... why bother. This is why we should bother in my opinion. I won't name the forum but this post seems to be quite typical across social media and it gets plenty of 'likes' and agreement. I've only highlighted the parts I find totally ludicrous and ignore the rest. I'd be interested to know if anyone, on here, sees our current position as a tragedy. Those trying to be positive, on that forum, are attacked as gullible, part of the problem and accepting mediocrity ... perhaps that's true and I'm damaging my own club without realising. "The biggest tragedy is how much this lot have spunked away the immense levels of positivity, optimism and enjoyment that surrounded SAFC a year ago. When we won 3-0 at Reading, we were witnessing free-flowing, exhilarating football with a talented group of young, exciting players will a great sense of togetherness. I for one felt as enthusiastic about Sunderland as I had since Reidy's prime. That feeling has been totally eroded SO quickly. All that was needed a year ago were a couple of key squad additions, just like they were after Reidy's seventh place finishes. One of those sliding doors moments. Now we seem to be in rapid decline with no strategy at all around recruitment, player development or anything for that matter, coupled with a refusal to invest in and improve any operational and commercial areas. Even if, and it is a massive if, we somehow achieved promotion to the Premier, does anyone think this shower would keep us there, with their seemingly random approach to head coach and player recruitment and management? They need to go. Admit there is no ambition and **** off and buy Monaco or something. They are literally sucking the life-blood out of SAFC and have made me as ambivalent as I have even been regarding SAFC. Quite an achievement in a short twelve months! Just go Kyril and chums. Your heart clearly isn't in it, you simply cannot 'read the room' and you are destroying any remaining supporter goodwill by the second."
Sometimes football fans are their own worst enemy. Such emphatic statements are laughable just by looking at the league table. Things might not be perfect and mistakes might have been made but it's nothing like the crisis that some are suggesting. So many comments are contradictory too. For example "there is no strategy at all around recruitment" yet most critical fans are arguing that "the model is too rigid". We can't have a rigid strategy if it doesn't exist. 16 points from our last 10 games v 13 points from the 10 before that doesn't suggest rapid decline, nor does 43 points from 29 games this season v 42 points at the same stage last year. To suggest "rapid decline" is hyperbolic at best and just downright wrong at worst depending on the metrics being measured.
I was at the Reading game which was shyte until we scored. We had no Stewart and Simms went off after half an hour at which point Reading thought they'd coast the game and relaxed. We scored two quick goals, Roberts, and Reading had no option but to attack at which point we broke away and Clarke scored a fabulous goal. The reality of this ridiculous fantasy ... 'When we won 3-0 at Reading, we were witnessing free-flowing, exhilarating football with a talented group of young, exciting players will a great sense of togetherness' ... is that these were some of the results of the previous month Middlesbrough 1-0 Sunderland Sunderland 0-1 Norwich City Sheffield United 2-1 Sunderland Sunderland 2-2 QPR
Tragedy? What a mad use of the word! We seem in a good place to me personally. I like being us. I like our identity as a club. I like our academy setup (a lot). I like how other clubs covet our players. I like how much the players care. I like how hard they try. I like that we are the youngest side and still challenging. I like that we dont buy players that are ambivalent about us. I like when a player does his first interview they are smiling and talk about the club meaning something. I love Dan Neil . I cant wait for Rigg to be undroppable, and for Watson to burst through. I love the matches I get to and the lads I sit with. I love home games because my auntie makes me tea and sarnies when I get there, and sometimes there are brandy snaps Football is meant to be an escape. It is for folk to come together, get behind a set of lads trying to give you a lift. The modern world of social media is a false one. We can have different opinions, and challenge the club and players, but social media gives everybody a voice and requires no context or sensible evidence to be given. What we have now is the best ownership since Murray. It could be better than that too, in time. A bit of patience is what we need. Now I dont like everything the owners and hierarchy have done. I am not keen on sacking coaches so soon. I think we have missed a bit of balance in player recruitment. One or two I think were bought to turn a quick profit. I think we could have done much better around the cup game. But for me the positives are so much more than the negatives. KLD is on a journey, as are we, and it is on a steep upward curve and is mostly fun. We have had plenty of turgid times as fans where it was hard to see much light in the tunnel. Now we are spoilt if anything. The biggest worry for me is how I will recover when Dan inevitably goes as I will be a lovesick wreck As to the why bother? Ultimately it is in our soul and our heart. We are the club, if we dont bother the club doesnt exist. End of story really.
