Another week goes by without any sign of new blood at The SOL. The rumours are still there Fletcher, Defoe etc. etc. and now Dann all for stupid money and, all because our team has been systematically made mediocre. We have bought players who are hard grafters and team players who bring others into the game and, it has got us exactly nowhere. Not apportioning blame to any one person in particular be that manager, chaiman or owners but, it hasn't worked. If however we only wanted to keep surviving and be a mid to lower mid table team then fine we have achieved our goal, that is not for me we should be challenging for a top 10 finish at the very least. I've seen teams come up from the fizzy pop league and finish above us (barcode twats) and, I get the usual "it's their first season teams usually do well in their first season the second season will be the teller", BOLLOCKS we are a mediocre team and that is the way it will stay unless serious money is spent on strengthening in all areas. I am now officially worried that we have not signed any players (Cuellar excepted), less than a week until the season starts yes the window is open until the end of August (I think) but, we need players simple as that. Now to Plan MON, This is just a thought but, I reckon we are waiting to see how good/bad we are in our first couple of games then MON will then decide on players to bring in or just tell to do one. Arsenal away is probably a 0 pointer, Reading at home should be a 3 pointer for us not belittling Reading there. So 3 points from 2 games (maybe) then we look at players. Not my idea of forward planning but, then again I'm not a manager of a PL team. However I am a fan of a PL team who knows along with many other fans where exactly we need strengthening, the same areas MON said we need strengthening in December and, still nothing. Will this plan work only time will tell but, for me I hope to God or whichever deity you believe in it does or it's going to be a very long hard season, nothing new for us Sunderland fans.
Unfortunately with MON accustomed to buying British we are struggling due to inflated prices. We seem to have no plan B.
I think its a case of teams making sure they have replacements in before they sell. We are being heavily linked with Johnson & Milner but city have not bought so will be reluctant to sell. Unfortunately its taking time, but it always does with the best players, unless its us who sell there best players mid season.
I don't think he has a plan as such, he's just struggling bringing the players in he wants, transfers take time.
Even MON and Short must be, to an extent, a tad concerned at the delay of new faces. Forget the Fletcher saga for a moment as he isn't the only new addition we need. We are having problems with every position we need to strengthen in.....and that's my main concern.
18 months we have needed a forward. if 2 managers and scouts cannot see this they should not be in the job they are.
- to be fair we aren't the best examples of that, we went down by one goal then came back up straight away having spent our only season out of the premier league for 18 years entirely at the top of the championship, only missing out on a record point haul by 2 or 3. in this case the usual wisdom hardly applies. Swansea and Norwich on the other hand ...
Reading the latest edition of 'Legion' magazine there's a good article from Margaret Byrne, she says that they have a number of Targets and are/have been working on bringing them in since the last ball was kicked last season. Keep the faith, there will be new faces before the end of the window.
All this transfer malarkey is just negotiation tactics. It's happening at a lot of clubs so expect a late flurry as month end approaches. If I'm right... I'll collect the rep round the side door as usual.
