The first shot in Gus Poyet’s summer revolution tells us plenty about the direction he sees his Sunderland team moving in. Billy Jones has three things that Poyet has been attracted to: versatility, Premier League experience and attacking intent. Although signed to fill Phil Bardsley’s boots, it is pretty unlikely that Sunderland will deploy him in the same position that their former full-back – now safely ensconsed at the Britannia Stadium after leaving last week – was handed. It might be that Poyet is looking to his full-backs to offer him more going forward. He might even be thinking of wing-backs. Certainly, Sunderland benefited in the second half of the season from having Marcos Alonso playing at left-back and pushing forward. It gave the Black Cats and extra dimension and bringing in Jones would suggest that Poyet is keen to replicate that effect on the right side of his back four too. Everyone in the West Midlands speaks well of Jones’ attacking contribution. He is quick, keen to get forward and clearly one of a modern band of full-backs who is expected to contribute in the final third. Ironically, Bardsley – although probably not the ideal candidate to play wing back – scored more than Jones last season but no-one would ever put the former Manchester United man forward as a full-back who was particularly comfortable playing out from the back. Presumably the former Crewe man is seen as a more comfortable fit in that attacking full-back role. Chris Lepkowski of the Birmingham Mail has watched Jones since Roy Hodgson signed him on a free transfer from Preston in 2011. At first he looked raw but the Mail’s Albion reporter says he just got “better and better”. “He is a difficult player to define. He doesn’t play like a natural defender and a lot of people would say that defensively he is a bit suspect,” he said. “That’s not to say he’s a bad defender. He’s one of those right backs that plays the best when he has a player in front of him who is good as well, he operated well with Zoltan Gera, for example. “He does like to attack. I think he is one of those players where if a team was to have wing backs, he would be absolutely ideal for that.” So far, so good. But there is a sting in the tale: Lepkowski feels that as solid as Jones has been for Albion, his capture is a surprising one for a club of Sunderland’s stature. “As far as a free transfer goes, he would look to me like a good signing but I surprised that a club of Sunderland’s size are pitching for him,” he said. “He’s the sort of player that I thought a Leicester, a QPR or someone like that would have been going for. As a first choice right back for a club of Sunderland’s size I was a little bit surprised that they went for him.” Jones is just the first of many new arrivals at the Stadium of Light this summer but as a marker for what Poyet is trying to do, he is a useful starting point. The Black Cats boss clearly prizes Premier League know-how and we should expect the lion’s share of his recruits to come, like Jones, with that on their CV.
Cause I want two for every position, 100% competition for places. I want 4 cbs at the club and 4 fbs at the club. Every player needs to know if they take their foot off the pedal that there's somebody hungry waiting that can keep them out of the team. I don't want players knowing that they're pretty much guaranteed a place because we'd have to play somebody out of position. The fact Gus has said he prefers 7 defenders over 8 worries me, I think it places a risk complacency in one position in the defence. But like I said on the Vergini thread, If we kept hold of Laing than our 8th defender wouldn't need to be registered which would have solved his squad issue and allow us sign 4 fullbacks this summer. Now it's clear we're getting 3 fullbacks at the most this summer.
so we could be going three at the back? Intresting, still would need 4 wbs this summer. If this lad and Alonso are the first two we need two more. Mannone Vergini--O'shea---Brown Jones------------------------------Alonso Bridcutt----Catts-----???? Johnson------Giacc Wickham
Fingers crossed, all the comments both on this board and RTG are positive. We have to trust in Gus and Congerton to know the market.
How many players do you think we would will/would sign this summer ? 8 transfers (in) is the most I would like to see this summers, otherwise we will have the same issues as when we did last summer. too many new players. 8 players is the total I get to assuming JC and Larsson stay, if we need another RB as well as Jones (if Vergini isnt sufficient cover/competition) + players to replace JC and Seb we are buying an entire new team again. not good imo. This was why I didnt want Bards to go. not cause I think he is a great player, but I would have prefered buying in 5 quality players to improve the current squad rather than 11 new players just to have a squad of any kind
Not counting players making permanent moves as they've already settled in but. Bring in alonso + Vergini then 1 more cb and two more full backs, so 3 defenders, 1 goalkeeper so thats 4. New contract hopefully for Colback+ sign Ki Borini+ 1 attacking Midfielder +1 striker So if that could be done I say we need 10 new signings with only 6 of them new faces at the club but we've always known that circumstances could leave us needing more new faces. if certain contacts can't be sealed or last years loan signings failing to become permanent. Squad Mannone New keeper Jones New rb Brown O'shea Vergini New CB Alonso New LB Colback Catts Bridcutt Ki AJ Borini Giacc New Att Mid/forward Scocco Connor Jozy New Striker Flog the rest.
The paper bloke said a club the size of sunderland signing him as a first choice right back who said owt about him being first choice
