Not expecting much tbh. Hoping for a considerable improvement on pitch together with a few decent experienced signings
I believe that if our 5 year plan takes 6 years - so what !!! Last season has been washed away from my conciousness, the my blood is beginning to bubble with anticipation & expectation as the new season nears. I just ask for an exciting and ambitious playing style to keep my smile in place. KTF
Firstly to come away from games (home and away, but especially at home) having been entertained and thinking, I enjoyed that, as I did in the previous season for 21 out of 23 games (Cardiff and Stoke being the exceptions). After that to see players develop as most of them have over the last couple of years and to have fewer major injuries that has disrupted some players development and that of the teams. If we get the above, plus a few decent signings in key areas, then I am confident we will have a good season and let the league table take care of itself
We're only a couple of bodies away from being up there. Even Beale had us on the fringes of the play offs.
This is year 4 Feb 2021 - KLD buys Sunderland (2021/22) Year 1 - Promotion from League 1 (2022/23) Year 2 - Consolidation (Play offs) (2023/24) Year 3 - ****ed up (2024/25) Year 4 - ??? (2025/26) Year 5 - ???
Hence why I said we are only a couple of bodies away. Stick a competent striker in that team and we look a lot different.
…easier said than done, given how we operate in the transfer market when targeting forward players I miss Ross Stewart.
We over-achieved in year 2, and under-achiveved in year 3, but this year is the one to get back on track. Play-offs should be the aim, but I don't think it's a particularly strong league this year, and I'd be hoping that automatic promotion might be a posibility. It shouldn't by any means be an expectation, but I don't think it's unachievable. As others have said though, just playing attractive attacking football will be a good start
If we recruit well and the boys adopt RLB's style quickly then there is no reason why we can't be in the mix. We need a little sprinkle of stardust in the Amad mould though. Not sure where that's coming from though
I hope his injuries are behind him but to be fair to the lad one of his injury lay offs was due to been clocked by an opposition keeper which fractured his cheek and orbital socket whilst also giving him a severe concussion (he did score though)
73 league games in 3 full seasons here, not great really. A fully fit Cirkin is a very good player - fingers crossed he can string a good number of games together this season.
I totally understand that but at my age I still get a bit of a buzz with transfers and pre season. This year though just feels different with the new manager and kit release and the fact the club on a whole seems to be in a good place the first team at the minute looks like the last piece of the first jigsaw to put right and most of the hard work has been done. The metrics from the TA-DA video was encouraging and enlightening but TBH like I said I am very much an optomist. Since moving to Oz I have been waking up as sill o clock to watch games as my support for the lads has not wavered however this forum provides me with a way to stay connected In some way to what is now a past life (so to speak). However my gut tells me that we are on a very good road and little bit more work means we will start to achieve our milestone ambitions.
Certainly,the appointment of RLB,Rigg signing and the new kit launch have generated a feel good factor. However,there are still significant issues to be resolved mainly around the coaching staff,contract extensions for some of our better players and squad additions and departures,although this latter point will probably not be fully defined until later on in the transfer window. Grounds for optimism at the minute,I agree,but no more than that. Confirmation of the coaching roles,contract extensions agreed for Neil and Ballard, encouraging injury news from Cirkin,Seelt and Huggins,the acquisition of a couple of good players for cdm and striker would fuel my optimism for the new season by a mile. I'm not asking for much!
I'm all game for the attacking football but not at the expense of leaving the back door open like we did under TM. I still think we need a CB or a LB depending on where we see Aji playing. Definitely need a CDM and two strikers, and that's before replacing anyone who might leave. I would like to see a few of the U21 players get some loan moved to L2/conference. I'm also hoping the lasses do the business and finally get promoted.
Agree mate but I am still seeing folk wanting to be negative and not cautious. The caution I fully understand (we are Sunderland after all) but for me the background stuff has improved no end but I guess expectation has raised because of it. For me we are very much on track with the 5 year plan but that maybe is not fast enough for some. The window if it is positive will accelerate the expectation and I hope it does but it will be up to the coach and players to realise that and step beyond their comfort zones. Only time will tell but my hope is that last year will have given some of the players brought in a chance to see what we are all about. Like the title says hopes and expectations.
