Well? couple of weeks ago I said I feared for Sunderland this season, but would wait until after the transfer window closed before making a final judgement. At that point there was still time to add players who could make a real difference. Well, that time is now over. And I haven’t changed my mind - in fact, if anything, I am more worried now than I was then. I spoke to a friend in the North East this week, someone who is Sunderland through and through, and he said there was a big feeling of disappointment among the supporters at the club’s transfer business. I can see why, because I expected them to be much busier on deadline day. Like most Sunderland fans, I don’t know much about the new midfielder Didier Ndong. He’s an unknown quantity so it’s a case of having to trust David Moyes on that one, and hoping that he has unearthed a gem. The lad on loan from Manchester City, Jason Denayer, will strengthen another area of the squad that was looking weak but, even though he is a Belgium international, he has no Premier League experience. The most worrying thing for me, though, is that the two key positions at either end of the field - goalkeeper and striker - were not addressed, because those are the positions that win you points. I know Sunderland tried hard to bring in a goalkeeper but they didn’t manage to do it, and that means they are now scrambling to find cover for Jordan Pickford. They will have to get someone, somehow. The even bigger problem, though, is the striker situation. I know that, since the window closed, they have signed Victor Anichebe and he does at least give Moyes an extra option. But if Jermain Defoe picks up an injury of any kind, Anichebe will not be able to replace his goals. Defoe scored 15 Premier League goals last season, while Anichebe has scored only 24 over his 10-year career. I’m not knocking what Anichebe will bring - he will offer a power and presence up front that Sunderland didn’t have before he arrived, and he could be a good partner for Defoe - just pointing out that he is not a prolific goalscorer. And given that Fabio Borini is going to be out for three months, and Sunderland knew that before the deadline, I am amazed they didn’t do more to bring in someone who could guarantee goals. I know it’s not easy. Every club is on the lookout for strikers, and those that have them don’t want to let them go. But Sunderland have taken a massive gamble on their recruitment in this window. Their squad looks very light on numbers. With a net spend of only about £20m, and with so many players needed to bring his squad up to strength, I feel for Moyes. He’s not sitting on a pile of cash and just refusing to spend it - he obviously had to make a little go a long way. He’s had to take risks and cut corners. I just hope Sunderland haven’t pushed their luck too far.
Yeah, agree with that. 20m isn't a great deal (even though,I think it was a little less than that) and because of how bare the squad is, Short should have released another 10m for a striker and goalkeeper, if required.
What respect I had for the bloke is quickly fading ....... selling quotes to the Chronicle because no one else wants to hear what he has to say ffs "I'm just pointing out that Anichebe is not a prolific goalscorer." "The lad on loan from Manchester City has no Premier League experience." "I don’t know much about the new midfielder Didier Ndong." Yes thank you for those fascinating insights into the world of football ....... now **** off and stop holding your hand out to the Chronicle.
He is pretty much like us and only saying he hoped we had done better, but we have not got a clue who we actually went after. We could very well have signed our second choice player but time will reveal everything.
There's a lot more to that than meets the eye tbh. He had some long term impact injuries iirc and, when he played, operated wide in many of the games. If my memory serves me I reckon Phillips scored 6 in his last season from 30 summat games, might've been a penalty amongst those.
Just been reading up on him in the Echo, he has something like 35 goals in 138 games for Everton and West Brom, but quite a lot of those 138 appearances were as a sub. I'm not having a pop at the lad mate, just a bit disappointed that this is the best we could do. He may well turn out the be the perfect foil for Defoe, lets hope so.
Not sure what purpose showing one season from SKP is trying to prove? That was playing in a team in disarray, that finished with a record low points. For the rest of his time at Sunderland, he averaged one goal in less than 2 games. He is widely regarded as our best ever striker. Anichebe has been incredibly poor wherever he has been. 24 goals in his full professional career, is just weak. He's a player who has got progressively worse throughout his playing days and even by his own admission, lacks motivation and a willingness to do well. He's also very injury prone, which makes this signing even harder to work out. Kevin Phillips done amazing things for this club and played a massive part in giving some of our supporters, their best days watching the team. That's certainly the case with me. Not sure why a few, honest quotes, are getting to you, tbh. He's hardly putting the club down.
It's not trying to prove anything, it's just a comment in line with the ill thought out drivel he's 'written'. The quotes aren't 'getting to me' at all, I'm commenting on a newspaper article that's all. He obviously hasn't much idea what's going on at the club and knows little about the players we've signed. To me it's just flogging quotes to the Chronicle who know the Mags will lap it up. Cheap in my opinion.
Anichebe is one of those 'what if' players, had the lad not done his ACL in he MIGHT have been a lot better, it seems from reading between the lines that his motivation was lost when he got injured and he never rediscovered any real form. He'll know now that he's in the last chance saloon and it's hard to imagine he'll be on any more than £10k per week, maybe less with his contract being heavily incentivised, to get him going again.
I have every respect for SKP and genuinely feel that he still cares deeply about us...However, I really hope that we prove him badly wrong and end up having a decent season.
As someone pointed out in another topic big Vic's goal scoring record is actually decent if you equate it to goals scored for minutes on the pitch and he is only 28. SKP has just said what we are all fearing, no one knows what the future holds so lets keep our fingers and toes crossed it all works out.
