Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Sheffield United – Championship Play-off Final - Saturday 24th May 2025 - KO 15:00

Aye the clap was mild for that ****.

 

Oh aye, I want to quickly make clear that I will not defend the bloke.

The points made are valid and there’s no question they were hoping for a quick book.

If the devil saves a life they are still a hero. I’m taking the 2 seperate things on their individual merits here. It’s history anyway and actually in a perverse way it gave Speakman a proper project and starting point that got him deeply involved from the get go.

it’s still amazing that he did that for that old boy.

Look where that’s taken us.

 

Ridiculous.

Best most honest post because it reinforces your point of view?

Utterly, utterly compromised there.

 

Agree with most of that in principle (although a lot of it is conjecture based on posts on here and social media. As for the academy assets, how many of them are playing regularly at championship or above now? I agree about what happened at the time he was selling them, but I’m not sure anyone knows exactly of those players would be playing for us now or make us a great deal of money.

I’m just going off the top of my head, but I don’t think there are many, if any, playing at a level above league 1

 

Sorry mate, I'm not disagreeing with you ... I just say the name and posted without reading the thread through.

 

Not offended mate. The views on that mob will always be polarised at best. I’m absolutely in agreement and understanding with everything that’s been posted.

It’s how the world works. I don’t need to tell you that after your colourful life and the folk you’ve been involved in.

It’s just incredibly emotive as it involves our football club, our community, our city.

The whole world is cut throat, we all want to make the best life we can for ourselves and the ones we love.

 

One played for Liverpool in a League Cup final win for a start. IMO it doesnt matter what they've have went on to achieve because we will never know what they could of become with the development they would have received here. Look how Neil was handled, Rigg, Watson. The likes of Mumba have played Championship football regularly, imagine if they did it with us, with better players rather than being at Plymouth and having a ceiling (no disrespect meant for Plymouth).

Impossible to say if they would of been good players for us, but they obviously had something when the likes of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal wanted them. Those clubs dont take ****e. What Donald robbed us of was the chance to see if they could do it for us. And it was taken away because he couldnt afford to run the club. Unforgiveable from my perspective, but thats just me mate.

 

What does he mean ( back in the championship ) they never came out of it.

 

When the club was in L1 and possibly in our first year in that League, the Krankies paid a visit to the UK and of course Sunderland. The more I think about it, it was the first year as JS was there being followed by the STID cameras and Jack Ross was the manager.
Anyway, we had the opportunity to meet Stewart Donald after the game whilst we were there. If you watch the outtakes for STID series 2 when Donald goes arse over trying to kick a football in the centre circle of the SOL, that’s us in the background.
I can say that he came across as a decent person. He was chatty and personable. I agree with the premise that he bought the club in the belief that he could sell it once promoted and gambled on that happening in the first season. I think he based that belief, in part, on the fact that Sunderland were just too big a club to be in that league and other teams would be intimidated playing the mighty SAFC.
Thing is, I wouldn’t know how to run a football club, but I don’t I think he did either though. At least not one like Sunderland with its rich history and fanbase.
He can be as nice a man the world has ever seen. I’d rather we had an arsehole in charge that knows what they’re doing rather than a nice incompetent.

 

100% mate.

I posted couple days back loved the fact KLD and Speakman took their flowers quickly then exited stage right for the players to get the glory.

Classy, respectful and focused.

We are in wonderful hands with this ownership and senior management and development group.

 

For what its worth I think the club was heading for oblivion when they took over, they did their best, loosing Maja and buying Grigg was their big mistake , but we have just lost Tommy Watson in similar circumstances, Reg is on a high atm., but things can change quickly in football, as Luton, Sheffield and Coventry have just found out. OaU

 

This

 

I know

 

Aye, he’s too FAT

Bart

 

Really enjoyed this ...

... well done but weirdly hilarious at the same time

He's clearly impressed with the Sunderland support and the scenes at Trafalgar Square, etc.

 

Pure deflation. They had one foot in the premier at HT, dreaming about watching the likes of Haaland and Salah every week, now they’ve got to face up to another gruelling year in the championship against Wrexham and Stoke.

Ouch.

 

Stating the obvious here, but RLB is a ****ing genius. He knew those 5 games meant nothing to our season, but meant everything to the play offs. It's no coincidence that we scored late goals in all 3 play off games. Sheff Utd looked dead on their feet after Mayenda scored.

Yes it was a privileged position to be in (play offs confirmed with 5 games to go), but boy did he use that position well! This guy is a seriously good coach

 

i watched it but could not get any sound on my Lap Top, the lad at the end was a real silent movie star . I could almost hear him without a sound track.

 

Aye,similar to that Maradonna , not good enough for us, only jocking by the way.

 

Brilliant find Bucky, had me in stitches

'Everyone knows Sheff Utd are at their best as the underdog' ...

... just as they were in the Premier League