He has problems with our present squad and you just have to look at O'Neills face to know he knows it. I think that now Gyan has gone and we've recouped the money and once he's got some of the dross off the wage bill Short will back him. O'Neill has had plenty of time to weigh up the players he has and is ready to move when the time is right. Fletcher could be top of his list and that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest but neither he nor Short will be held to ransom by Wolves, and Fletcher would be a good starting point. Those on here that slag Fletcher would be ****ing themselves daft if his name was Stephano Fletcheranio and he played for Fray Bentos reserves. O'Neill knows what he's doing, and to me he's assessing his squad and there will some movement very shortly. Chill brothers
I slag Fletcher off because he is crap not because he has a British name and plays for a British team, if you are happy with a player like Fletcher then fine but, in my opinion he will be no more than a squad player and we have a full squad of those it is first team players we need now.
This place went into meltdown last year when we didn't buy anyone on deadline day. Despite bringing in 10 players before that. I take everything with a pinch of salt on here.
A couple of points, first the title, being a concerned fan makes me a concerned fan not a doom monger. Fletcher does not worry me but neither does he excite me and he certainly does not make me feel like a ****. If we agree that MON is the best manager we have had for years and if we agree that this is our chance to push on then why are we going for a striker who is better than what we have but not, IMO, a next level player?
Fletcher is a decent player and is better than what we have already - I would be pleased if he arrived as attracting players considerably better than him has always been a problem. I would be even happier if the level of quality that we brought in was such that Fletcher turned out to be nothing more than a squad player (although not to the point of orgasm as you are suggesting). Wolves are playing a game with Fletcher - they know he is on his way, it is just a case of who blinks first. I think he might well be a late August signing.
I do have a wry smile at some on here trotting out names of players who play in leagues we no nowt about. How the hell do they know what kind of player he is...how he would settle in the UK (more specific the north east) I am guessing they have heard a name mentioned, watched a couple of you tube clips an decided he is a world beater....or have found out Arsenal or Liverpool have been sniffing around. I for one am confident that MoN and Short will do the right thing. He will buy the players HE wants and not what fans wants. He has never failed as a manager..I doubt very much he intends to fail with us.
Fletcher will do the job imo, and that's what I would want a striker to do. He scored goals in a ****e team for years, was the highest headed goalscorer in the league, and had the highest conversion rate. Sure, he's no Van Persie, but we aren't in that league (yet). We need to get another striker as Wickham wil be on loan this year, a left back, 2 pacey wingers, and a creative central midfielder. And probably another central defender (Brown will be injured, Tina gone) So i make it to be 2 x strikers, 2 wingers, left back, central midfielder (creative), and a CD. 6 players. Possibly 7. And I would be happy if Fletch was one of those.
Fletcher will do the job imo, and that's what I would want a striker to do. He scored goals in a ****e team for years, was the highest headed goalscorer in the league, and had the highest conversion rate. Sure, he's no Van Persie, but we aren't in that league (yet). We need to get another striker as Wickham wil be on loan this year, a left back, 2 pacey wingers, and a creative central midfielder. And probably another central defender (Brown will be injured, Tina gone) So i make it to be 2 x strikers, 2 wingers, left back, central midfielder (creative), and a CD. 6 players. Possibly 7. And I would be happy if Fletch was one of those.
Fray Bentos reserves. Heard good things about them mate. If we can recruit one of theirs it'll be a coup
Fletcher is IMHO better than what we have, which to be truthful not very difficult. However that just makes Fletcher average, he is not a poor player like the ones we have atm but nor is he as good as Bent, Welbeck or Gyan, in other words he is nothing to get too excited about, but would be an improvement. I would like MoN to get his finger out and Mr Short to spend about £30m on 2 strikers and a creative midfielder. Two of Wickham, Campbell, Ji and Noble to go out on loan and the other two stay (the better two, although tbh I am not sure who they are) so that we have 4 strikers. Previous supporters of clubs that MoN has managed before have said he like to do this trading at the last minute of the 'window' and that he usually buys British... well I just wish he would get a move on and put us out of our misery.
Regardless of whether you rate Fletcher or not, if MON thinks he's the right player to fit into our team,he will sign him......
I actually quite resent the fact that some people assume that as they know nowt about a player, others don't. As I work for myself , I have a hell of a lot of spare time, and as I live on the continent, I can pretty much watch any league I want on tap, even when I was UK based I watched the French, German, Dutch, Spanish & Italian avidly. We have some very knowledgeable lads on this board, 'how the hell do we know what kind of player he is?', erm, maybe we have watched them play. Tell me, how many Sunderland fans have sat down and studied Fletchers game, Cuellars? How many have watched Adam Johnson enough to see the many flaws in his game, as well as the brilliance? A similar amount to those of us who watched foreign football avidly, I'd wager.
I think they are all quite thin though so if we signed one of them they would need to beef up i'll get me coat
I agree that many on here are based in foreign lands so are very knowledgeable about some of the players mentioned in dispatches, and can talk about their pros and cons with assurance. However there is a fair point to be made about some people who, because they play Football Manager etc., think they know better than SAFC management. Does anyone seriously think MON, Short, Bally etc. don't know what we need? MON's track record speaks for itself and I am totally confident that the management know who they want and are just waiting for pre-season training to be well advanced, to sign the players they feel will fit best into the current set up. Don't forget a lot of players aren't even BACK in pre-season yet with the Euros and the Olympics. It is hard to be patient but wingeing about it won't make it happen (as I frequently said to my children!) so my advice is just sit back, watch the Olympics and very soon MON et al, who know what they are doing, will make their move.
I'm all for staying calm but I'm also all for understanding that many of us want to see some action, the longer any new signings are here the better chance we have. I only hope, if we start slowly, I don't here ANYONE saying, yes but it takes time to gel, I know it does and its time that is slipping away.
Fletcher is a million times better than what we have. He got 12 last year for the worst team in the league. I hope he comes, some on here are going to get pleasantly surprised. He may not get 20+ a year but he'll score more than gyan and welbeck would for us. Dont think well sign 6-7 players more like 3-4
I think a lot of people may well be underwhelmed by incomings but what MON is good at is getting a whole that is greater than the sum of it's parts.
