With the forthcoming appointment of MON, you guys are understandably optimistic about your club's future. Especially as he seems to be the manager that the majority of fans wanted. The atmosphere of depression and the resolution that you were going to struggle this season has been replaced with one of chest-beating confidence and optimism. In MON, Sunderland have signed a manager with a very good Premiership record (I won't mention Celtic as every manager of Celtic and Rangers has a 50/50 chance of winning a trophy). He inherits a fairly decent squad, certainly better than your current league position suggests, but he will have certainly made sure that he has a decent transfer budget before he signed on the dotted line. So what are your expectations for both this season and next? Is it all about avoiding relegation this year or do you expect a top 10 finish? My opinion is that he will buy a top striker in January and sort out your left side and guide you to a mid table finish. People have said about closing the gap on us, and I think that you will, but this is also because we are bound to have a sticky patch, but I would still expect us to finish in the top 10 and Alan Pardew has taken us several steps forward this year. I think that MON will guide you to top half finishes during the following seasons, but what do you expect from MON?
It wasnt the winning of trophies that was impressive at celtic, it was the 79% Win ratio.... Short term: Shoring up of our season, and steady progress to a top ten place. I dont expect us to go on to win the next 10 games in a row, and might even lose the first few ones as MON settles in himself and settles the team down. Long term (next couple of seasons): Top ten and challenging for Europe
Personally, progress (continual progress at that), not neccessarily huge leaps but progress nonetheless. Not sure what others will think. I would be more concerned about your expectations given your impressive start.
We cannot forget than however good a manager MON this is not his squad/team and it's a pretty poor one at that. If he can bring 3 or 4players in the I think we can start to slowly move up the table and end the season mid table. The proper work will start in the summer when MON makes the squad his then I am sure from then we will see progress each season
For me anything 13th upwards with a little bit of resilience built into the team would represent success.
Poor squad? Sorry, but I disagree with that! It is a good squad with a couple of weak areas. Our main problem was Bruce's inability to adapt our game plan to counter the opposition tactics. This season bad start cannot be blamed on our squad.
I don't know where you get this "chest-beating confidence" from Simon? The facts are that the last few months have been pretty hard being a Sunderland fan, and in the end, poor results cost Bruce his job. Of course fans are going to be more optimistic with a new manager of the calibre of MON coming in, but the vast majority of Sunderland fans are a realistic bunch and will certainly not be beating their chests until results are on the table...
We are happy simon but after the past few months I think its more a outpouring of relief more than chest beating. Poolie mate we have a decent squad, solid defence and we make chances, main problem is taking them. I expect 2 signings at most in January, main activity will be in the summer, and top ten would do me.
It was meant as a compliment. From reading the other threads it is obvious that everyone is very positve and "fired up", especially for the first home game against Blackburn. Fans' depression has been replaced with excitement and optimism, so I was not having a pop. This is the trouble with the written word, it can often be read in a different way to how it was meant.
No problem Simon: I gathered that your comments were not meant as a wind-up, but I thought I needed to comment on the "chest-beating confidence" remark which I didn't agree with..
Have to agree with dan here Poolie - the squad as a whole is not a bad one - needs a little strengthening but not massive overhaul - people like Larsson, Sessegnon, the Defence and Keeper are all quality players. We need a left winger desperately (I'd personally play Sess through the middle) - MON has always had a "Cattermole" type player and I think he'll stick with him (which may upset some - but not me) we'll see - I'm slowly being pulled around about MON - Not my first choice but there are a lot of good arguments in his favour on here - although there's always a niggling worry that he may spit his dummy like he did at Villa... Time will tell. All I want is what's best for Sunderland AFC - OUR CLUB. I wonder what will happen with our side and who he will keep and who will be let go?? Keepers I think are OK Defence - for the most part is OK - O'Shea needs to raise his game a bit - think Bramble may be shown the door though Midfield - I have no idea - Bruce signed players like Vaughan and Gardner but hardly ever played them (and the 2 games we've won this season were both games that Vaughan started??) Attack - this is his biggest task IMO - he needs to get the best out of what we've got and improve by signing someone big... There are a few players with Sunderland who joined because of Bruce - one of the biggest is Seb Larsson - just hope he doesn't decide he wants to go just because Bruce has gone
Short term we need to stay up and have a real good go at The FA cup, IMO a good cup run would lift our spirits and give the fans something to cheer about, in turn this will improve our league form. The next 3 seasons needs a real push for regular top half finishes and an outside chance of getting into Europe.
