Who would you retain? Who would you want to buy? Who would you want to sell? Just to have a championship squad ready to push on?
I’m sure I’ll get some pellets here mate but I think the entire defence would need to be changed, and we’d need what we always have, a CM that carries the ball and sees a through ball. I’d be confortable with the vast majority of the squad being competitive, I really would. The CB’s we have, for me, for all their heart and effort, they’d be in big trouble against more creative and more mobile forwards.
I'd keep our defence on the whole but I'd also buy new ones especially at CB and let them fight it out. Ozturk and Loovens can go but Flanagan and Baldwin would make decent backup. I'd get rid of Wyke and sign another good forward because we're really light there and Wyke is very poor even for league one. I don't think we'll be looking to spend a lot so it'll be a case of offloading our worse players and making slight improvements to the squad all over the pitch.
Yeah I could go with Flanagan and Baldwin for back up. I know a lot love them but I don’t see it, we are too easily got at through the centre and for me it’s immobility Of the CB’s. They are far from bad players, don’t get me wrong, but decent championship midfielders and forwards would savage them.
Yeah in the championship you'll need your CBs to be either big and strong, or quick, or intelligent and good on the ball and for all their efforts Baldwin and Flanagan don't tick any of those boxes really. James and Hume I like, Oviedo needs to go. Matthews I'd have as backup and sign someone aggressive with pace.
Pretty much agreed. We’d likely need another forward as well, although from what I’ve seen I honestly think Grigg could play Championship in the right team.
I think Grigg would be good enough for the championship he looks a quality player to me. His goal against Bristol was a good example, both teams fumbling around and struggling to get anything going, one ball into Grigg's feet and bang it's in the bottom corner. It stunned them and changed the feel of the game in an instant. We will need someone else similar to him but I see him as good enough for a league above. Hell I think he'd do alright in the premier league a finisher is a finisher. Not saying he'd be a golden boot contender but he'd be useful.
I've been thinking about this all season. I've been waiting for a "When we go up thread." We need more size and pace all over the pitch, but most of our players are under contract through next season. Seems like 5 in the back would be the most cost effective way to gain a foothold in the championship.
O’Nien I think would do well in the championship. He’s got the energy to get around the park, likes a tackle, carries a ball well. Power showed fantastic vision with his pass for Grigg last night but not sure he’d make it in the championship. Neither were Wigan obviously. Keeper would be ok. Grigg too. Cattermole will be gone unless he signs a more realistic contract (I’d certainly keep him if so but not on his current wage) James is ok as a defender but, imo, not great going forward. Hume I like a lot as long as his injury doesn’t knock him back. McGeady, on his day, is still good enough to play in the prem! So I’d keep him too if the money was right
Can't really get a handle on the size of the gap between League 1 and the Championship. In 2017/18 Sunderland did not defeat any of the teams newly promoted from League 1, but right now, 4 of the 6 teams in the EFL relegation zone were promoted from league 1 in the last two years.
I'd say league one to the Championship, is a bigger leap than the Championship to the Premier league. The standard down here is truly awful. I'd love to see us with a Kirchoff type player. We need a big lad in there to control the games.
I was hoping to see this year JR building a team around a nucleolus of our academy players with Maxy, Hume, Mumba, Embleton, Robson, and Maja given game time, and added to Honeyman and Gooch, given us a home grown team, it may have taken us two years to get us out of this league but we would, with added maturity, have a side capable of establishing a push to the Premiership which has to be the long term aim for the club. However the way things are going we are ahead of shedule. It remains to be seen how things will pan out if we do go straight back up which at the moment looks extremely likely and I have enough faith in our new owners and Jack Ross in particular, to think that they know best. . OaU
Agree very much with that mate, I can see O’Nien sticking around all the way, he had an adjustment when he got here then found his feet, small one again for step up, I can see the lad taking it all in his stride as he’s determined and relaxed. What a find he’s been. Also with Hefty in that 5 at the back is the way to go, I think JR likes that anyway, stabilise the defence. Grigg will score, when he’s hit the Championship always been in a struggling team, dare I say it, and make Montys day, we should maybe be thinking about someone like Gayle if we can get him to cross the divide. I’m clear about McGeady i’d Always take a chance and keep as his ability is something else, you wonder where he could have got when he fancies a game he’s head and shoulders above this league and most of the next. It’s far from the total rebuild we all I totially thought we might need for a Chanpionship return, as we’ve retained some quality and signed players better than we thought we could. I wonder, who’s everyone’s buy of the season? Someone do an article and poll, cos we’ve done great in that area.
Mcglough, McGeady, Flannagan, O Nein, Maguire, Honeyman, Gooch, Mumba, Kimpioka, Power, leadbitter, Grigg. sell Wyke, Oviedo one or two others, bring in 2 defenders one 6'5", 2 midfielders like McGeady and a striker.
Sadly a little pie in the sky the hope on academy. Newcastle's academy players just got comfortably beaten by Morpeth in some weird cup. Never looked at the races. And while I am sure our academy is much better than theirs (completely proven in our recent game against them where our 17 year old ran the midfield and our 18 year old had their defence terrified), I just can;t see that pushing for a return to the premier league (and I'm eternally optimistic about SAFC as you all know!!) We needed proven players at this level and got them. There's a few who would be able to make the step up, as has been said quite a few, but we still will have work to do in the summer.
