Cest - I can tell you now that I'm one who is worried.... MON has had plenty of time to scout the market. I admit that just because I don't know what they (MON & the board) are doing does lead me to think they are doing very little and this is simply because I'm used to Bruce doing his dirty washing in public. Times change.... I know the club are trying. We all know that, we are not all "stupid" - WE ARE JUST WORRIED. The only saving grace is MON has always done well with all his sides. If I remember rightly last week YOU were the one who created the thread about Sess and something being fishy with him not playing. That is man management skill and that's MON's job to handle that side of things. So even you were questioning him whether it was directly or indirectly. Just to recap for you Cest.... I'm bloody worried because we were in a hole and the push he (MON) gave the lads last year won't have the same effect this season. We need players and we need them now... MY OPINION...!!!!
Every club in the lands fans are wondering what is going on with transfers at present. Nobody is signing anyone bar the odd big move like a Cazorla, Podolski, Rodwell, Kagawa, Hazard etc. The middle and lower level transfers are just not taking place for whatever reason. It maybe that they have had to accept that deals will not happen prior to the season. Better to get the right one on August 31st than get a knacker tomorrow. Obviously all the clubs have had a long time to sort deals but the delays are mainly down to agents in my opinion. Its not hard to work out what's happening really. The financial landscape has changed and quite rightly club are approaching incoming transfers with a more prudent approach. The one set of people this definetly does not suit is agents as the more a player moves for and earns, the better off they are. So we now have a game of brinkmanship between agents and clubs. The agents theory being that they will get desperate eventually. I think this is a case of once two or three deals happen the floodgates will open. When that will be is unknown but unfortunately it could be deep into the window.
I keep hearing transfers just haven't happened but they have. Maybe not a record breaking summer but I think that's down to the FFP rules coming in. Arsenal 3-£45m Aston Villa 4-10m Chelsea 4-£80m Everton 2-£5m Fulham 3-N/A Liverpool 2-£25m City 1-£12m United 2-£20m Newcastle 3-£1m Norwich 4-£10m QPR 6-£10m Reading 6-£5m Southampton 4-£10m Stoke 3-£2m Swansea 3-£5m Tottenham 2-£20m WBA 5-£5m West Ham 8-£15m Wigan 2-£4m Us and Fulham are the only two teams who haven't yet spent any money what so ever.
West Ham have done fantastic business for that £15million, Arsenal have signed genuine top class players for £45million.
Those figures were slightly speculative mind. Numbers of players is up to date I think but you may have to give/take a million here or there.
Most of those will be squad fillers barring one or two. We need people to go straight into the team which may take a bit longer. Don't worry MON will come good.
West Ham may have signed some good players in Diarra, Diame, Maiga but you'd have to wonder what sort of wages they are paying to get these guys to sign for them. They will be paying way over the odds as usual I guarantee it. That is just short termism at its worst to be honest. The rest have signed mainly squad players. The problem Sunderland have is they need key first team players. First off strikers are the single most difficult commodity to pin down. We waited 18 months to sign Cisse because the deal was too rich. We were feeling a little apprehensive going in with Best, Shola, an unproven Ba, and Lovenkrands last season but you find players step up to the mark and take their chance. I believe Ji might just do that for you guys. Good quality left backs are like rocking horse ****, full stop. I'd say you then need a creative force in midfield. He needs a Petrov type signing. I'd maybe have a look at Ki of Celtic. The pull of having a fellow countryman might swing it. The players of the quality you need are difficult transfers to make happen, even more so in a difficult marketplace. Yeah plenty have signed players but I'd be surprised if many have actually signed first teamers. If you have to go a month of the season without them is it really that bad? Better that than buy some mediocre or squad players now, only to find its done little to improve you're overall quality. Fair play if come September 1st you're sitting with nowt you'd have every right to hit panic!
as we proved last season you dont need to spend money to make a good signing. Cuellar could turn out to be exceptional for you.
Up till now i have refrained from any page on here of doom and gloom, truth told, **** the fair play rules, its an owners dream, for not shelling out, it only comes in to force if we get into Yewrope, And the lads on here think top 10 with 4 good signings. so if we not in Europe lets balance the books later, otherwise season tickets, shirt sales all will suffer if a bottom end fight is all we have to look forward to
Southampton or Villa are the club Holloway has accused of tapping up Phillips not ourselves, another "reliably informed" (but understandable as we were linked) bites the dust. As an aside, apparently Sunderland are not that close to making any decisions over transfer targets............................
Never let a bad word be said against the club or the manager eh? It's al opinions and nothing more... But facts are facts, we are weaker than the ****e team that finished last season.......................that's not to say without some good luck luck and a few players we can still make everyone proud. Time patience and reality is called for. MoN is not the messiah as some make him out, he's just another manager.
No-one is having a pop at MON, all we know is what is a strong possibility if we don't get at least 2 proven strikers, I certainly don't want that for my team, I don't want it to happen to MON, I keep saying MON wanted new players in before the season started, now he's happy to wait till after the season starts, what's going on?
Spot on, I too have been told by someone ITK that Villa are the club who have allegedly tapped up Phillips
I'm sorry if I have upset delicate little souls like shiney but there has been criticism, even if that is slightly veiled at times and one post even asked who was to blame, either short, Byrne or Mon? Blame for what exactly? Trying to run the club efficiently, professionally and correctly? Everyone at the club acknowledges new players are needed and the club is trying to rectify that. It's probably no less frustrating for the owner and manager than it is us that things are dragging but to even suggest that there are problems or disagreements that may lead to Mon walking are just stupid and without basis. There are some who didn't want Mon in the first place and are itching to have a proper dig. I'm putting my opinion forward in defence. If anyone doesn't like that then I really don't give a ****e tbh. If those that don't like my point of view then put your point over. I will really shove some posters words back down their mouths when signings are made.
Humility is the order of the day for all. Not long ago we were the 'North Easts top dogs'. People need to be a bit more tolerant and less about one upping each other and shoving words down peoples throats. People are worried. They've spent years of their life and a lot of their money supporting our club. That's earnt them the right to worry. They're doing the club no harm. They're just less optimistic. No need for strong words because of a little worry and concern.
I am one of those fans too though and have the same right to have a go when I see fit surely? Or is this only open to critics and not defenders oe the manager and owner? Also, Comm, if he is just 'another' manager and nowt special, who would you rather have?
