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Am I right he refused to sign a new contract a couple of years ago, he's been badly advised or is just stupid. Take jobe for example, a player which has a higher ceiling and I've no doubt he'll play for England at some stage and he loves it here and knows this is the best place for his career ATM. Watson will never reach the standard jobe will and he cannot see that staying with us could get him a better move in say another couple of years. I'm not saying Brighton are bad because they're not but there is no way he's even getting on the bench there, much better he played more games at a team like us

 

I say this with a lot of trepidation, but West Ham would really suit Neil I think. They love a footballer down there and I think the fans would take to him. Potter would also be a good coach for him too. I need to wash my mouth out because I hope Neil spends his career with us, but that is fantasy land sadly.

 

would be a great move for him. I don’t want any of them to go but I’d genuinely be excited to follow these lads in the premier league, especially if we don’t go up

 

It may also be the case that Watson has taken the money, now, on the off chance he doesn't make it.

I had this conversation with an ex-Sunderland player a couple of years back.

I put the following scenario to him and he said there was some credibility in it.

'A Sunderland player, coming through the Academy, breaks into the first team squad and makes an impression in the Championship.

He knows he has talent but not sure if he'll be good enough for Sunderland in the PL. That being the case he won't get a longer contract on much bigger money. But he's now showed the other PL clubs that he can't hack it so won't get a contract there.

So where is he at now?

He isn't playing and, if Sunderland look like staying up will bring someone else in.

The reality is that he'll be sold to a Championship club like Preston where he'll try to rebuild his career.

So he'll jump at the chance of a 3 year PL contract, on much more money, believing it may be his only chance.'

Watson may prove me wrong and become a top 10 player and picked for England, but I doubt it ...

... he's too much of a 'two trick pony' like Jack Clarke imo.

Whereas Mundle has the power, pace and agility to play anywhere across the front or even as a 10 behind a target man.

If Watson is worth £10m, Mundle is currently worth more imo.

 

And he knows it.

 

Mundle is definitely the more rounded player and definitely the better player now. Watson could however develop into an England player, like an Anthony Gordon. He’s able to carry the ball quickly which is a big part of the game today.

Mundle I don’t think has as high a ceiling. But then nothings guaranteed and Watson could struggle and then become a championship level specialist.

Really, £10m is peanuts to an established premier league club so he’s a very good gamble from them.

 

Especially when the owner is happy to keep lending as much money as they want.

 

I love watching where our home grown players go to and how they develop. It would be great to think all will stay and turn down top premier league clubs, but it is also naieve of me to think it will happen. The next best thing is hopefully seeing them shine and maybe play for my other side - England. Henderson and Pickford have carried the Sunderland passion for England. Maybe in years to come we will have 3 or 4 in the side from our academy - it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Who wouldnt want to see that.

 

yeh exactly this. Having Hendo and Pickford in the premier league has been great as it’s given me the feeling of a vested interest in premier league games. It’ll be the same if Jack Clarke gets back there, and it would have been there this year if Ross Stewart had played more. There’s very few others we’ve been able to have that connection to.

But Jobe and Rigg the connection will feel massive their whole careers (unless they go to the Mags at which point I’ll die inside). The connection is less so with Watson but still a sense of pride that we made him.

 

I think Jobe is quite extraordinary. He and Rigg have ability and attitude way beyond their years. I would not be surprised to see Jobe in the England world cup squad next summer.

Watson is a bit later to the mens game than Jobe or Rigg. They both look destined for the real elite level of the game. Does Watson? Not yet, but I would not write him off personally. In him I see a player with all of the natural attributes needed to play as a left sided attacking player. Whether he can harness those and combine them in a way that takes him to the top we will see. I think he is a better prospect than Mundle. Before his injury I thought he was playing better than Mundle. And I do think Mundle is excellent btw. Hope the hamstrings arent a long term thing with him as I want to see him play a hundred plus games for us now.

 

Personally I'd rather see those players stay and win us a trophy, of any kind ...

... than see them being knocked out of international competitions in the quarter finals

 

Yeah I was hoping we would be interested when he was still in Sweden, Brighton inevitably scooped him up.

He sort of plays as a right sided 8 for Sturm Graz but I think a lot of sites have him down as on the right of a 4-4-2, he'll be a midfielder long term though and I really like him as a box to box.

 

Every player I seem to look at for potential SAFC signings is either on loan from Brighton, pre agreed to join Brighton or plays for one of their feeder clubs. Incredible recruitment

 

Prem money would give us that opportunity hopefully to take more gambles and use the loan market to help develop. Brighton got it nailed tbf to them

 

Yep. There’s definitely something in the idea that they’ve got too many to adequately develop though. I think it’s an issue that we’re running into ourselves tbf. Being A PL team and using the loan system helps, but it still comes to the crunch of those first team minutes - and they don’t go all that far.

 

Is there a limit to how many loans a PL side can send out ...

... if there isn't there should be.

 

I think they'd argue that the ones who develop will play, the ones who don't will be sold and that helps PSR. Feeder clubs and the loan system helps as you mentioned as well.

 

Yeah indeed. It does mean that they’ll have a Gyokeres slip through their fingers from time to time, but I guess it’s important to be relaxed about those as a club. They’re ultimately better off overall.

 

Do you know if Gyokeres was a late developer or was it a case of a switch going on / mentality changing?

 

Needs to be definitely, stop the Chelsea's hoovering up scores of talented kids. Whole league needs sorting tbh. PL is a bore fest.