Mate, never use a hitc article to prove a point, they pick and choose to form their agenda. Go on twitter, the lad has loads of support as well as loads who are saying no to him. They could right the same article leaning the opposite direction Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
@JamesCopley73 Regarding Grant Leadbitter: medical and possible signing announcement today. Middlesbrough are apparently paying the player out of the majority of his current deal (over £1 million), thus allowing him to take a pay cut to join Sunderland. #SAFC I wonder if he'd have still come if Boro refused to pay him .
Something we will never know mate I know I wouldn't but I feel he could do ok and maybe be good in the dressing room.
Skeptical Boro would even do that. They gain nothing from it other than lose a great influence for virtually the same amount of cash. The savings would be next to nowt. Find a settlement believable but not paying his contract up minus his new peanuts wage for 18 month. If it looks like bullshit, smells like bullshit. It's usually bullshit. Unless I'm completely wrong and Boro are now a charity to Sunderland which find very hard to believe. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
Way I see it love and passion can only be a good thing in the dressing room. Right kind of influence to have around the club. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
This season he'll walk into the team. But I'll repeat my reservations on how much game time he'd get in the championship. I mean the gulf between the two leagues is massive. But then, come next season you'd expect him to be stepping aside to mentor the younguns. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
I haven't seen him much at all in recent years, how good is he would you say? Better than Power and O'Nien or just a different option?
Well I know he impressed against Peterborough and a load of championship clubs think he can still do a job. Honestly I think O'Nien will become an asset. Not impressed with power. But I know grant offers something we're not getting and that's attacking drive down the middle. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
I think O'Nien will be a very useful player, I see Power as an upgrade on Cattermole but although I like him he is replaceable and maybe Leadbitter is better I'll have to see him in action. If anything I'm concerned that he's decent going forward but not that strong in the tackle and we need both because our defence can only deal with so much.
Grant will better the team no doubt, he could come off if we are winning and replaced by Catts when we need to slow/hold the game.
Going from when I've known him play he's always been better defensively than cattermole anyway tracking back in pace with oppanants rather than static flat footed, conceeding fouls like catts. But he's more a box to box and will have to get his fitness up sharpish if he comes. I don't think we need a DM in this league if we're going to take the game to teams. Cats sitting, McGeouch fanning about sideways and whatever power actually does since his last red are all wasted places imo. They're all doing sweet fa. Two of them together has left us flat as a fart in the middle all season. Switching it to flanks and working the wings is predictable and it's boring me to death. It's easy to defend against with no central threat too. We want to play from the back but two CMS sitting doing little is making us too deep and inviting. We can still play out from the back and raise that defencive line. We do that with a three prong attack so teams can't commit players forward. Get a tank in like Moore or Marquis in and we're laughing when forcing teams deep. Which we should be doing. Mumba looks like he's going to be a decent box to box. He'll learn loads from Grant. Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk
Jordan Mutch about to move to South Korea for **** sake. That would have been a signing. Biro paying Grant off is far from unbelievable. Think of FFP, ‘percentage of turnover’, paying him off is a ‘bonus’ not classed as salary. I’d suggest with Boro they are close to the FFP line and writing a million quid off there wage bill v turnover will be a big deal. There’s always a bigger picture.
McGeady is another player I'm not convinced about. Moments of brillance but mainly doesn't really do anything. Once he gets frustrated he gives up. Just comparing to maguire who still works his arse off even if he's having an off day. I'd prefer to see oviedo on the left wing in front of reece. But I'm not the manager, so maybe I'm not seeing the full picture Would like to see combination of Leadbitter/catts, honeyman, Robson/o9 in the centre of the park personally
I'd echo McGeady, he's hardly set this league on fire , had he I think we'd be receiving offers from the Championship.