I’m rewatching STID and on the episode where Chris Coleman was appointed along with Kit Symons. I know he was the one in charge when we were relegated but I honestly think that had he been kept on he could’ve done a better job than others. He was hamstrung by Short who, at the most crucial time, decided that he didn’t want to play. Am I wrong?
He came across as a nice fella Coleman. He has no idea how to set up and motivate a team sadly, the squad he had was more than good enough to stay up, we can’t blame Short for that. Still better than Parky.
Thought it was a coup to get him when we did with where we were and what he had just achieved with wales. Came across well and had as tough a job as you could possibly of had but didn’t look like he had a single idea on how to save us. Mcgeady didn’t sound very impressed with him either. Had to go, we needed a full reset. Shame it was donald overseeing it.
I think he knew what needed to be done, but didn’t have the tools to do it with. I just look at the appointments made by Donald and Methven. As I understand it, Coleman was sacked by them not Short. On a broader level it’s night and day the difference between the Sunderland AFC of 2017 and Sunderland AFC of 2025 in terms of how the club is being run.
I think he had the players to finish 4th bottom of that league at the time, with the time he had. But let’s be honest it was a brutal environment. I actually didn’t mind the Ross appointment, thought it was different, someone without baggage and on an upward curve at the time. Understatement about the club now and then. Was conference level structure vs premier league structure. Even 1 year into KLDs tenure was miles and miles ahead of what the asset strippers were doing.
He made a mistake in lunging at our job. It was the original poisoned chalice. If he was going to make it, he'd have made it by now, but he'd have been better of waiting for a different job. He once said that he never once got to speak with Ellis Short!
One of the worst managerial appointments in SAFCs history. Talked a good game, but that was it. Should never have got the job IMO. Bart
He's a top bloke Unfortunate timing, I wish it had worked out for him here. I liked how he came across. This.
Honestly, I think it could have worked if he'd been backed, but he wasn't and I doubt anyone would have done much better given how things were then. We were beyond a disaster, losing £20 million a year, about £150 million in debt and only getting worse. An owner who'd given up and wanted out, rumours swirling round we were heading into administration, some players barely paying lip service to us while they tried to get away because they thought they were better than where we were, anyone worth anything sold, anyone on a big wage moved on, all to cut costs. Being left with players well past their best, like O'Shea, because we couldn't replace them and having to scratch around taking in cast offs and untried kids from other clubs to put a squad together. We spent something like £1.5 million on fees and loan fees that season, less than half we spent on Grigg the following January. Everything surrounding the club made it feel as though we were dying as a club. With all that going on, and more, it would be no surprise if it had a massive negative effect on the team. I remember reading an interview with Cattermole when he said that in the pre season of 2018-19 he really feared for us and that we could have gone straight through again because we barely had any players outside the youth teams, we were in such a mess. Honestly, it's hard to think just how bad things were then, on paper we shouldn't have been relegated, but the reality was clear after the opening few weeks it was going to be close. I still say that we'd have survived if we'd had a better keeper or we were able to keep Grabban (12 goals in 19 games before being recalled but never replaced because we had no money). But without both or either, it was always a struggle and the fine margins went against us.
