I'd love to knee cap the lot of them:- Billy Jones has revealed that unhappy players have acted up in training – but insists that the crop of Sunderland players at the club now are fully focused on fighting for the cause. Jones insists that manager Chris Coleman is building a fully committed squad as the Black Cats fight to beat the Championship drop. Coleman has regularly insisted that he will move on any players who do not want to be at the club, and January has already seen a number of players head for the exit – Lewis Grabban and James Vaughan the most high profile. More departures are expected this month, and Jones believes that after some difficult periods, the effects are already showing on the training ground. He said: “Obviously where we are in the table shows that it has been a tough time. “We’ve got 19 games and we know that we’re in a battle. The gaffer has said that he’s all in, and if any of us are not all in he’ll be looking to move us on. “These are tough times, but hopefully we can get a win this weekend and start moving up the table. “The training group that is out there today, everyone seems to be working hard, putting it in and 100% committed for this weekend. “Obviously we have been in training, situations have cropped up where you have seen players who particularly aren’t happy, maybe want to leave, they can act (up) a bit, start to interrupt the sessions. “At this moment in time everyone out there is focused on getting the result this weekend.” With Sunderland entrenched in a battle at the bottom, Coleman has warned the squad that they must be prepared to scrap, saying ‘you don’t go into a dogfight with kittens’ and Jones believes that the dressing room is united and prepared to scrap for each other in a bid to get out of trouble. Asked about any friction in the ranks, Jones said: “I would say that I am not really feeling that at this moment in time in the dressing room. It’s good. “Everyone training in there, you feel like they are going to give their all for the club and for yourself as a team-mate. “That’s all that you want as a team-mate, to look to the front or to the side knowing that they are going to give everything they have for you and work their hardest. “That’s the way that I feel about all of the team-mates out there training at this moment in time.” The Black Cats face fellow strugglers Hull City and Birmingham City in their next two league fixtures, with the transfer window shutting a day after the trip to St Andrews. Coleman is desperate to add new faces as soon as possible, and Jones believes that any new additions would act as a big boost to the dressing room. He said: “It’s an important transfer window and it is a boost to get new players in, competition for places is massive and it really does help the squad. “I’m sure that the manager and the club are working their hardest to bring in the type of players that we need and the gaffer wants.”
It does feel like they're becoming a more cohesive unit this season and more so under Coleman. It's just a shame that they're made up of Billy Jones'. Still, apart from the obvious exceptions that we all know about I think we've been happy with the effort that they're putting in at least.
Fair play to Billy Jones for going public about it. I don't know how some of the twatz at our club have the audacity to call themselves professionals.
If this is happening then the problems should be excluded from the session and sent home. Should not tolerate this from professionals No problems.
To be fair to Jonesy he is a bit like Bardo. Not the best in the world but at least gives 100% when he is on the pitch. I would prefer his honest endeavour than Kone, N'dong or Rodders playing who couldnt give a flying one about the club.
Got this horrible feeling Jones came out before a match once before and said this and we got hammered in the next match.
Yeah I don't have a problem with Jones, anyone who consistently tries their best is ok by me. He's the defensive equivalent of Vaughan really.
Absolutely - although they're all millionaires so losing a weeks wage to them is like me losing a tenner! Gutted at first, but it doesn't really have an impact on anything!!
The money could go to better use though, surely. There’s at least £150,000 worth of wasted wages at our club every week. That could do wonders for local charities