Can I start by saying how refreshing, Sunderland fans in good debate, a Newcastle fan joining in and not a bit of abuse to be seen, it must be Sunday. I find a lot in cests OP that is good and think the problem I have is that after a few windows of major surgery I was looking forwrd to a window of adding quality. I know all the reasons for us to do it but this lets start again is very draining to me but the one very positive thing is that Bruce,Quinn and Short must know that this time they must get it right. No more top heavy loan signings unless its a Elmo or Muntari deal with us in control. honest we must admit that we did ride our luck. I think Gyan will stay but TBH I wont cry if he leaves because I feel creating a brand new strikeforce may be easier than finding a partner or two for Gyan. We know we need a keeper and I think thats all but sorted with Westwood. With Ned and Mensah gone I do hope that we dont end up with a RB situation like we had at LB, a makeshift RB, either Elmo or Anton and no real cover so Bruce knows again we need bodies. Again in midfield we lose Henderson and Bolo so agin major surgery needed. So bottom line is we need a major rebuild like it or not so yes cest, if we need it lets do it properly. The only excuse to me for settling for a good solid mid to lower table team is money, or the lack of it. We know we cant jump to a top 6 team overnight so we cant attract or even think about some of the players teams like Spurs are after, we can however attract players that everyone else is after. And cest is spot on, we do it by acting like Liverpool did with Caroll and Henderson, get a quick deal sorted, dont argue over the odd 2 or 3 mil, sell the club, sell the dream and get them signed. I thought 20 mil was a lot for Henderson, then you think, 20 year old and a lot of improvement to come. Full England internation of the future, 10 years potential at Liverpool, 2 mil a year, bargain.
I had always hoped - too innocently I think now - that we could survive and spend until the academy brought on the new blood. Unfortunately it seems as soon as someone shows any modicum of ability they are picked off by the big bullies. I wanted something like happened during the 60's, with Monty, Todd, Suggett, Tueart, Pitt, etc, etc, etc coming through to fill the ranks with quality players who loved the area. It is out of our hands and lets face it people think the area is s***e. And yes, apart from one of the above players we sold the rest without a thought. Now. That brings me back to how our club is ran.......... OK I'll not whinge.
Positive constructive post. I sincerely hope things are happening behind the scenes - its beyond belief to think that prospective targets are not being pursued as we type, we need a quality signing soon to give a statement of intent to other potential signings we means business.
For me I'd be happy to see us finish 10th/9th next season. I want to see us really nail down a style of football. Stoke have aerial threat. Blackburn have strength and set pieces. Arsenal have quick passing. Blackpool have all-out-attack. We seem to look like a totally different team every game we play, even if most of the team is unchanged. We need to adopt a passing game along the deck rather than the panic style of hoofball we seem to resort to whenever we concede. The whole mentality of the squad needs to be changed by Bruce and he needs to sort out his tactics by playing it along the floor and not sitting too deep, inviting a mass of pressure. I would kill for a consistent season with no chance of relegation and any sort of European challenge a total bonus though I'm really not expecting that next year.
good points mate, Stoke more than anyone have shown that if you get a style, perfect it and stick to it others teams struggle. Dont want to go down the Stoke route but Sess in a short time has shown us what can be achieved.
Why do we have problems attracting top players. Because we are not and will not be anytime soon a top team. Dithering over targets. Trying to do things on the cheap yet again. Letting our best players go. Like it or not SAFC is a business and although it's never a good idea to let your best people go in any business it happens to the best in football all the time. Moving to the next level. We will get there eventually but not in the 5 years SNQ thought it would take, this season is THE season for us it goes tits up again and the fallout will be great and bloody. Showing intent. It's all well and good showing intent but, it's end products that count. Putting a bid in for Messi shows intent but we all know Messi wouldn't come to us (something to do with his ancestor and some Lambton bloke). Option 1 is where I'm at. Option 2 is a non starter for me look at Boro now that will be us in about 6 years time if we take up option 2. Option 3 is what we have done for the last 3 seasons and is just not working.
Not so sure about that, Talc. Let's say just the past 2 years. SB has brought is some quality (Catts, Turner, Bramble etc.), with a dollop of class each season (Bent, Gyan, Sess). That is option 3 IMO and it is sure and steady building. OK, it's gone tits up with Bent and 5 players who will not be fit for KO in August. But I truly expect the same again, with the dollop of class arriving late on in the window. That should see us steady in 8th/9th/10th for the next year or two. Anything else is a bonus, but it does represent steady progress.
Okay then for the last 2 seasons. Surely that is option 1 mate settle for mid table and fighting for scraps. Agree we have seen some quality at SOL but, that has been the case since we got promoted. We all know the Bent bit was a disaster both monetarily and football wise and, yes Jordan went so we could cash in now on him I'm fine with that. Those players who will not be fit are all out long term and all first team players, that should have been addressed in January we all knew they wouldn't make it for the start of this coming season so why didn't the people at the top. All for steady progress mate 10th this season was a great save from the disaster that it was not putting that down to anything in particular but, it seems strange that when we were floundering we were injury plagued now we hit 10th nothing about the injuries. I honestly can't see us getting much more than 10th again next season not a pop at Bruce just an observation that other teams will strengthen with better players than us judging on what we are looking at. What Bruce needs to do now is get players in who will be with us for a few years and try and get a stable team going, in short hold onto our best players.
Now this is what I would dearly love to see happen. There's been far too much chopping and changing for the last few years. Stability is key, which is why the mags did so well this season with their togetherness and team spirit.
Gibson could turn out to be that sort of player perhaps. I've heard mixed reviews about him but at the end of the day the people reviewing him are Man Utd fans who are used to watching Scholes etc etc playing in the middle. We have a young squad who will hopefully develop and grow stronger as a unit. I think we've got more to see from Elmo as he's only 23 and showed signs that he could turn out to be a very useful player.
I'm a fan of Elmo. He's a grafter getting up and down the right flank for the whole 90 minutes. Sure, he's a bit of a rough diamond at the moment, but I have no doubts that he will improve. The fans just need to show a little patience with him. I think that Gibson could turn out to be a fans favourite, if he gets off to a good start. I confess that I haven't seen an awful lot of him, but what I have seen, I've been impressed.
