N'Diaye been watched since August

ALFRED N’Diaye admits the wait to make his “dream” Premier League debut has been a long one after being well aware of Martin O’Neill’s summer scouting trip.


New signing N’Diaye was handed a brief Sunderland bow in the closing stages of Saturday’s impressive 3-0 win over West Ham after completing his £3.8m move from Turkish outfit Bursaspor last week.

Sunderland boss O’Neill first watched N’Diaye during a Europa League qualifier in August, but Bursaspor were unwilling to part with the France Under-21 midfielder during the summer.

But with Sunderland maintaining their interest and reaching an agreement in the following transfer window, the 22-year-old has now fulfilled his aspirations of testing himself in the Premier League.

N’Diaye told SportMail: “I found out about Sunderland’s interest at the end of August.

“But my club Bursaspor didn’t want to sell me.

“Sunderland watched me for five months in Turkey, and I’m glad that eventually it’s happened.

“It’s been a dream of mine to play in England.

“My premier objective has to been to play in the Premier League.

“When it became possible to come here, I immediately wanted it to happen quickly.”

There is no hint of sourness over N’Diaye’s stay in Turkey though.

The Parisian believes he improved during his 18-month stint with Bursaspor, and added goals to his game after breaking through the ranks at French outfit Nancy.

“I think I’ve made a lot of progress since I moved to Turkey,” he said.

“Before I went there, I played 61 times for Nancy and never scored.

“But I’ve made progress to my game, and learned how to make a more important contribution to the team. And it’s been seen because I scored three goals in 37 appearances while I was there.

“Now I hope to score more goals here.”

N’Diaye almost found the net with his first touch in a Sunderland shirt after curling a shot just wide from Connor Wickham’s lay-off, just seconds after being coming off the bench.

But it was an encouraging start from the midfielder, and although he is ineligible for tomorrow’s FA Cup third round replay against Bolton, he hopes to play a part in Saturday’s trip to fourth bottom Wigan.

N’Diaye added: “I can’t play on Tuesday, but hopefully I can play more next weekend. That’s up to the manager though!

“I nearly scored, it was a shame, but maybe next time.

“It was a good start for me, we played a good match. We’ve got to be very happy with a 3-0 scoreline, and we could even have scored a few more.

“We never let West Ham play. Everyone worked hard and played their part and it was a great to run out 3-0 winners.”

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This says a lot about the lads personality and professionalism, as by all accounts he has been terrific this season even though he obviously knew he was coming here.

 

Makes all those giving MoN pelters a few weeks ago for not being active look a bit daft now doesn't it?

As I have said all along, give this man time and he will build us a team that others will genuinely fear and we will be grateful to follow.

 

I don't think it makes anyone look daft. MON is not above criticism and things were going down the ****ter rapidly a few short weeks back. People were perfectly within their rights to question him.

 

You see, saying things like things were going down the ****ter a few weeks ago (after 12 games ffs) doesn't help your cause.

That's a very daft comment right there.

No-one ME ESPECIALLY has ever said he is above criticism but when a manager of this calibre, operating with another mans team, has been here less than 12 months and gets pelters from some fans, I think that's about a daft as it comes.

 

To me, being in the relegation zone, having just lost to villa at home and crashed out the cup to boro at home, having won 2 games in the last 25 or so, both of which were against 10 men, is classed as "going down the ****ter". Are you saying that's all fine and dandy in your opinion?

 

Not at all but then this was after 12 or so games and after he had been at the club less than 10 months man. TEN MONTHS!!!!!

I find it staggering that there were calls for him to go after less than a bloody year and this after having to juggle the same players that had cost the previous manager his job. Were you equally pissed off when we got to an FA Cup Quarter final a few months prior? Were you calling for his head after we went on a superb run scoring some of the most spectacular goals seen at the SOL in years? Or did you just decide to lose you patience after a dozen games of his 10th month here? Fickle as **** doesn't even cover that kind of thinking.

See how extremely foolish and stupid that sounds? I was being polite saying daft but if you want I could be a whole lot more honest with you?

Sid its like comparing Tesco Cava to Dom Perignon? Different class altogether

 

It wasn't just the first 12 games of this season though was it. It was the last dozen or so games of the last season as well. We had a horror run of 25 games. No one can be slating for doubting him for that.

Having said that I'm delighted he didn't leave.

 

First job was to keep us up. Job done

Second job was to rebuild. Summer job done and now January job almost done


In between we have seen a period of some spectacular goals and great wins and some less than convincing performances and poor results. Is that really so surprising considering he is still juggling Bruces flops to get a team out?

By the end of January we will see 6 or 7 new faces in since the summer rebuilding started and the performance and results will come with that imo. By the end of this season he will have been in the job 1.5 years.

Another summer and by this time next year we will be able to really judge the improvements he has made and critique his achievements then. Anything in between, unless we were bottom 3 and down and out is irrelevant.

Judge the man after 2 to 3 years not 10 months that's all I have been saying all along. Its not an extravagant ask really mate is it?

 

You misunderstand, I have never called for his head. All I am saying is, I can understand why some were questioning his suitability, and I don't agree with slating fellow Sunderland fans just because they have a different opinion... It's what the games all about at the end of the day!

 

Mate if that 25 game run happens at the end of this season and the start of next he will be under even more pressure. I never wanted him gone but I can completely understand why people did. It was a truly horrendous run. Hopefully with the new additions and key players finding form it's not something we'll have to worry about any time soon.

