Who goes down?

Sunderland ITK posters say it's Kevin Ball.

 

Didn't Sunderland nearly appoint Steve McClaren instead of Di Canio last season?

 

Tony Pulis?

 

He's Welsh, didn't they say they were going for an Englishman? Redkrapp has apparently said Sunderland is his spiritual home....

 

Di Matteo will have his work cut out.

 

At least temporarily.

 

Speaking about Paolo, I thought Sunderland had no choice but to sack, even ignoring the off pitch stuff, things were not going well for him and there was no evidence that he had any kind of plan for how the team was going to play, even with all those new players. Still, all is not recovered now, in all the carnage no one really noticed that Fletcher is out for months again. And I am convinced they have simply bought a huge lot of average players. After all these home games they will undoubtedly be down there, just need to scrape some points out of it and commence great escape in about January. Not gonna be fun for the supporters.

 

or for the new manager whose hands are tied until January! I agree with you Q. DC bought at best average players and arguably let Sessegnon their best leave!

 

I hadn't realised this either, what's up with him now?

 

He injured his shoulder on Saturday. Looked like it was dislocated.

 

They could stick with Ball until then if people like Di Matteo aren't tempted. And I'm guessing the new guy won't be able to go and get five more players in the transfer window. How long until Gary Neville gets a job?

 

I'd say that very much depends on the results! If they are relegated by xmas I don't imagine they will have a lot of choice then.

Unless they want to further enhance Redknapp's pension fund of course.

 

Can't spare Neville from Sky...good pundits hard to come by. Management is a stressful job...much better to draw a decent wedge and work on TV. As they say, your first day in football management is just one day nearer being sacked.

 

Did he buy them? Don't they have a "director Of Football"? Either way, Di Canio was adamant they could begin to gel given time, but in this case time wasn't given. Sounds to me like Ellis Short has panicked a bit.

 

Really stupid decision to sack him this soon. They never give a manager time to make a squad his own. Di Canio was clearly planning for the future with his signings.

 

All reports say that the squad had generally turned against him, which would make his job impossible so he had to go. He shot himself in the foot and was not sacked due to his teams crap start. Pardew could be going the same way although he is best buds with the owner.

 

Di Canio did not make the signings aswell, something which was rumoured to be a further part in his downfall. He alledgedly didn't rate some of the players the DoF was bringing in. Sunderland have gone for a system where the manager is solely there to choose formations/which players to fit into it from the existing squad which has been assembled by the DoF and scouting team.

 

Interesting that just a win against a league one club has led to calls for Ball to be given the job long term. Still anything has to be better than Mclaren!

 

Di Canio's signing were poor bar Diakite (poor spelling I know), and Giaccherini (Googled it), the rest all seem a bit mediocre.

 

Time will tell Jake. Fact is though whoever takes over is stuck with this squad until the window opens again!