Wow? A little fanciful but also very insightful at the same time.
Wow? A little fanciful but also very insightful at the same time.
Get away from my hand.I’d be over the moon with play-offs. Snap your hand off.
I’d be over the moon with play-offs. Snap your hand off.
With the way modern football is, any season where we get top 6 we've had a good season. It's ****, but it's reality. The gamble that the club is taking is that by building the club the way they are, they can put themselves in position to challenge for playoffs every season (rather than gamble on being 'all-in' on one season, with the risk of having to rein it in the season after). We need to avoid massive upheavals like sacking coaches mid-season, but take enough shots and eventually one will go in. That's the theory anyway!That’s very optimistic.
We’d need a top quality striker, CDM & CB to even be in with a shout of finishing top imo. Not to mention we’d have to have them avoid injuries for 95% of the campaign.
I’d be happy with top 6 personally.
I'd expect those mentioned, plus Sheffield United to have stronger squads than us. They've got a budget that'll be three times bigger than ours. I guess the big question is where we stack up as best of the rest. Personally I'm not sure I'd swap our squad with any of them, but I'm happy enough for us to grow things gradually rather than going all out for next season.Transfermarkt have us down as the 4th most valuable squad in the Championship this season at 90m Euro's.
We are behind Burnley (244m), Leeds (188m) and Luton (103m) but we 100% have players worth more than they have them valued as (Dan Neil is down as being worth 5m euros)
With Dodds and Proctor I certainly believe that it is the influence of the training and learning time spent at St George's Park where a lot of our young coaches go for meetings, seminars and training. That is why I think they struggle to get the top jobs.They do but at the minute it’s pinned on how fast their progression accelerates. Dodds has been in and around that squad for years so how did it go so bad when they had to take the remainder of the season? I still worry a bit about the midfield if I’m honest we won’t sign a DM in my opinion and if it’s Neil who’s going to play there then it could be a steep learning curve it really is a difficult role to undertake.
I’ve seen a few say he’ll be the best midfielder in the league but in his first real season as a 6 is he going to be as good as the likes of Hamer, Cullen, Sheaf, Nunez etc in that holding role? It’s a big ask. With our full backs getting forward more under RLB there’s probably going to be a lot of pressure on the DM/CB’s, whereas last season we just played defensively.
Even if we do sign a centre forward we will not finish ahead of Burnley, Sheff Utd or Leeds, we may flirt with the top 6 but that’s about it.It's not as mental as it seems IF we sign a striker or two and play a proper CDM (not sure if Browne can play there).
Defensively we were pretty solid despite how people feel about O'Nein, 5th best defensive record in the league last season speaks for itself. The defence really do need some cover if only to allow them to play out from the back more comfortably.
We really have absolutely massive potential and on our day can outplay anyone...outscoring is by far the biggest issue.
Was thinking that's gone awfully quiet.Sutton been on that space dust like.
We are still short in the striker position and you have to factor in RLB in all of this. First season in English football and he still doesn't have a team of high quality assistants around him.
Play offs would be am achievement, as it currently stands.
Even if we do sign a centre forward we will not finish ahead of Burnley, Sheff Utd or Leeds, we may flirt with the top 6 but that’s about it.
I love optimism but that prediction is bordering on insanity.
It's because Speakman needs to make sure that there's no one there to support RLB because it's highly important in his evil scheme to be able to undermine the coach he appointed anytime he wants.Was thinking that's gone awfully quiet.
One of the things I have noticed is how good some of the other championship sides have done so far in the window. There is some smart business being done by clubs who were ahead of us last season imo. Coventry are interesting to me, this may well be the season they do it. Millwall look to have done some decent business. Norwich look to have done some too. I know a lad at QPR and he thinks they will be much better this season. Sheff Wed look much stronger.
Then Leeds look very well balanced at the minute. Sheff Utd seem to be being written off but imo have made soms shrewd signings. Burnley wont be far away with Parker in charge either.
This looks like a very tight league to me. Hard to see anybody running away with it, which probably means a dog fight of 10 or 12 sides fighting for promotion.
Is this year 4 or 5 for KLD? Feels like we are one of many who will be pushing for the top 6. I think a bit of work left for us yet to move into those clubs who will have really high expectations this season.
It's because Speakman needs to make sure that there's no one there to support RLB because it's highly important in his evil scheme to be able to undermine the coach he appointed anytime he wants.
Stop!I have and will never gamble on a team I am supporting. Not outcome or position anyhow. First goal scorers I have (had Lee Clarke years ago when he went through 1 on 1 and was taken out by the keeper!! Martin Scott scored the pen!! Was gutted at 12/1 and £5 on it!!)I have an each way bet on us winning the league![]()
Unfortunately players do nit want to live amongst us mere mortalsWell I beg to differ sir. I am very posh and was privately educated in our great city. I lived in Middle Herrington which is where all the rich posh families live. If it was good enough for mater and pater then I am sure it will be good enough for the players who are privileged to wear the Sunderland shirt. Some people really do not know when they are well orff.
I think is perhaps the last year that we see some of our established players, unless we are promoted. I am not sure we can hold on to Neil, Clarke, Ballard, Patterson, Jobe, Hume for example for another championship season after this one. Even Rigg will be watched endlessly by scouts this season. If we were to lose 4 or 5 of those at once it would require an unreal overhaul. We may become one of the super rich in the championship but rebuilding a core of a side and getting it to gel isnt easy. It is probably why, deep down, I am ok if were to sell one this summer if it gives us some money to do a bit of that reshaping now.Think it's year 4 for KLD. You're right,this is going to be a very competitive league this year,even more than last season,and we still have work to do.
I'm not sure why,but I see it as a defining year for the club and for several of our players. I'm looking forward to it.