New Head Coach

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
they’re wide 10s as well so maybe even bring the best out of Roberts with a wing back overlapping him

Roberts is a very talented attacking player, I'd like to see him used better and supported. I believe he's been thrown in to take on two or three players from a very wide position ... and failed in all honesty.

He hasn't scored but some of that is to do with a lack of anyone to support him in that position and it's hard to assist when there's no one to pass to in the box.

Yes, he needs to step up but no, he's not suddenly useless.
 
I’ve never really understood the accusations of penny pinching (I just think most of the accusations fall flat when held up to the slightest bit of scrutiny) but now we’ve just released a set of accounts showing that our level of spend is at the very least competitive for this level I understand it even less.
Stability after the last two jokers almost ruined the club , the management infrastructure being strengthened and hopefully the Head Coach appointment required to take the club forward in a sustainable manner shows planning for the future . We have a team all be it young one with players that Premier league teams would like to take from us for good money , people have short memories as in recent years we had players of poorer quality that no one was remotely interested in and for the most part gave them away to get them off the wage bill .
 
Had never heard of Svensson until last night. Have spent the morning reading about him and he’s now my preferred candidate.

Which will mean we end up with someone else doesn’t it. :D

I’ve watched videos and listened to podcasts of Still, Maric and now Svensson. I’ve said the exact same after each one <laugh>

I’d be happy with any of them.
 
Do you reckon we'll line up defensively with Cirkin and Pembele as our wing backs. Middle cb Ballard with Alese and Hume either side of him
I think that’s the only way Pembele gets in the side, that back 3 has massive potential, don’t dare say it too loud but think onien would stand out in a back 3 as the ball carrier
 
I’ve watched videos and listened to podcasts of Still, Maric and now Svensson. I’ve said the exact same after each one <laugh>

I’d be happy with any of them.

<laugh>

The question I ask myself is 'are they better than Johnson/Neil/Mowbray/Beale' ...

... from what I've seen and heard I'd have to say yes.

Could any of those four find an equivalent job in Europe, I'd have to say no.

On a possibly irrelevant point, as far as I'm aware none of the previous managers could speak other languages, you could reasonably argue some struggled with English. With our current squad of players I think it's difficult to totally integrate everyone unless there's some decent means of communication. I'm sure Rusyn is a better player than we've seen, he just looks lost and seeing managers miming instructions to him don't look great imo.

Just a thought.
 
I guess the question is whether it's important for the fans to have their pound of flesh.

Dodds took a role above his ability to help out his boss. He's not up to that task. But the players clearly love him, other staff rate him and by all accounts he was good at his previous job.

Sacking him for not being good at his temporary job seems like it could very easily backfire and affect morale of the players and staff at the club.

Good point well made mate, Dodds has fone the club a favour by doing what they have asked of him, by all accounts hes a very good youth team coach & that may well be his highest level which is fine.

Bit harsh to go along the lines of 'thanks for helping us out when we needed you, sorry you cant go back to your old job you were great at as were sacking you as your not capable of doing the job we've hoyed you in at the deep end with'

Let the bloke return to the job he was by all accounts excelling at
 
Good point well made mate, Dodds has fone the club a favour by doing what they have asked of him, by all accounts hes a very good youth team coach & that may well be his highest level which is fine.

Bit harsh to go along the lines of 'thanks for helping us out when we needed you, sorry you cant go back to your old job you were great at as were sacking you as your not capable of doing the job we've hoyed you in at the deep end with'

Let the bloke return to the job he was by all accounts excelling at
He was coaching the first team before he took over the head coach role wasn’t he?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Robertson
I think that’s the only way Pembele gets in the side, that back 3 has massive potential, don’t dare say it too loud but think onien would stand out in a back 3 as the ball carrier
I think it gets the best out of Hume and 09 Cirkin and probably Alese. As always we just need to sign more goal threats.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hudson92
He was coaching the first team before he took over the head coach role wasn’t he?
Yeah, I think he was part of the first team coaching team on a temporary basis during the promotion season and that was made permanent at the start of the first season back in the Championship. He was combining that with his player development role which was overseeing the 'pathway from the u21s to the first team'. So he wasn't really a youth team coach as such.
 
I may be blinkered but I think many criticisms of the owner ultimately boil down to one thing, spend. Ambition, flex, 'the right players', etc etc etc all really mean spend. People want more money thrown at the squad which is fair enough, sadly we were twice relegated doing that so it's not always the answer.

Birmingham have shown how easy it is to make the wrong managerial decision. They made two critical mistakes in appointing Rooney then, inadvertently, Mowbray. The mistake with Rooney is self evident, the mistake with Mowbray was that Venus had to take charge and almost immediately said he couldn't manage. Dodds, at least, gave it his best with a dispirited squad and didn't just shrug his shoulders.

Ineffective managerial choices are difficult to avoid, very few managers actually win anything and just as many are relegated ...

... at least Sunderland are attempting to instill a method and a plan whereas some clubs, like Stoke, simply jump from one 'great idea' to another coupled with random spending.

I'm happy with Plan A for the moment but hoping for more progress this season.
Good credit to Dodds, agree.
 
I actually like 3 at the back, when i used to coach the most attacking team i had was 1 that played 3421. If used right it can help give you a solid base and allow your wingbacks to push up high then your 2 10's to float and cause problems. Or it can be used to get 2 strikers on the pitch while still controlling the centre of the pitch

Yeah agreed. I was meaning that a lot of our supporters don’t like the 5/3 at the back.
Don’t mind it personally, we would need to tailor our recruitment accordingly but I think the front foot football is more suited to us as fans.
 
Last edited: