First-team coach Robbie Stockdale and goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker have a “crucial” role to play under new boss Simon Grayson.Grayson signed a three-year deal at Sunderland after leaving Preston North End, bringing his former No.2 Glynn Snodin with him, while chief scout Ian Miller is also expected to join the pair on Wearside. Stockdale, promoted to the first team under Sam Allardyce, and Tucker have been kept on by Grayson, who says the pair have a key role to play at the club. Grayson told the Echo: “I’ve brought Glynn with me who is my assistant manager, who has been with me at the last four clubs. “We’ll be bringing in somebody to the scouting and recruitment who will play a big part in that, but the likes of Robbie Stockdale and Adrian Tucker will be crucial. “I’m coming into the club blind if you like, not knowing my way around, but I’ll learn very quickly and get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet.” Assistant manager Snodin has been Grayson’s right-hand man since the duo took charge at Elland Road in February 2009, enjoying success at Leeds, Huddersfield Town and Preston North End. And Snodin says the players will thrive under Grayson’s hands-on approach as they target promotion back to the Premier League. Snodin said: “We want to bring enjoyment and we want to get the best out of everybody from the players to the office staff – we’re all one and we all have to work together. “When the players come into training we want them to enjoy it and when they leave we want them to be looking forward to the next day, but it will be a high intensity and we want them to train as they play. “If they give the ball away we want them to react and we want them to work hard, as we have a feel for the club and an idea about what the fans want and that is a team that is going to give everything. “We have a manager who will make sure they do that because he’s very hands-on and the lads will enjoy that, but at the same time they have to show why they deserve to be in that starting XI – or at the very least the 18 – when we face Derby County. “We have a fanatical support at home so we have to make it a fortress and we know we’re going to be backed by thousands away, and hopefully many more will come because we’re playing exciting football. “We want to get this club promoted and it might be easy to say that now – there will be 23 others teams saying exactly the same – but this club can.”
Sounding very positive which can only be a good thing. Hope it rubs off on the team and we see a different mentality on the pitch. Quite looking forward to the season now despite short still being there.
I'm enjoying the waves of positivity from the new guys in charge, it seems they're going in with the knowledge of the state of the team, the finances and the general state of the club, which I don't think every manager has been fully aware of, and they're still very confident and up for it.
Like that there down to Earth lads......sort of types you want in the trench's. Not the glamor manager that all clubs want but I think for us Grayson is what we need now. Hope he can galvanize everyone at the club. I think it's very important the first few games because if he can get some momentum going who knows what will happen.....seems a good backroom set up....
It's the players though who need to be positive, it is them who go out on the pitch, and I hope we win before October or Grayson will walk.
Think this applies to all true Sunderland fans for positivity reasons alone - if we feel this way just think how positive and motivated the players feel. We could well be overwhelmed this season
