Sunderland up next

Allegedly pumping millions in just to keep us afloat is surely a simple example of a badly run loss making business ? And if we believe which personally I don't this train of thought then the owner of the business is responsible and no one else ? Putting money into a business to keep it afloat is just maintaining a bad situation and certainly nothing whatsoever to do with investment.
Keane was a bad manager as was Jewell and Hurst, MM was ok but tediously boring football to watch, Lambert tries to play attacking open football without the quality of players who can regularly score the goals to win games.
Tens of millions of pounds has disappeared never to be seen again rather than invest to get us as high as possible, so there's only one place to look for answers except we never get any, just a flunky reading from a script.

 

Roy Keane and Paul Jewell brought some excellent players to the club (I’m not talking about the money signings) but McCarthy really did kill all that off.

 

From my understanding and upon reading the last couple years of our financial accounts, Marcus Evans does not put in anywhere near the levels of funding widely reported by elements of our fanbase. The figure of £6 million or £7 million, per year, is well wide of the mark in recent seasons. If the audited accounts are to be believed, the true figure is nearer £500k per year.

I understand that Evans threw millions at the club early on in his ownership, and it didn’t result in anything but regression and a contribution to the £100 million debt. So maybe it is understandable that he’s going to be predisposed to cautious financial management. But his lack of investment in the first team, outside of money raised by sales and TV deals, is one of the main reasons for our decline and relegation. The Championship, in particular, see club owners gamble (rightly or wrongly) on getting their clubs promoted and having access to the millions you get in the Premier League.

But then maybe being financially prudent is a positive. If FFP ever has any bite, or more clubs go the way of Bury or Bolton, then we may be able to benefit and capitalise. But that’s some wishful thinking. And you don’t need to be rich to get promoted. Clubs like Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United (even Norwich last season) show that you can reduce spending and get promoted by being run sensibly and by having a clear plan in place. Evans knows next to nothing about football. He employs men like Simon Clegg, Ian Milne, and now his latest mouthpiece to downplay ambition and cut costs. There is no plan here. His empty ‘Five Year Plan’ is pointless jargon that no manager bothers to follow. His managerial appointments, bar Mick McCarthy, have all been unmitigated failures. As mentioned elsewhere, Evans’ pride in the club is not obvious and his care of our facilities is a joke. Our stadium looks and is neglected. Our training facilities are widely acknowledged to be behind the times, with sports science only recently being implemented. Our record with players injuries and fitness is embarrassing, bordering on criminal. Stories of youth players being misdiagnosed, or injuries being ignored, caused a stir a year ago which the club has just hoped we’ve all forgotten about.

Sadly, not many potential club owners are kicking around these days. Any sensible businessperson will realise you won’t make money in English football. No self-respecting person will buy a club in the third tier saddled with debts of over £100 million and with an owner apparently wanting to retain stakes in the training ground. The reality is we’ll be stuck with Evans for the foreseeable future and 14 odd years on, he still has no idea what to do with this football club and how he can take it forwards.

 

If we had 5/6 top quality kids coming through, then i'd be a lot more enthused with the future, but we don't. As i said, Downes and Wolfy aside, there is no one else coming through. Dobra and Mizouni look "OK", but nothing special. Folami, Morris..again, if they havent made an impression by now, then they probably won't, not even in the 3rd division.
So, on that basis, we can't wait another 5-6 years for the next crop to come through, we need to, unfortunately, speculate to accumulate.

 

Morris looked very tidy but has only just come back from injury. Fair to say he couldn’t do any worse.

 

I would make the argument that Downes and Wolfenden aside, not many of our young players actually get opportunities to impress or stake a claim in the first team. According to statistics, we are 18th out of 23 teams in League One for minutes given to players under the age of 23.

Players like Clements, Cotter, Dobra, McGavin, El Mizouni, Morris, and Folami haven't been given the chances in the league, despite consistent performances in the EFL Trophy or being talked up by performances in the reserves. I don't think we can really pass judgement on their ability or potential if we don't see them in action. Even clubs above us give their academy guys a chance and some are playing well, are they really better than the lads in our academy?

 

Some of them are pushing on 20 now...surely of they were good enough, they'd get more opportunities..or is PL a carbon copy of MM?
Dobra and Mizouni have had chances, but they're hardly pulling trees.

 

I’m not doubting the younger players technical ability but not sure they can cope with the uglier side of the game which you do get at this level. Dozzell is a case in point, can thread a pass through the eye of a needle but is to easily knocked off the ball. I haven’t seen a lot of the other youngsters but my fear that there might be a trait amongst the club