An emotional George Honeyman has said that he is desperate to help turn around the club's fortunes.The 23-year-old midfielder has broken into the first team picture this season and played more league minutes than any other player. He is also the joint top scorer alongside winger Aiden McGeady. Brought through the club's ranks from an early age, Honeyman has slammed those who have used Sunderland as a 'gravy train' in recent years and says that must change. He told safc.com: "To play my first full season and be relegated from the Championship, that’s something that will always live with me. Obviously we have to learn lessons from what has happened but to be honest it feels too late for that. "I didn’t see it during the game but the banner, worst team in the history of the club, that’s something which will stay with me for the rest of my life. "I’m just desperate to do well. I’ve seen it here in the good times and I’m desperate to be part of it, to be here when there’s 40,000 cheering and kicking every ball for you, and you’re giving them something back. To be part of a club really on the up. "That’s not happening at the minute and we’ve got to do whatever we can. We need a good work ethic and discipline in the place, people who want to be here. "That goes right through the club, for too many it has been a gravy train, nice stadium, great facilities, they think it’ll be a nice, easy place to play. People need to understand that it isn’t easy, you can’t just come here and win games because it’s Sunderland. That needs to change." Honeyman has just one year left on his current contract and his performances have attracted interest, including from Sheffield Wednesday. Chris Coleman is desperate to keep the youngster and has already publicly said that an extension could be on the cards this summer. He has also described Honeyman as having the best mentality he has ever seen in professional football. Honeyman added that he feels the current squad should have been good enough to stay up this season and that the Stadium of Light one of the best places to play football. He said: "I think that the squad was more than good enough to stay up, that’s just my opinion when I compare us to other teams that we have played against. There’s so much gone wrong this year, there’s no hiding place for where we are, we’re bottom of the Championship and that’s just the brutal fact of where we are. "If you’re playing well and putting it in then there’s no better set of fans. If you’re not playing well, and we’re clearly not, we’re bottom of the Championship, yeah it’s tough but if you can’t handle it you shouldn’t be here. "The support against Burton was as good as I’ve heard the Stadium and we weren’t even playing that well. If that doesn’t inspire or motivate you then nothing will."
I wonder how he reacts when he bumps into rodwell - must struggle to engage with him He speaks well, but the fact that he has 1 year left is concerning
This lad reminds me of Jordan Henderson and is the future of our club. We must hang on to him and the other younger players if things are to change for the better next season.
"People need to understand that it isn’t easy, you can’t just come here and win games because it’s Sunderland. That needs to change" Well I think that that has already changed to be fair. I'm not sure how good he really is as a player, but at the moment I'd say easily good enough to be in a decent Championship side. His mentality does seem to be a big plus and he's got a bit to develop his game, but he's 24 this summer so we're not talking Maja/Asoro ages here. I would think that he, along with the likes of McNair and Gooch, was good enough to get Sunderland fighting at the top end of the table next year, but the mentality is going to be the key. Going from being a club which loses far more than it wins to one which is expected to win far more than it loses is fine on paper. Great interview, good lad, not Jordan Henderson calibre though, Dorset, but easily good enough to help to drag you back up the leagues.
Has he reckoned with one Mr Short? If Short decides to sell him will he say "am sorry sir but am staying put"?
I'm not convinced Short particularly decides to sell players, he simply places financial restrictions on others. It is up to Bain and Coleman to prioritise keeping certain players - if finances allow.
Precisely what I meant, and because of those very financial restrictions, I can't see a decent offer being refused.
The way that Byrne and Congerton allowed that contract to be put together it would come as no surprise if we end up paying double in such an event
Not Henderson calibre? Hmm, Henderson blew hot & cold when he was with us at the beginning before he established himself enough to be wanted by Liverpool. Difficult to judge now to be honest. Who knows what honeyman would be like if surrounded by a decent team.
Words are cheap for these footballers. I've said on another thread that if clubs come calling and Agents get into his head then it will be a big test of his commitment to us. Will he stay, I hope so as others have said we need to build around the likes of him, Gooch, Asoro .etc.Will Coleman has given him his big chance and he should repay his managers faith by staying put, time will tell.
I might be going against the grain here but I actually don't rate him that highly. He has good energy and grafts hard but in my opinion he's not great on the ball, struggles to beat players and is very lightweight and not entirely sure what his best position is. He's stood out in a god awful team. That said we need players with his attitude in and around the team if we're to move forward so I'd be wanting to keep him.
Too lightweight for his best position. Unless he suddenly becomes capable of adding muscle density he'll never fulfill his potential. All the other weakness could iron out. Just ower skinny
