Injuries. Everyone gets them, so we shouldn't moan. Or should we, when you look at some of these stats. Should we be demanding European football? Have we progressed? We've tried to counter some of the kneejerking going on around the club at the moment... http://www.rokerreport.com/2011/5/15/2171075/ifs-buts-some-statistics-or-were-making-excuses
This is the same argument i had with my mate if we had a fully fit squad i have no doubt that we would have finished about 10th and also would have overtaken our points tally last season. The injuries have crippled us whether that is the training or just bad luck i don't know. So that is still progress even if a little. I have been a Sunderland fan for 45 years and yes im bloody frustrated but we are not going to hit the top 4 but we can achieve 10th and above. We need the right quality in and players who can scrap it out. I would prefer our ownership to the likes of Blackburn who sacked their manager for no reason West Hams Gold and Sullivan who have belittled the fans and the players.
There's clear signs of progress, despite the injuries etc which have decimated us. Has this season gone to plan? Not really, but is it as bad as people are making out? Not at all for me.
I think some of you have missed the point though. I agree there have been some horrendous injuries but the one single calamity that has stopped the club from making great In roads into the top half of the campaign was the lamentable decision to allow Bent, one of the best pound for pound goal scorers in Europe, to leave the club on a whim and not even attempt to replace him. Even with the injuries, does no one else believe we would have still had a decent 2nd half of the season and put together another 10 or 12 points at least with the goal machine in our ranks? It was Bruce's call and he made the decision - ably aided and abetted by Quinny it should be said - and that has led to us missing the boat this campaign. Bruce has to answer for that alone. The league was weaker than at any time in 20 years and we could have made the break through that may well have changed this club for the next 20 or 30 years. By qualifying for Europa league and with 35 points, 9 ahead of the the nearest challenger and still half a season to go, we were in pole position to actually do just that, we shot ourselves in the foot as usual and both manager and chairman should be pilloried for that. Liverpool are reborn with King Kenny and will be back to their best next term and Spurs , Man City will develop again. Everton, who have had injury problems will come strong and so will Villa (under new management) and with one of the nations top strikers at the helm. Newcastle may well have ã35m to invest and will be stronger next term and so will Stoke (with European football top look forward to) attract better players than us. Bolton will come again and so on and so on. We missed the boat in spectacular fashion and I blame mainly the fat controller for not having the intelligence or bottle to take up the challenge this year. **** the fact we have been hapless for 40 years, why should that always be the case. I'm sick and tired of hearing "we're not Man Utd or Chelsea and should be grateful just to be here" argument. I've waited 4 decades to see someone change the failures into successes and we had that opportunity this year IMO. We had money, stability and 40,000 crowds these last 2 years and yet we have avoided relegation by the skin of a gnats cock 2 years running. Its not good enough to just accept it and say 'never mind'. When will the fans of this club wake up and start to demand some return for our loyalty and efforts? We keep coming back and taking it up the arse year after year but we don't seem to get anything of substance in return from the club, other than being made fools of that is of course. Bruce isn't the answer and maybe neither is Quinny as chairman. Maybe if we are to really take the bull by the horns we need top quality professionals at the very top as well as on the field of play.
It's a decent point to put across RR, but it is still making excuses. I'm of the opinion Bruce deserves this window to get the numbers and balance in the squad right, if he doesn't he should walk, never mind get the chop. Injuries have unquestionably contributed, but so indeed did Bruce decision to not get cover in for key positions at key times.
The Bent saga, as far as i know he wanted out in the summer they persuaded him to stay, he wasnt happy, he wasnt playing that well before xmas, he was in a Birmingham hotel when the club 1st got a bid (by the sounds of it) so why keep a player that didnt want to be here, even if it was a 25 goal a season player, and 25 goals a season players are hard to replace, especially in the January transfer window. << this may be complete bullshit but its what the club and Quinn told the fans at the time. Everyone is spending a shed load of cash Stoke have spent 70 million in 3 years Bolton 70 million in 5 years Spurs 424 million in 7 years (even i didnt expect that sum lol) Fulham 98 million in 5 years Everton 117 million in 7 years Liverpool 370 miilion in 7 years Newcastle 186 million in 7 years (only this and last year you didnt spend much 17 million the past 2 years) Sunderland 152 million in 5 years (85 of that was Keanes) and that doesnt even include the top 4 from this season, its getting harder and harder to compete in this league, the injuries have been the killer this season.
Bruce was the driving factor behind Bent going and it was all to do with him and his personal vendetta over Bent shagging his daughter. Bruce wasnt interested in the well being of SAFC just getting rid of Bent and made his life unbearable. Why else do you really think a player who almost orgasmed over being at the club one minute felt compelled to get away asap the next. Players come and go, we all accept that but Bruce ****ed this up and then didnt think he needed to replace him. The arrogant fat geordie bastard should be sacked for that alone. He has cost us a club changing season by taking away our defining edge for the 16 games since DB left in January. With him, we could well have finished top 6 or 7. Without him we narrowly avoided relegation and had one of the worst home seasons for a decade. Anyone who thinks Bruce is the answer to our problems is avoiding the facts. He is the reason we are struggling now. Its taken me 2 years to realise it but its hard fact. He has to go simple as.
