Last couple of seasons, been a lot of talk of a rotten core at Sunderland with it being blamed for our predicament. This season, the "rotten core" isn't getting any game time, except for O'Shea without who we fall apart at the back. What is wrong at Sunderland ? Why can't we seem to push on from being relegation candidates ? Surely the rotten core cant be blamed this time around ? 2 reasons come to mind atm 1. We need a CB who can settle the back 4, but who isnt the wrong side of 35. No immediate solution there unfortunately 2. We need a CM who can support M'Villa and Toi. Rodwell hasnt cut it so far, Catts seems out of sorts and Gomez isnt a step up from what we have had previously (and isnt match fit). I'd like to see larsson given a chance here, if not then we need to have a look to Gooch. But is the reason deeper than squad level ? It cant be the manager - simply because we have blamed the manager every time so far, and that has gotten us no where.
For me, at the minute, it's fitness. Every club in the league looks 30% sharper than us, so whoever planned our disaster of a pre-season, and the conditioning coach need slapped, or more likely replaced. We are still, 6 games in, way off the pace, the ability is there.
Agree up to a point but am trying to be positive -(imo - we always have had a rotten element since my first match in the 1963 !!!!) is the rotten core not further up the tree and due to lack of football acumen - ES is a successful venture capitalist - a successful risk taker in the business world he knows - this lack of football knowledge filters down to influential members of his support team The players are not match fit - yes they should be but we bought unfit players with no pre season - takes time to meld together - DA reckons december - - he 's got more player knowledge than us very important and emotional supporters DA seems reluctant to introduce the promising academy players - Whatmore do they need to do - lol If a certain player not involved in the next two games we know where he'll be going soon - not so much of a rotten core but we just continuously mess things up - we have a successful experienced manager who is here by choice - lets hope his winning football knowledge filters up and down the club or .......... anyway just KTF and ETU
I still can't get it into my head why a Chairman, Chief Exec., etc. need "football acumen". They don't handle the football. Football acumen needs to start with Lee Congerton and Dick Advocaat - they're the ones who do that stuff.
Fitness and confidence. Unfortunately as we're approaching fitness we're losing confidence. The goals look smaller, opoanants feel quicker and stronger ect. You could see any faith in the game was instantly sucked out of us when the goal was disallowed, we hadn't given up at 2-0 down, we were coming into the game after a shaky start. Who know what would have happened had it been allowed but it wasn't and the blow was clear to see. Bet their legs turned to lead weights when it was ruled out.
a). For a few managers to mention the `rotten` thing makes me think there`s something in it. b). If a). is true, and it is the players, even if they`re not on the pitch they`re still at the club. Just a thought.
The only one to "out" (freeze them out of the team, call them out in the media) the rotten core was PDC. all other managers have worked with them. DA no longer guarantees them a starting spot, but hasnt tried to sell any of them. Surely if they were that bad, then DA would just tell them to piss off ? He doesnt seem the type to let a rotten core stay around and damage the club.
What a bizarre presumption. Did you forget this? http://www.itv.com/news/2015-08-21/...squad-up-for-sale-after-poor-start-to-season/ If it only it was as easy to simply say piss off and for a club magically turn up with a bid and a wage offer which matches their present wage. Let's be realistic marra, half the squad would be gone in a heartbeat if we could get shot of them. The reality is it takes a tad more then a simple piss off to sell players.
Is Dick training without his right hand man who was here with him at the end of last season? maybe that's where the problem lies?
Really? Don`t know where I got that from then. Could have sworn he wasn`t the only one to mention it.
The thing is before you dare sell your players, you have to find replacements. You might see a few sales in January - if anybody wants them. Mind you, I do wonder about the wisdom of telling them they can leave as early as he did - see Funky's link (#8) above. That might just explain the lethargy now ('if he wants me out, why should I bother?' etc.) Still, that's Dick's decision to make, not mine.
I'd play Rodwell in a CB position against City this week in the cup, then if successful use him against Man Utd even until January if need be then we need to buy as PRIORITY.
Thats the entire squad, not the "Rotten Core" that a certain group of players is supposed to be part of. PDC did it with Catts, just froze him out of the squad. The rotten core, was/is Catts, O'Shea, AJ etc. Of which, DA could have sold / frozen out any one of them is he thought they were such a bad influence at the club. he might not be guaranteeing them starting spots now, but they still make the bench. PDC was the the only manager to actively try and do something about the alluded to "rotten core" - by actually freezing players out of the squad and trying to get rid. anyway, my entire point of the thread was to that of the old guard, not many are playing now, but we still have the same bloody problems.
Are they the same causes though? it's all speculation. Personally I think the problem is fitness and confidence at the moment. When players who are completely unrelated to the concerns you're bring up are making mistakes or not feeling confident, there's a fair chance its a different cause entirely. I think it's premature to throw the whole rotten core thing into the mix so soon. Take the Bournemouth game, we didn't play well, but we lost to an individual mistake by a player unrelated to the old guard, a wonder goal the player wouldn't score if he tried it another 20 times, and a disallowed goal which was onside. Few of those change and we grind out a draw would we be talking about a rotten core? I doubt it. We'd be grateful for the point but pressing the fact we need to improve. I don't think they'd be any of this talk at all. To me it was a bad performance, lack of fitness and some bad luck, not rot.
I just think if you are not knowledgable in the job (ie football here) and have received bad advice or made the wrong calls you,re on a dodgy wicket - i've said before ES is a successful business man and he has supported us financially - but the detailed football know how is not quite right - y e t - DA and hopefully LC will get it right and ES will back us - mind as I've said just my opinion - you could well be right - as long as we are successful we'll all be happy - KTF but Expect The Unexpected .
Agree just think DA is getting it sorted - just need fit players now - again my opinion - KTF and ETU
If bad advice is the problem, then sack the guys who gave it. It's pointless getting a new Chairman if he's going to get the same bad advice as Short did.
@dansafcman We can't sell players that nobody wants. I'm betting the Willow Pond wouldn't want them either! We might get a few out on loan but we're stuck with a few no-hopers until at least January or next summer.
