I've dithered around for days about whether I should post my opinion or not. Then I faffed around thinking whether to put it on the 'ambition' thread or another. I didn't want to derail them, hence this. I've had a look around social media, etc and was finally pushed into posting by reading the 'Quinn's Bar' thread on RTG. I totally understand all the frustration, anger, etc, regarding our progress, the coach situation, BCB, etc ... ... but surely there comes a point whereby we're just attacking ourselves and falling out. We all really know, whether we like it or not, that KLD, KS, MB aren't going to be forced out by the relentless bile and hatred. So, imo, all it does is distract from the next game and the rest of the season. We know, from O'Nien's Twitter posts, that the players read what we post and it has to be demoralising imo. I'm probably a bit too 'rose tinted' from some people but I grew up supporting the club when we'd defend it against any attacks and have our backs to the wall even when it all looked lost. It now looks like we're fighting against the club, and each other, to the point where other club's supporters are commenting on the infighting and laughing it up at our expense. The club f*cked up, they've apologised and will hopefully speed up the improvements ... ... we're still in with a chance of the play-offs, we've all expressed our anger/disappointment//etc, so can't we now concentrate on the football, the Ipswich game and the transfer window. Just a thought, shoot me down if I'm out of order.
It’s the same with every club. The Newcastle fans have been attacking each other lately, even posters banned from their own board it’s been that bad. Some of them attacking Howe and the recruitment, others defending them. There’s no patience in football or anywhere else, tbh. The ‘I want it and I want it now’ culture has taken over the show.
Couldn't agree more Smug, the build up to last weekend's game was completely derailed for me by the BCB issue, the comments without knowing the facts were astonishing, some just having a dig at our club from whatever angle. No owner/ management get it right all to the time but imo ours aren't doing too bad considering 18 months ago we were worrying about getting a result off Wycombe, how times have changed, but that's still not good enough for some. Big game coming up as they all are, God help MB if we get tanked, we have a young squad which comes with its shortcomings but some on here never give them a break and if as you say they read these forums it must be soul destroying. No harm in pulling the club and players up if warranted but to go on endlessly is utterly pointless imo. Stay in and around the playoffs again by May and we've had another good season. Try and enjoy the ride and not pick fault at every little thing would help.
A thought provoking post and very fair. On both sides of the coin there are extremes that either blindly defend or blindly attack, depending on which side of the line they fall. As always the middle ground is that there is sensible discussion to be had around if, how or why things need improvement, i dont believe you can just sit and say everything is ok when there are issues or things will never improve. A lot of the extreme views should look at the bigger picture in my humble opinion.
Agree with this 100% . We are all here because we support Sunderland and want what’s best for the club . All this negativity can only lead one way and that’s down . We all need to take a breath draw a line under all this and move forward or we will ruin what’s left of this season.
Totally agree with you Smug. I've seen it get worse and worse year after year, and sometime it makes me feel embarrassed to be a Sunderland fan. Social media has made it too easy for the keyboard warriors. As you've stated most recently, regarding the BCB, the owners have made a mistake, but they've come straight out and apologised, that should be the end. Why some posters seem to want KLD and KS to fail, is beyond me. What short memories they have, when just a few years ago we had SD and CM in charge. Everyone makes mistakes, but admitting it straight away shows an owner that will learn from this. Who do these posters want as an owner? They constantly whine but never put forward a solution
There are some who will always criticise and will never be happy with anything but there do appear to be some cracks appearing with the ownership and its only right to be concerned as we have experienced how quickly things can go wrong. If we do sell Clarke and the money isnt reinvested in quality playing staff I think things will once again get ugly with some of the support. Last weeks gone and its crucial the club learn from it, more than anything else what last week taught me was how far away we are from being a premier league club both on and off the pitch.
Social media has a lot to answer for imo, hell on before the game and mentions of wanting the owners out protests etc etc but at the game in person the atmosphere was amazing and almost every fan did there bit and stayed till the end. ps I was over the game before I’d even left the stadium and looking forward to seeing how we get on against Ipswich in what’s a more important game to me.
As I put on another thread yesterday it’s getting unbearable in the pub I drink in never heard so much negativity it was nice to go in yesterday and no football lads were in.folk have just got so high expectations because of last season expecting us to be challenging for top 2 and blaming anyone from owners to recruitment,they forget who got us where we are at the minute being in and around the playoffs for the 2nd year running. We as a fan base just need to cool our jets slowly slowly catchy monkey sure it’ll all come together
I can actually accept a Sunderland fan validly criticising any aspect of the club they see fit. When outsiders do it, they can **** right off whether they are valid or not. Football isn’t like in our day, it was about the game, the camaraderie, us against them. Now it’s far too commercialised and this is being driven into the support too. Akin to the commercial side, they want results and they want them now, speculate to accumulate blah blah blah With regards “whether we like it or not,” There will be people out there who actually believe they will get owners out, not sure how that works without an awful lot of negativity and will be more harmful to the club than a redecoration of the BCB. Communication is key, we don’t need to know every detail, but we need to know that things are being addressed. Smug the other day you were going on about the stadium neglect etc which got a bit out of hand and I thought I’d better stay out of it. But it’s standards at the end of the day, driven from the top. I’m not suggesting a lack of lifecycle will stop players from signing, but it will certainly stop people paying to go into it or waiting till the last minute before piling in. The club are never going to be able to compete with bars around the stadium, they need to do something different to entice people in. I don’t want cushion seats, I won’t ever get a warm feeling on the concourse, but I don’t want to be supping my pint with layers of dirt hanging around the high level surface and paint peeling all over. Then again I am in Facilities Management so those things matter to me, a bit like a barman would probably criticise the pumps and beer, someone in security will slag the stewards, people in hospitality will criticise the food and the servings. Anyhow I know what I mean, even if you lot don’t
Social media , particularly the aspect that you can hide behind the keyboard, has escalated it all. We have the choice to tone it down and use common sense , but modern society has become easily influenced to join in. It will probably get worse as the older generation die out. We used to manage enjoying our support just fine when the discussions were face to face with your mates , about the information given only in local paper and local tv. Waiting for the bus to the match , someone has heard “ we’re on MOTD - the cameras are there “ !
If we were able to get the owners 'out' due to their actions over the last few years/weeks, who the **** would want to come 'in' as a result!!!!
I'm happy with the set up at the club, yes there needs to be improvements overall. We are on the right track that will take time but I'd rather we did it this way than just be bankrolled and risk another Short scenario. When KLD came in the results on the pitch were almost instant and I think some fans got carried away and thought we were cruising for the big time. I think the problem we have is some of our fans aren't happy with the process and because we are a huge club and have the god given right to be in the Premier League. You hear comments about the owner being tight and just as bad as SD. This model will take time, I'm sick of hearing we are a selling club, we've sold basically nobody. We paid 5 million for Jack Clarke if we sell him for 20 what can we buy with that. Yes we haven't spent large individually sums on 1 player however if the ones we sign develop as we hope how much will we get in 3 years to strengthen the squad. We will be spending large amounts on transfers in the future when we've earned it. When KLD first came in he was quite transparent on how he was going to run the club, he has done just that, however some people don't won't that, well sorry but hard lines that's the way it will be ran. There's no point complaining that we need more investment and need to be buying ready made players he's not going to do that, let's get behind them and hope they are building our future from the ground up over like they said
All of them are awful, dont think there is one good SAFC fanzine or podcast. Roker Report, ALS, WMS all terrible. ALS have been slating the club for a while now yet they allowed a mag youtuber in a mag shirt into their shop to record a video last week. They also have a poll on twitter today asking if Speakman is doing a good job.
