude etc........ I could spend ages going through several players. I am sure that if the opportunity arises, at the right price, Bruce and Quinn will return to the market place for the right player at the right time to provide the improvement we seek. Adam Johnson would be the sort of player we know Bruce will always be interested in. If and when available, to buy or loan, I am confident he will go for him. Equally, Welbeck. both sound investments in quality and for the future improvement of the squad. As long as each acquisition shows us improvement and it is delivered on the pitch we should support their actions. Continued imrovement will increase the opportunity and desire for quality players to come to the SOL.
Perhaps they have their eyes on one or two possibles. I think it probably needs a few more signings by the 'big boys' to start off a chain reaction?
As if often the case, i think Cest has got it about right. Personally, i'm comfortable with the squad, despite the still glaringly obvious lack of left footed width, i'm not against Sess being used as a forward, the lad can finish, and i can genuinely see him outscoring Gyan in a strikers role, but it does annoy, the big talk of 'breaking the record fee paid for Gyan...'. If it was a ploy to sell season tickets, it was a major fail, and if it was a throwaway spur of the moment thing it was ill advised. We all know Ellis has backed the club fantastically, and we are fortunate that we found him when Drumaville hit problems, but it is a fact that we mocked Toon fans when the Carroll money wasn't reinvested in the team, when it's apparent that the Henderson & Bent money hasn't been reinvested either. Bruce actually said 'selling Jordan allowed me to go out and bring in 9 players...'. Those 9 players cost 2 thirds of the Bent sale fee. We are 1 player short of making ourselves contenders for 7th this season, that player is clearly Adam Johnson. I will be stunned if the club doesn't attempt to get him, loan or permanent. If he goes to Everton, the gap between us & them (the likely 7th place team as it stands IMO), will widen, and that would be a great shame considering the signings that Bruce has made, ALL of which make sense and add to the squad. andersonhurleymcnab may have it nailed, the big clubs haven't moved yet, we may be sitting on our hands waiting, and this debate might prove to be needless!
I personally think our spending is over. Bruce has said he is now looking at the loan Market and I expect to see 2 players come in on loan. Hopefully Johnson will be one of them and Bellamy would also be a good loan. I really can't see Defoe being available for loan.
If we got those 2 on loan, we'd have a real chance for 7th IMO. As it stands i think we're 9th, as i can only see us passing Fulham.
I'd consider Wickham your marquee signing to be honest. He's a young risk, still needs a few seasons to develop and (in my view) was overpriced, but there's no denying that a lot of the top clubs were interested in him at one point, and Wickham signing with you guys drew the attention of a lot of football fans from across the UK. It's certainly the most noticeable of all the signings and showed some strong ambition.
I'd agree with that Chappaz, considering the competition and rumours, it was a statement signing, although of course it's a risk. I think whether or not he's overpriced will depend heavily on his development, he could be one of the bargains of the decade yet!
Its SN Q's spin on words... "World-Class manager" - Roy Keane. "Marqee signing" - Connor Whickham I suspect. ES I think has re-couped some of his outlay and I think the spending is over. Loans? well I would love Bellamy or/and Johnson, but feel embarrassed as we are a premier league club and it sounds like we won't look at them because we dont want to pay their over inflated wages. If we want to mix it with the top 6 we will have to take risks on big players on big wages. We want Bellamy? Pay the lad, unfortunately. I feel a little let down - as far as I know, we haven't even offered a record transfer amount for a player. Nowt in the news, anyway. Even if we had been knocked back with, say a £15m offer for a player by either the club or the player himself I would feel a little better. Sir Niall Quinn. King of Spin. x
Yeah well, join the club. Spending hasn't panned out as fans have planned with either Sunderland or Newcastle. Although, whilst I wouldn't want some of the players you've signed, I'd have certainly preferred it if we spent anywhere near as much cash. And to mix it with the top 6, both of our teams would have to spend at least £60million and raise the wage cap up to £80k+ a week I reckon. Ain't about the cash though at the end of the day. I'd take another Tiote over some expensive marquee signing.
I think that quote is class!!!!! Agree with the craic about the top 4 and waiting for a bit more action from them.... Quit encouraged by SSN this morning quoting Mancini as saying he is going to buy a winger and a midfielder before the end of the window. Another winger in puts AJ further down the pecking order behind the new signing Silva dzeko, tevez aguero to play in Citehs front 3. Patience - it will come - might have to wait till the end of August but everyones LW prayers will be answered by then!!
Pretty much sums it up for me. Although imo if we got johnson we'd be contenders for 6th. Imo everyone is massively overestimating liverpool, the way I see it contenders for 6th are currently villa everton and liverpool, with us at the head of the chasing pack. If we got johnson, I think it would move us up to that next group. I can't believe ES can't see that this marquee signing would benefit him greatly in the long run.. It would raise the clubs profile massively if we were competing for that 6th spot throughout the season, we'd likely finish higher therefore more prize money, and it would give us a real platform to build for next year. As the squad currently stands, I think unfortunately we will again be also-rans, at best. I honestly believe we are one big name signing away from kicking on this season. And tbh I would be a bit disappointed if that singing didn't materialise, given we were promised we would break the transfer record this summer..
