mon's made several enquiries..

MARTIN O’Neill today confirmed he has made several enquiries for Sunderland’s transfer targets and hopes to progress those talks now the Black Cats are back in pre-season training.

Sunderland will have just one fresh face in the party that heads to South Korea on Monday for the Peace Cup, with Bosman signing Carlos Cuellar O’Neill’s sole acquisition so far this summer.

But O’Neill remains firmly in the hunt for further recruits and has approached “one or two” other clubs over the availability of their players.

Although O’Neill declined to identify those transfer targets, the Sunderland boss is keen to step up the pursuit for the players at the top of his wish list.

O’Neill, pictured, told the Gazette: “I have made one or two enquiries, but I have not progressed anything greatly at this moment. That’s the best way of saying it.

“It’s early, we’ve just been back a day or two and I’ve got a couple of things floating around in my mind.

“I haven’t done anything definite. I’ve made the enquiries and said to people, keep us informed.

“But now I will start to develop things a bit more.

“I am hoping the players that I’m interested in will be attracting the interest of other teams as well. If there’s nobody interested in them, then you worry!

“There’s players who I would certainly be prioritising and those are the ones I would genuinely like to get if at all possible.

“But I haven’t narrowed it down to an extent when I’m not thinking of other options.”

O’Neill has a reputation for leaving things late in the transfer window and waited until deadline day in January before bringing in loan signings Wayne Bridge and Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

But he is eager for the basis of Sunderland’s squad to be in place before the Premier League curtain-raiser at Arsenal five weeks today, and will continue his pursuit of players while the Wearsiders are in Korea.

“We’re going away to Korea and in this day and age you can still do loads of things by email or by phone,” said O’Neill.

“I know there’s a transfer window at the end of August and at Aston Villa I brought in two centre-halves – James Collins and Richard Dunne – a couple of days before the deadline. But we’d been dealing with those for a while.

“Ideally, it would be great to have everyone in place before we kicked off the season.”

O’Neill added that he expects the sluggish transfer market to liven up, with clubs back in pre-season training and the summer’s European Championships at an end.

“It hasn’t surprised me that it’s been quiet,” he said.

“People have been tuned in to watching the European Championships and therefore managers who might have one or two thoughts in their head would probably wait until they’re over and get back to pre-season.

“Most of us are still thinking the same.

“But obviously I’d like to improve the quality of the squad.”

http://http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-boss-steps-up-targets-chase-1-4740421




at least now we all know he is on the case

 

Great

 

Unfortunately for some, this just isn't good enough and apparently we should have already signed all the players we want and they should all have been world-class ones as well; signed for under £20m and on wages under £40k per week.


I mean, just what the hell is this bloody O'Neill fella thinking about? Its a full 2 weeks now into a 9 week transfer window and we still haven't got a world class team yet. Whats he playing at the bloody fool. Does he actually know what he is doing? I mean, he hasn't even given the press some better names for us to be linked with, even if we don't want them and we haven't made any offers to some average Joe's that are demanding £100k per week plus? Isn't he aware that we are used to getting in at least 7 or 8 players a transfer window under previous incumbents? This taking it steady and putting some thought and planning into the transfer window just wont do you know. He should be leaping in all over the place surely at every opportunity chucking bids in here, there and everywhere. The useless bastard eh? Maybe we should sack him now and save us all the bother and appoint someone else we can slag off in September?

I'm so disillusioned and underwhelmed with MoN, although I support him fully of course, as I thought by now we would have won the league or something but no, after 8 months in charge we are just a Premier league side. Not good enough for me. If we were linked with better players it might be better but all we are linked with are players like Johnson, Hoilett, Fletcher, McGeady, Agbonlahor and 3 or 4 foreign lads who play for top European clubs - hang on a minute?

 

You need a chill pill Cest, it would be silly to sack MON now, give him a chance.

 

Cest may be on to somthing

 

I think patience is the order of the day. Its going to be a long summer but I trust O'Neill to bring in players that will improve us

 

so do I but patience can be hard.

 

Really

 

I'm no happy clapper, sack the **** wit now.........................................

Only joking, cut and paste for use 3 years on, subject to a dismal start to the season!!

 

See it all sounds a bit silly doesnt it after only 2 weeks of a 9 week window and 6 months of football?

 

I think we badly need kick off day and normality.

 

I think we badly need to trust our manager that he is well in control of the situation, is able to do his job and doesnt think chucking bids in all over the gaff at any old player is the way forward.

If on September the 1st we are still in the same position as today I will be the first to pose searching and critical questions but not on the 15th of July I wont. That would be insane.

 

Cest you obviously have no idea about me, how I think and what I say so you carry on mate, I will do my thing with or without your permission.

 

When did I ever say you needed my permission? You post critical posts about our manager and I respond, just as you did with me over Bruce.

But you dont like it when others pick you up do you Syd. You are quick to give it out but dont like it back do you? I've certainly noticed that about you?

 

good for you

 

Syd Cest calm down or I will ban you both

 

The thing for me is that while I dont want us to jump in first and buy for the sake of it, I dont want to be looking at the last chicken in the shop and thinking its all we can get now. Why does it take SAFC weeks to sign someone and other clubs days?

Off on a strange tangent, if I was a superhero I'd be the Green Lantern. Better then Superman because I could create green kryptonite with my ring and kill him.

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