Sunderland AFC News And Banter Page 7 mins · Happy with the ins and outs? In Jan Kirchhoff (Bayern Munich) £750k Dame N'Doye (Trabzonspor) Loan Steve Harper (Unattached) Free Lamine Kone (Lorient) £5m Wahbi Khazri (Bordeaux) £9m Out Liam Bridcutt (Leeds United) Loan Will Buckley (Birmingham City) Loan Christian Mavrias (Fortuna Dusseldorf) Loan Costel Pantilimon (Watford) Undisclosed Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers) Loan Sebastian Coates (Sporting) Loan Steven Fletcher (Olympique Marseille) Loan Jordi Gomez (Blackburn Rovers) Loan
We have yet again been one of the highest spenders in the league this season and again our team doesn't seem to have progressed. Pleased we have got rid of a load of **** in January but our incomings have been poor, overall.
I'm happy with our business, I've been wanting us to brutally trim the squad for ages and now we've done it. I think the player's we've got in have addressed the problem areas, possibly not RB but it seems Matthews might help there. Terrible luck with injuries can derail any team without a huge squad but fortunately we've got a stellar youth team to call on if needed. I'm quite confident the players we've brought in will do well and I've got a feeling that Khazri in particular will be a real gem of a signing. Hopefully Kone and Kaboul can form a solid partnership.
Realistically it`s the only way we could get rid. At least we`re saving half their wages. The other half will be freed when their contracts expire so that should help in the summer. He`s certainly had a good clear out and not before time. There`s no way to judge the new lads yet, it`s largely a matter of trusting Sams judgment. We`ll see. I suspect we`ll be seeing a lot more of the bairns. Might be no bad thing.
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I guess my take on it is.....Those who have gone, wouldn't get anywhere near the first team IMO, so it's good they have gone. As for those who have come in, who knows? we really don't know what they are like so we have to put faith in SA to have done the right thing. We look a little light on numbers, but time will tell. My gut feeling tells me this is a season too far for us, but I have thought that for the last 2 seasons. Lets see what these guys can do before passing judgment, they just might surprise a few people.
The game against ManC will be one hell of a baptism for our new team. Willingly settle for a point but the longer we hold out the more desperate they become and nicking all three could be down to a nice breakaway.
Someone mentioned 2 players went to blackburn. Why were they not used as bargaining tools for Rhodes?
Not worried about the outs other than fletcher for cover The ins, who knows, Harper irrelevant, Kirchhoff, Kone, have no idea therefore no opinion. Ndoye, I like this signing but the khazri is the one, or is he ?? Think a lot will beep end on this boy, his you tube stuff looked good, so we pin ours hopes on him, I do however remember being this excited about a certain Lens, hmm. We will know by Easter I think
Not necessarily, Graham & Fletcher are out of contract in the summer so they're gone. Coates has a fee included, as I'd expect Bridcutt and Buckley to have one as well. I doubt we'll see any of them again regardless of what league we're in next year.
A lot will depend on Kone and his ability to slot into your side and improve it. That's been your main problem, leaking goals, him and the German have been fetched in to fix/improve that, if they do a good job, then your forwards will score. You have to hope your squad stay fit (especially Defoe), chuck a run of games together and start finding some points. Khazri will score goals, he knows where the net is, but he has to tell the difference between when to pass and when to go on his own, which I'd say is his biggest flaw as a footballer.
Good window, only missing a full back really but I have a feeling Mathews has impressed Sam which is why it was no longer a priority. Those saying our squad is now too small, remember were out of all the cups and there are only 15 games left before the next window. As for Rhodes, he would not get a game. Defoe is not going to be dropped, they play in the same position. He is not going to come to us and sit on the bench. Remember there are only 15 games left.
