Apart from the usual tiffs on here and a certain poster who would complain he had see more zeroes on his bank statement if he won the euro millions it has been quite giddy in here in terms what the club is doing and although I havent watched any of the pre season myself I've checked the match threads and people seem genuinely impressed with how quick the new lads have slotted in and how good they and the team look, especially considering it's early days so still only getting one half or so out of them before it's all change which is always going to disrupt the match flow. It's alright being on here at the minute!
If that's true than I think he seriously needs new advisers, if it was me I'd be kicking off big style with them
I’ve always liked Neil but when you see the new lads in action it’s a quick realisation that he’s not in the same league imo.
I do hope if Neil goes he gets a proper send off, local lad 2 promotions and captain of a Wembley win is probably beyond his wildest dreams when he broke in, would love him to stay and play in the prem here but looks less likely by the day unfortunately
I hope it happens soon now. And I hope folk remember him in a fair and balanced way. He deserves to be well liked for all he has done. I would rather not see him make a sub appearance and leave on deadline day. I think some would jump on any mistake the lad made and claim evidence he isnt good enough. Best he goes now and his last action as a Sunderland player can be lifting the trophy at Wembley.
I’ve seen very little negativity towards him thankfully, he’s not perfect by any stretch but he never hides and there is a very talented player there maybe he needs a change of scenery to flourish, who knows I’d love him to see out his whole career here but those days are long gone, Will always look back on his time here fondly personally
Representatives. Plural being the notable word there. Agents too often see what is good for them first, player second. This player is by no means the only one. Too many of them exert a svengali like influence on the players, who often make very bad decisions on the back of their "advice".
I still have a feeling that Neil will sign a new deal and stay fight for his place and contribute I just dont see a deal that suits us and him being on the table
I called entourage. Soon as I seen 4 of them on plane I thought ‘here we ****ing go’ Didn’t think it would dead the deal, they must have taken the absolute piss. Costs thousands to send a jet and complete a medical.
If Neil goes it will be seen 1 of 2 ways by fans 1) He was of great service and credit to the club, he helped his boyhood club get back to the PL, played an important part, often overlooked. the money from the sale, which will be one mighty profit to the club and help us get to the next step, or 2) - KLD/KS domt care. Sellinng our best players for fodder, sooner they go the better, ( or something along these lines)
With Romaine Mundle out injured and a deal for a winger falling through, what are the next steps in that position? Are you moving to other targets or will you take stock and assess what you already have first? “It's fair to say we will have a recruitment to make in this position. Simon has a good background in the Premier League but if he's alone in this position, we'll struggle. Chemsdine is young and has many games but is very young for the Premier League. So we'll need to reinforce this part of the squad. We'll see, because it's not an easy position. There's been a lot of talk about the goalkeeper group this summer and speculation about potential signings. Is it fair to say this is a position you're still looking to strengthen? “Yeah, probably. We want to reinforce the squad with the best players we can, who fit the identity of the club and mentality of the team. It's not easy to do this, it's the same for goalkeeper, striker, pivot... I don't know. Every position is possible. We'll see later whether it is possible [to recruit a player in this position].
On Neil specifically. I am trying to put myself in his shoes a little bit here. Forget money for a minute. I suspect the lad is going through a bit of emotional turmoil right now. He was captain last season, of the club he supports in the same way any of us do. Imagine how that must feel. Now it looks like he is not even going to be in the first 11, let alone captain. We as fans can all have an opinion whether he should be or not. But for him, to live that experience, must be killing him mentally. I suspect he is a little bit heartbroken. I am not sure anyone in that sort of circumstance could ever realistically be expected to stay, it could never really be the same again for you when it is your club. The feelings run far too deep.
Worth saying too that Neil knows his role in this team very well, having started almost every game under RLB. I'd imagine he could pretty seamlessly slip back in at CDM alongside 2 of the 3 who have started so far.
Will definitely be 1. We’ve got to PL and if we are all completely honest it’s far from guaranteed Dan can play in that league. I’d love him to stay and give it a go but then you look at Sadiki, Diarra and Enzo and they are levels above. Rigg will make it, Dan is at best 50/50. Dan himself will be thinking ‘am I gonna play?’