When Mon was unveiled as our manager less than 14 months ago, amongst many others I was ecstatic. For the first time in over 3 decades we had a manager with a successful track record, stature in the modern game and the sort of class and quality we all craved. Not a novice looking to cut his teeth before moving on elsewhere but a genuine fan of the club and one of the giants of the game. In fans polls Mon was always in the top 2 that they desired and we had him. There were doubters of course but it wouldn't be Sunderland if there wasn't. In 14 months we have seen a steady team building process and imo we are as prepared for life in the EPL as we ever have been. Of course it hasn't all been wine and roses and there have been testing times but never a doubt in my mind we are heading in the right direction under Martin. We are building a future here not just a here and now. He talks well and knows what he is doing and its that calmness and class that oozes out all over the club these days. We will finish top 10 imo this season and will again bring in 2 or 3 quality additions and next season will be the real judge of his reign. I hope he stays another 4 or 5 years at least and I do think we will be his last club. If he is here that long then this club will be in a totally different place to anywhere it has been in my lifetime. I'm looking forward to the journey more than at any time in my 38 years following Sunderland AFC.
I'd agree with all that. Where I live, most of the people I know are Arsenal or Chelsea fans and they all recognise we have a great manager, one arsenal fan even said he wouldn't mind mon replacing wegner. I'm proud to have him as our manager, he's a true gent in the game. Long last MON.
Good post Cest MON has my whole hearted support and trust. I must admit back at the end if October I was a bit doubtful but he's turned the season around and if he can get the team playing consistently then we will move onwards and upwards.
I like the fact if he doesn't get the quality targets he desires, he doesn't simply go out & buy a load if average players that we will struggle to then move on as we have of late. We are slowly building a quality team imo.
Snap my right bollock off for tenth. We've has a pretty ****e season tbh. To finish tenth would amount to relative success in my eyes after dropping into the bottom 3, can't wait for this season to end, write it off and start a fresh come August.
More than happy with MON mate although like others had my doubts during the bad patch, as did quite a few. Thing is though we stuck with him and showed a bit of faith hopefully that will be rewarded with a good finish to the season. Like Moorsley I'd be more than happy with 10th but, will be happy with anything around there.
I hear a lot of this but the reality is we are only 6 points off Liverpool in 7th and 8 points from Arsenal in 6th which considering the perception this season is that we have been ****e, the reality is we haven't. We had a 10 or 12 game flat-line where we just couldn't buy a win but we were not getting thumped by anyone and once we turned the corner, we have shown far better form and goals threat since and find ourselves right on the shirt tails of 2 of the games giants? Our 'waste of money' new striker has netted 10 goals in 20 games (1 in 2) despite those dozen poor games and the goals have started coming from other areas now too. AJ has 4 goals for a winger and may well end with 6 or 7 and I fancy Graham will contribute too with 4 or 5 goals between now and the end of May. Our opponents on Tuesday seem to have everyone ****ing furiously but they have had as fantastic season in 8th place and we have had a ****e one 5 points behind them in 11th? Take the cup final out of it and there isn't a *** paper between the two. If we had not had those 10 or 12 games (even just picking up 3 or 4 more points in that time) and hung on to the leads at West Ham and Swansea (last min equalizers which were just shoddy defending tbh) then we could easily have been 7 or 8 points better off and top 6 with 14 games to go? These are the finest of margins in a season and imo we are not that far off hitting that top 10 upwards target which we all want and MoN I have absolute faith will deliver. We are building this as it should be with a tried and tested top quality manager. I couldn't even begin to think of any other manager I'd rather have anywhere in football today. This is the perfect fit of club, owner, manager and fans. We are indeed incredibly lucky and have an amazing future ahead of us.
I think we can finish top ten. It will depend on how we get on in the next five or six games as we have a decent run of games coming up. As for Mon I think it's great to see the club building steadily instead of the Bruce scatter gun approach. He must be given plenty of time to get the team he wants.
As I've said on precious posts had games finished at half time we would have been 4th in the league. We are on a decent role at the moment and in this league it's fine lines between success and failure. My only problem and I'm not sure who is to blame is the lack of consistency or times in games when our defence and midfield for no apparent reason sit ridiculously deep and stop playing. If Mon can sort this out we are on our way. We've spent nearly 10 million this January following 20 million in the summer. So we are not cheap skates by any means. We have seen a lot of fringe players go for next to nothing. So we seem to be controlling wages etc. So I think we are moving in the right direction. However I couldn't predict where we will finish. Can't even predict today's game. Feel we may well be winning at some stage but Reading do finish strongly!
Reading V Sunderland 3 Sunderland V Arsenal 1 West Brom V Sunderland 1 Sunderland V Fulham 3 QPR V Sunderland 1 Sunderland V Norwich 3 12 points in the next 6 games? Good target to aim for and 41 points by the end of March would be brilliant imo.
That's a great run of games to build a good run on! But this is Sunderland so it'll probably be a roller-coaster ride. Going back to the string headline, I played golf a few months ago with a Sunday Newspaper sports journalist who knows MoN and all of the other big name managers. He really rates the guy!! Thinks he's one of our best signings ever, if he stays!
Be typical of us to lose to Reading and beat Arsenal. I think 4 or even 5 wins are poss from the next 6
