I normally don't wish ill on players/ managers who decide for whatever reason they think the grass is greener elsewhere but I'm happy to make an exception for Mr Neil. The unfurling of this season couldn't be happening any better for us and long may it continue to get worse.
Sitting in the stands with the Stoke owner, while we were still lining his pockets, was cheap ... ... I'll join the Stoke fans, boo him at every chance and feel happy to. They're at Sheff Utd next so he might hear a bit more there.
I hope the ****er is still in charge by the time they come up here so he can get the reception he deserves. ****ing snake.
Just to correct something I noticed on RTG where it was claimed LJ's Sunderland were only third, and two points off top, because the clubs around us had 2/3 games in hand. This is the table after Bolton.
I always hoped LJ would be remembered fondly by us. I liked him a lot and thought on the whole he did a good job. He certainly showed a load of class when he left, unlike Neil. I think LJ helped set the foundations and direction we are taking. When he landed it was Parkinsons team he inherited, which is about the worst I can ever remember, in terms of style of play. He and Speakman were the only 2 really involved that first window and we got Stewart, and Winchester. I believe players like Pritchard were LJs doing too. Certainly Danny Baath was all LJ. His legacy in terms of players brought in is really benefitting us now. He created a style of play and a coaching setup that is still evident now. I know I was a cheerleader for him, but he played a part in getting us going again and deserves a better place in our memory than his successor in my opinion.
This is the biggest thing, could accept him going for whatever reason (be it money more control or whatever) but to be sat in the stands with the Stoke owner after missing our match when he was still employed by the club showed what he is!
Haway man marra, this is for digs at AN... Mind you, agree with your comments about LJ, liked him and very dignified end to his time with us.
Totally agree with this, I wish Johnson nothing but the best and hope he succeeds somewhere. I'll raise a little smile when Neil gets the boot from Stoke though.
I have no want to give past players or managers stick, they come, the try, the leave, we move on.... however to echo a previous post re Alex the kid sat in the Stands we a new boss while he still had a current boss was below **** standard. Saying that, Stoke have a history of doing similar stuff. Was it not them that said in a presser that they were signing Cattermole so we pulled the plug because of their outright lack of respect? Of course I digress, back to Mr Neil, IF he had decided that the grass was greener and had went about things.... completely f**kin differently, ie, spoke to Stoke (not straight after the game we beat them in), but had spoken to them during that week, then perhaps not sit in the stands with the owner while under SAFC employment, and had just stayed behind the scenes until paperwork was official, then announced he was off to Ray Winstone Bet 365 FC, then perhaps Sunderland fans would've said "Thanks for the win at Wembley and promotion, all the best, there'll always be a pint waiting for you in Sunderland". Instead get f**ked.
Neil tried to paint the club hierarchy in a bad light, making him wanting to leave. That backfired as well.
Lee Johnson only speaks nonsense. His latest: Asked about what that speculation is like, Johnson replied: "I've been through it. Any manager with 150 games has been through that once or twice, some have had it 500 times "The top managers, throughout history, have always had spells like that and have had to come through it.
Yeah I said similar on here that sitting in the stands while still officially our manager was the bit that turned everyone against him. We could even ignore the blatant fact he was sorting the job out in the boardroom after we beat them and the week that followed, no way did he get everything sorted so quick without that. But that wasn't in our face so blatant for all the world to see (not that all the world gave a shiny ****e BTW but it was there for anyone to see him sat in the stands while our manager!)
Are you referring to the Saturday after he said his goodbyes on the Friday morning? If so, that wouldn't be a problem for me, he'd left us. The reason I'm asking is that there is a picture of AN sitting with their chairman but that was taken at the beginning of the season. It's the middle of the season so I'm not going to mention anything further about AN as football has a tendency to come back and bite you on the arse.
