It has been a long while since I've posted on the forum, my working life has simpy been too pressured lately to summon up the time or energy to even visit the site. I however have some time off from work at the moment thankfully, and just wanted to extend my best wishes to all the regular contributors. I can see many of the familiar faces are still keeping the debate going - good on you. And of course to wish you and the Lads all the best for the new season - work or no work I will take my usual place at the SoL when the season kicks off. That being said if I'm honest I have to confess to being a little under whelmed with our close season activity to date, Invest in Africa to one side - which i think is remarkably cutting edge for SAFC. Really hope we can bring in that quality goal scorer we all know we need, that along with a creative midfielder for me would be the 2 key acquisitions we need. Anyhow all the best to all; Ha'way the Lads.
Good to see you back and I share you feelings of being underwhelmed, lets hope the coming weeks change that feeling to excitement.
Replies here illustrate perfectly what decades of optimism followed by disappointment can do. Nice however to see younger supporters with the mindset some of us more seasoned supporters had - in my case 4 decades ago. Now, my passion for the club is still there, but my expectations are inevitably managed. But still somewhere in the back of my head (perhaps in my heart rather than my head actually) I still ask myself . . . maybe this season could be the one?
I think this every year. I guess being a Sunderland supporter is always a triumph of hope over experience! However I am not too worried that it has all been quiet so far this summer (if you can call it a summer!). Players and managers, including MON, have all been having their holidays, which is fair enough. And the Euros meant many players weren't available for contract talks etc. Now most are back for pre-season I expect transfer news to pick up.
Nice to see you around again Blackcat, but regarding signings I would like to direct all the doubters to this quotation.. “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” Arnold H. Glasgow... I honestly feel that MoN knows exactly what we want, but is experienced enough to play the waiting game to get it at the best value..
Hello RAW, hope all is well with you. Yes happy to concede patience is a virtue, and I do have faith in MON being canny in the market place - I just don't get a sense of 'that big signing' being just over the horizon anymore - I could be wrong. I guess it is also a question of adjusting to a 'new' manager's style in the transfer window. If Brucie was stil around we would probably have signed at least 6 new faces by now! I sense also that football, even in the EPL (with the obvious exceptions) is moving into a more financial prudent phase, with clubs, and even their billionaire owners, looking for better value and longer term financial stability - which should be good for the long term of the game. Having said all of that I remain rooted in reality, at best we should hope for top is 8 and a good go at the domestic cups. And I'd be happy with that particularly if we can do it playing nice attacking football (or more like counter-attacking football). All the best.
