Gus Poyet has admitted he faces crunch talks to thrash out Sunderland's future. The Wearsiders' head coach wants âeverything on the tableâ during an end of season inquest that will include owner Ellis Short, director of football Lee Congerton and chief executive Margaret Byrne. Poyet is in a powerful position to reshape the club to his preferred blueprint, having almost achieved a relegation-battle âmiracleâ - just a point is needed from the penultimate game against West Brom on Wednesday night to guarantee survival. The Uruguayan - appointed in early October after Paolo di Canio was sacked following a return of only one point from the first five games - has another year on his contract, but there is a release clause which means he can walk away for free if Sunderland do stay up. Poyet will demand some big changes behind the scenes. His first discussions will be about the future of the club's out-of-contract players and transfer targets, but there will also be negotiations about wider issues. How the bottom of the table stands Played Won Drawn Lost Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points West Brom 36 7 15 14 42 55 -13 36 Sunderland 36 9 8 19 38 57 -19 35 Norwich 37 8 9 20 28 60 -32 33 R-Fulham 37 9 4 24 38 83 -45 31 R-Cardiff 37 7 9 21 31 72 -41 30 He said: âWhen we finish, itâs going to be great to have everything on the table and talk and analyse it. Thereâs plenty of things to talk about. With the owner, Lee, Mags, the people in charge. âI came here because I was convinced there was something right. I think it is time to finish the job and then we can analyse. Itâs going to be a great time for me to sit down and think about everything that happened, and the future.â The Uruguayan talked positively about the future on Tuesday, and has in the past ruled out quitting. But he will engage in tough talks about wielding more influence, and it remains to be seen whether owner Short and his staff including, will agree. Poyet reckons keeping Sunderland in the Premier League will be his greatest achievement in football. The Uruguayan has led Sunderland to a points haul of 34 in 29 games, and just one more is needed against West Brom or in Sunday's season-ending home match with Swansea to guarantee safety - barring an impossible swing in goal difference. Poyet took over a beleaguered squad who managed one draw amd four defeats in the league before a revolt against Di Canio. In recent weeks, Sunderland have won at Chelsea and Manchester United, and drawn at Manchester City in a remarkable revival - prompted by their managerâs positive team talks. He admits the West Brom game will end in a celebration - but has cracked down on his players this week to ensure they donât think the job is done, adding: âWe have to finish it. The next two games are not a jolly-up.â Reflecting on a remarkable month, Poyet said: âFor me in particular it will definitely be my biggest achievement. I have no doubt because itâs been difficult, I can tell you that. âNormally, you donât celebrate when you finish 16th in the league. We will. âIf you said to me before the Man City game that we would be here talking like this I would have said you had been drinking heavily before you came. Itâs incredible. âWe can use different words but the last four games has been amazing. Any stage of the season it would be incredible but thatâs why it is so important to finish the game somehow. âIâm trying not to praise myself. I just believe in what I do and the best way is to convince the players. If you can get to the players, even if they donât like it if they understand why and thereâs a reason they will go with you.â With a Wembley League Cup Final appearance also adding to the seasonâs excitement, Poyet insists that if Sunderland survive then the campaign will have been a success. He added; âI need to talk about my time. I cannot talk about before my time because it was probably a different club. From when Iâve been brought into the club, yes it has been a success. âIâm realistic and I look at the fact I got enough points to take us mid-table. Normally if you make the same points that we made you would be safe but we needed to make a lot more. âMaybe another point will get us there but it shows how competitive the league is. When you think youâre safe youâre not and if you only need a point you might not make it. âIt happens to so many teams and I was talking to people a few weeks ago and they were convinced the team that had more options would stay up and that was Fulham. Football is like that. You can look at things on paper but then it would be easy. Everyone would bet on it and win! Nobody wins! âI hope we can win on Wednesday and go on and finish it. I would take any situation that would see us safe but weâve got a big opportunity. I donât want to go ahead to the weekend because that could be really tense for sure.â Poyet will need a big transfer budget in the summer to bolster a squad that will lose five on-loan players and has eight stars out of contract. Attempts to keep Jack Colback and Phil Bardsley broke down when contracts could not be agreed, and he is likely to want to bolster all departments of his side. This comes as owner Short was hoping to cut losses and make the club break even, a feat that is close to being achieved if they stay up. Poyet is also looking at the clubâs ability to produce itâs own players, with the track record not good apart from Jordan Henderson and Colback in recent years. That is all for the future and Poyet has demanded the highest of professional standards for the visist of West Brom. He said: âYou need to maintain a line between being optimistic and realistic. I think weâve got some standards. These are things we do because we believe in them - at the start of training or in the way we train. âI call it business. It is not jolly up or laughing. I believe in how you train, you play. We trained very well last week and there was something going on where I thought âI like thisâ. And then you go to Old Trafford and you win the game.â
What the **** is that all about? Why would someone put a release clause into someone's conmtract for doing their job well? (and, more to the point, how the **** do the papers know about it?) We have to keep hold of him for as long as we can until the big boys come knocking (unless a rich uncle buys the club and makes us one of the big boys!) Wonder who writes this ****e - are they simply looking for a way to rock the boat because Sunderland have turned it around? If Short et al do not agree then I reckon the crown will quickly turn on the board as Gus has support from almost everywhere (except Baz)
Cheers WMS - What I can;t work out is whya club would put a clause in allowing a manager to leave if he keeps them up (when they are bottom when he joins) - surely if you're going to put a clause in of that nature, you do a "If we go down you leave with no payoff" clause!
Let's change the title to something more realistic. "Sunderland's Gus Poyet set to demand big changes in end-of-season talks!" 'Sunderland's manager is set to talk with his chairman & board to outline his plans for the future' .... just like every manager does at every club. These journalists always use the same tired old clichés don't they He makes “everything on the table” sound like an ultimatum. How should a board meeting be conducted then Simon ....... some things on the table but other things not open for discussion? They talk more bollocks than me at times and that takes some doing.
No logic to that article whatsoever. Furthermore, out of just about every Prem manager Gus is the least forthcoming on plans.
It's Simon Bird. It's the Mirror = full of ****e. Why on earth would Poyet or the club tell him the details of his contract?
Probably his agent making sure the club recognise the strength of his position before contract talks resume, and putting Gus back in the shop window should negotiations wobble.
What I heard, when Gus first signed, is that Gus has a bonus clause that gives him 1 million if he manages to keep us up.
Looking at the table in the OP - if we win tonight, will they extend by a place so it still shows Sunderland scrapping against relegation?!
I think that's more than fair, I would imagine that with Gus's position at the time Short got him to jump at the chance for next to nothing on basic wages compared to most in the Premier league.
SiE nailed it with the correct headline. Gus appears to be universally popular with the media so why the f*ck do they rip us apart? W*nkers.