God some interesting comments in it Its this fake idea that we have no ambition because we are trying to do something different. This person clearly hates our recruitment but our recruitment def isn't a random approach. In fact folk on here that might be against say they are against it as needs more flexibility but its def clear As for their hearts not in it, totally made up. The fact kld still comes over to the games when he could be anywhere in the world shows his heart is in it. Each to own is how i look at it Sunderland are my club n will always be my club no matter what happens n this is the most excited ive been for the future of it
...and of course i meant it, but i will still waffle on the next time as you all know i had a cardiac arrest 5 years ago and just over a year ago i had a stroke so i doubt i have much time left but i am happy to see the club doing what i think they need to do and that is being sustainable, there is a high chance i wont see the club in the premier again, that might be a blessing but we will see. i am also a right stubborn old bassa most of the time yet even i can look at a different argument and see the logic b ut the posts @Smug in Boots and myself have seen just will not take a good look, they simply follow those who post the same bollox every two or three posts, endlessly returning to the same point no matter how many times people try to offer an explanation. am i religiously happy with the business the owners have done?.. no i am not, i would have been happier with a proven-ready-to-rock-striker and a dyed in the wool CDM, i would be even happier if the mags game had not been handled the way it was, much like the lads on the pitch during a game i would be happier if they made better use of the ball and missed out the odd mistake but i am also aware that no one is perfect and hope they learn from mistakes. honestly lads, life is far better if you just accept it is not perfect and that it is improving, might not be at the speed many want, just enjoy the football on the good days and have a bit winge when they lose...there is no magic spell.
Here's hoping that we all not only see Sunderland back in the prem holding their own but competing in Europe - so you need to stick around!
That ‘rapid decline’ from 8th in League One to 7th in the championship is a killer. These people are ****ing morons.
A bit of an aside. My youngest is off to Charlton with Derby tomorrow. He is an car with mates. First time they have driven and been in a small group. They are stopping north of London and training in. My wife is in bits, terrified. I am trying to give her reasons why it will be ok. Why days like these are part of developing a deep love of being a supporter. (My first car trip was in a Princess with an exhaust tied on with bailing twine ). I am wary myself but dont want my lads to not have what I had, which is experiences that I still look back on. I remember most better than I remember what I did yesterday To be fair to my wife. Her only experience of being in a football crowd is home games against the mags and boro! The mags game in particular was a rough one and she has never forgiven me. For some reason I thought it would be good for her to see me in element, she is from deepest Norfolk and didnt seem to understand. How wrong I was. Fair play, she didnt leave me and we are nigh on 40 years a pair, but she still remembers
Amen to that mate, apart from the bit about not being around. We will be there quick enough, and you will be enjoying it with us all. I agree there is no magic spell. But there is something magical about having this club in our hearts isnt there. No club anywhere in the world I would rather support. Not one.
I took my missus to the Celtic preseason game and thought it would be a good idea to get tickets right next to theirs in the East Stand. The wife didn't like it and didn't feel at all comfortable and tbh you could feel the atmosphere changing while the first half went on - so much so that she made us leave at half time to go to the pub. Well it was better than watching another half of **** football from us
I know it’s February but that post will take some beating this year absolutely brilliant,and well done Smug for his persistent effort of sticking up for the PROPER fans of our club
I am in a decent majority I reckon mate. I go with my cousins and some of our old mates. We are all the same. Heart and soul behind the lads representing us. Ups and downs, but right now I am proud of them trying their best for us. I am getting older not younger but this era of Sunderland is keeping me feeling a bit younger. They get me off my feet and they boost my passion levels. Love them.
I’m with you mate. I get frustrated of course, we all do. But I see the progress. I hear the conversations I have with pals, all of us hooked for life season card holders. These knackers who wanna tear into it will never break those of us who understand, and we will always be the majority. We will support; we will follow, we will back. Born into it, didn’t read about it on Twitter.
Slightly off topic a bit marra but I’ve got Derby in a accumulater with Liverpool,Leicester and Stockport to win the league’s,Derby seem the weakest part what’s your son’s expectations for the season
