Love Defoe but for the club in our situation it really was a daft signing, a gamble we didn't need to make and it's backfired leaving us short just like Flanagan going left us short at the back. Wish the lad all the best but I'm a big believer of not going back but look forward, never mind just hope Broadhead can step back up again.
Itd be interesting to know how much it has cost us in getting him back here and giving him a salary for 2 months ?
In hindsight and absolutely crazy signing, but it was worth a go to see if he still had it. Respect to him for recognising that he didn't and for admitting it. I imagine he will have walked away without a penny from the club
I don't think Defoe was signed instead of anyone else. He was signed as an extra that we hadn't planned on. Hopefully Broadhead will play the rest of the season without injury
Maybe I am unfair but if it is as simple as him not being able to do it anymore he has let us down. He was publicly saying before he signed how he could do it, felt sharp and strong etc. 2 months later he cant. As a professional of 20 odd years he should not have needed to try it for 2 months to find out he couldnt. The people who signed him have also been incredibly naieve - there really was never any prospect of him performing in the system we played, and quite a few of us pointed that out. For 2 weeks the club completely lost the plot with Defoe and Keane. There was plenty of chance in January to sign a number 9 that would give us what we needed and they failed, abjectly. At this point, and pending further info, I cant say I have no frustration with Defoe over this.
I totally agree in everything youve said there mate. The way our club is being run is a complete embarrassment and its no wonder any chance of promotion is slipping by the week.
He'll have Championship interest the same as Stewart and Neil will. Keeping our better players will be a big task if we fail to reach promotion this season
Agreed, this was the year that we could have went up automatically, just balls up after balls up. . . My hope is that we can secure a playoff place. I don't think anyone will want to be put against us. Then hopefully we can get to the final and right all of the wrongs.
He has got to be under some serious pressure to go in the summer as well. KLD should be sounding out alternatives.
all i can do is wish the lad all the best for his future... ...the club, on the other hand i am not so sure about, while signing defoe was great PR for the club and the fans bought into it i suppose questions have to be asked, was defoe meant to be the front line striker we needed, did all the attention around him detract from other possible signings, did other interested parties feel it would not be worth signing as they would probably be second fiddle. along with the keane saga i honestly think the clubs original aims for january were thrown off-kilter.
I think he was signed as a Sweetner to the fans to make up for the Johnson fiasco and the lengh of time it took to replace him. Defoe was never going to make the impact we'd all hoped for, hes 39 and barely kicked a ball in 2 years.
Can't say this is a shock mind. Good lad as he was, his signing was another example of the useless people who are making big decisions for us. Maybe we'll be different, but I've never seen a chaotically run club make much progress in the past.
All self inflicted and all avoidable. The so called "model"is obviously out of the window, just lunging after the one available name after chasing a man who was absolutely certain to reject a short term deal. Nowt against Neil mesell mind, I doubt much better would be interested. But managers dont get long here, and I doubt he will.
Looks like he has backed himself to get up to speed and make an impact, but after a few weeks has realised he isn't going to. Shame he couldn't have finished with a goal last week.
Before signing for Sunderland; When Resigning; This really throws a spotlight on things. 1. Either he wasn't telling the truth back then or he isn't telling the truth now. 2. What, if any, fitness testing did he pass before we signed him again? 3. Despite saying new signings would only be made with agreement of the manager, SAFC's sacking of Lee Johnson seemed to be precipitated by him not wanting to sign Defoe. Our bid for an automatic promotion spot then imploded and we are now struggling to secure a play-off position. This really brings into question the whole decision-making of our entilre senior management group.