 

I was worried for Mon at one point and my faith in him was decreasing every week at the beginning of the season, the crowds at home games were getting very restless and I do wonder what would have happened had we lost at Reading.

I'm still a bit iffy on one or two of his tactics as well, why he won't play Wickham for one and his persistence with Larrson in cm and McClean (don't really rate the lad).

However never called for his head once and I'm really pleased with the direction we are heading, he's adding quality in every window now and his team is beginning to take shape so we can really see what Marty can do now.

 

Fair enough mate

But there were something like 12 or so draws in that 25 game run and if only 5 or 6 of them were wins, which wasn't that far form reality, then its a different story altogether and we were not getting thumped, rather we were losing by the odd goal.

It wasn't good but like I said over and over again, if this had happened AFTER he had been here 3 years I too would have been giving him stick. That it was after less than 10 months and him still operating with a set of players we already knew had failed the previous manager.

It was a ridiculously fickle call from a very small section of the crowd and fan base and thankfully its passed now. I doubt very much that it will return.

 

all the negativity on this board was getting me down but was confident mon would put things right cos hes never failed in his whole career, i remember him at leicester cos lived near there at the time and the fans loved him,was glad he came here and i still am.

 

Reading this you'd think we'd made Europe. We are still not out of trouble and only two bad results from being slap back in it. It's a bit early to be basking in the non glory of the situation.
MON was the manager I wanted and it's the first time ever the club has actually appointed a manager I acually rated! I remember some of the appointments we've had that left me bitterly dissapointed - Butcher had me never going back. I have defended O'Neill bitterly when the first doubters were on here but I and you have both questioned certin selections. That said I always stuck by MON and I don't feel the crowd have given him any stick.
Summer you could easily say we did not do enough business and it's far too early to suggest the january tranfer window is as good as done. Magane seems to me to be cover, 29 years old and playing in the middle east doesn't make you thnik top class. Alfie is pretty unknown. Whislt I'm confident that we have indeed turned a corner and I'm hopeful of another couple through the door. MON's team is starting to take place but we are only 16th in the league. He need to be pushing the team into the top ten before the plaudits start getting dished out.

 

There is a massive difference in debating his decisions and calling for him to go.

Some of the abuse he was getting from a few sections of the posters on here was obscene imo, considering the short time he'd actually been in the job.

He isn't above criticism at all and no manager ever is but he is well above some of the ill informed and quite frankly, idiotic ****e he was getting from some quarters.

As for his signings so far, there is a nice mix of long term planning with fletcher, Johnson, Alfie and hopefully Rose and some short term fixes like Cuellar, Mangane and McFadden..

There will always be a balance imo and he hasn't made a bad signing so far. Even McFadden is a no pain addition who has filled a potential hole that never thankfully materialised.

Top class management imo.

 

Cest I really respect you but because someone else doesn't have the same view as you, you don't need to correct them. All I see is you trying to correct people because you think your view is the final say. This place is all about opinions and just cause someone doesn't agree with you, don't call the down fella you make yourself look stupid. Just some frendly advice.... If you want to have a go at me feel free because I also though O'neil was struggling and I was questioning him, and I as a paying fan was well within my right to do so as was any other paying or none paying fan.

If you don't question then you just end up with the Arsenal situation where you can't get rid of your manager. Should Arsenal have given Wenger 8 year with no trophies?? Same situation just on a smaller scale.

This is not a personal attack on you Cest, it just some sound advise as to let people have their own say.

 

Cest the other thing about those 12 gamess was that 7 were away and 5 at home - now completely evened up and things are looking a lot better.

I also believe (maybe cest will correct me on this though) that Cest's comments were aimed at the people who were saying "Why does MON only buy british and never go abroad" - this was stated on here by an awful lot of people - well the N'Diaye comments show that he was trying to shop abroad but couldn't get his man/men at the time he wanted. Everyone seems to think they know what's going on behind the scenes at our club yet when we all find out, no-one will hold their hands up and say "well looks like I was mistaken"

 

Why is it when people debate or argue a point on here then its decreed that one or the other is dominant and bullying? Yes I have my very forthright opinions which I freely give whether liked or not and someone else is perfectly entitled to their equally forthright points but I am also entitled to argue my point as strongly as I decide. Are we men on here or soft ****es? Your opinions, or that of ANYONE elses is equally if not more important than mine but thats not to say I'm going to shoot all barrels when arguing mine?

Haway lads, have a bit of fire and damnation in your craic or else there isnt any point and less of the sensitive girlie ****e?

MoN is the best thing to happen to this club in my lifetime and to call fro his head after a poor spell of results in the first dozen games was ludicrous. None of us knew about N'Diaye being sounded out in August and maybe if we had it would have placated a few on here but it would have also alerted 6 or 7 like minded clubs as ourselves about his availability too and we may have lost out.

Just let the manager alone to build this club the way he sees fit and we will all benefit long term. By all means criticise poor games, players tactical decisions etc as fans but we aint managers and we dont control who or when he goes for players. For me, the calibre of player we are now pursuing AND signing are of the highest quality and ability for many a decade and he isnt finished yet.

In another 12 to 18 months I reckon we will be a real force in this league without a shadow of a doubt in my mind at all.

 

Wrong