this sums it up perfectly... http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=745077 I think after the season ended we were all in high spirits to see who we would get and kick on but what a failure it has been. My best mate who doesn't pay to much attention to football well his girlfriend currently shares a flat with our Irish winger's girlfriend. Well my mate has got to know this footballer really well, always the four of them going out in Newcastle for food and that and he has told him about me being a massive Sunderland fans and the footballer who classes my mate as a mate himself said whenever we want to go we can go in his box to watch the game and everything sorted for by him. When my mate told me this earlier on in the season (probs after second or third game) I was really excited as I can't get to many games as none of my mates are Sunderland fans and I have other commitments mostly work on Saturdays and thats why I packed my season ticket in a few years ago but now I can't be bothered at all to go and watch that shower of *****. I think its very obvious who I am on about but I am not naming names. Reading those opinions on the SMB it certainly shows that there is a number of fans out there and there will be on here to, I doesn't make you less of a fan but MoN needs to go and if the club have read that then they should be worried big style. Since I seen us play against Hartlepool in pre season and seen us this season my worry is we are not as fit as other teams, we don't seem to have the energy that we did when Brucie was here as we seem to be blowing out of our backsides well before the 90th minute mark and this surely has got something to do with how we train and how often we train and is this the reason why we are not doing what we done under Brucie and MoN when he came in and pressed high up the pitch and didn't give anyone anytime on the ball and won in back soon afterwards? I don't know but something is the matter. The people who want MoN in then thats fair enough, everyone is entitled to there own opinion but honestly can anyone see him turning it around? Can you see us winning a couple of games on the trot and going on a run because I can't, even after Fulham a couple of weeks back you new it was a one off, we were absolutely shocking, the performances were never as bad as this under bloody useless Brucie. 2 wins in 20 odd games speaks for itself and you can tell it is affecting MoN by the way he is on the touchline and the way he acts in interviews, usually he comes over as a very intelligent man but of late he is coming over as a bumbling idiot. What this club needs IMO is not MoN going out and signing 4 or 5 players in January even though it would help we need a new manager who will come in and add fresh idea's and spark us into life and get the fans interested. I agree you cannot change managers all the time but you cannot just stick with someone who doesn't at all look like turning it around for the sake of not changing things, at the way we are going we are going to be in a relegation battle and I don't think I have seen 3 worse teams than us this season.
If we got in, say, Martinez (I don;t think he'd come here to be honest)and things didn't get any better, how long would he get? how long would it take before people wanted him sacked and we turned into a laughing stock like Chelsea? Tomorrow will mark one year as our manager for O'Neill - that's one year. Sunderland fans are far too fickle -we seem to be expecting success when it basically isn't going to happen - I am fully behind the manager. Things aren't going well but surely support is better than derision in these situations?? Who is better out there (and available, and would be interested and, most importantly, would be given a chance to get things right by the fans) - Martinez? wouldn't get long IMO Stick with what we've got IMO - if our fans can turn on a proven manage and Sunderland supporter only 12 months to turn things around, then how long will an unproven manager get?
While I agree we've been poor this year and don't even deserve the 13 points, I want to stick with MON. Before the season started I think we all expected more than this but the poor performances of AJ, Jimmy Mac and Sess, our 3 most creative players, together with the lacklustre play of Jack and Seb in midfield have rendered our attack toothless. Fletch looks good but lonely and no one else has had much time playing as a partner with him. Saha, Frazier, Ji and Connor have shown nothing albeit being given limited (or no) time on the pitch. So what's wrong then? Most of us reckon it's the system of playing 1 up front, even at home against the bottom club who had not won a game this season. That is MON's decision and although I disagree with it he doesn't have a lot of riches to choose from. God knows what will happen if Fletch gets a long term injury. The way MON wants to play (I think) is quick breaks on the wings and with AJ and Jimmy Mac, that should happen. You can see what he wants Sess to do as a support striker/attacking midfielder and we know what Seb and Gardiner can do with set plays, but it's not happening. Probably the best signing we could do in January would be Robertson to do the hands on training part that Marty seems to avoid. Maybe we could find a similar type of partner for Marty to work with. I want to keep MON because he's been a success everywhere he has been so far and I'm sure will end up being a success here. We can't change managers each time a poor run of results happens 'cos that means starting all over again. Anyhow, who would we get? Apart from Moyes there's no one available that I'd want and we wouldn't get Moyes anyway. We should stick with Marty. The 5 brought in have all been canny additions. Danny and Fletch both top players, Cuellar is a steady player, AJ will come good and Saha cost nothing so we can't really complain too much. Let's see what January brings. Anyway, being Sunderland we'll probably beat Man U, Chelsea and Spurs as well as lose to Norwich and Reading. Beat Arsenal away in the FA cup or lose at home to Halifax.
Lets not forget. We gave his Bruceness 3 years. And every year was the same. Decent start. Torrid finish. Everton have had worse starts than this, and not once was Moyes' head called for. Keep the faith. Or else we might end up like them up the road.
Didn't all give him 3 years - people were shouting for his head an awful lot earlier than the 3 year mark - he was given the first season but when things went wrong in the second season and the run started to go badly. I don't think it matters who manages Sunderland - if things go wrong and we had 24 injuries out of our 25 man squad the fans would still want the manager sacked
I want to give MON more time but... since March we have only won 3 in the league, (since giving McLean a new contract but surely thats just coincidence) and twice this season both against 10 men. The football was quite good, counter attacking football and a few chances, we dont even make that many chances now, and its boring to watch, Merson on Wed on sky said at 1/2 time, 0-0 and rubbish. it finished 0-0 and was rubbsh other commentators have said the same. Teams are not scared of us, for the most part our defence is OK, our midfield isnt, and fletch up front by himself just isnt working. I personally think that any manager at any club, doesnt matter what his experience is and if he supported the team as a kid, would be under pressure with the stats and the way we have played in recent months, Saying we would be a laughing stock if we sacked him is bollox, if he isnt getting results and the team is playing ****, then its justified imho. (and even if we were a laughing stock, rather that than relegation/relegation fight/watching **** every week). Do I know what the answer is, no thats up to Short, but atm he is a dead man walking for me, which is a shame but thats just how it is, its a results/entertainment driven business, he isnt doing either.
The OP's 2nd paragraph opens up with... "Not sure if it's apathy finally setting in after over 30 years" So, upon the basis of somebody not being sure if he is apathetic after 30 years, we ought to sack MON? Interesting logic... The problem of apathy is far bigger than MON, the problem is football in general... Overpaid lazy twats who don't give 100%, 100% of the time. Dodgy ref's and a corrupt FA, favourtism for the 'big clubs'. The media circus of events like 'monkey boy'. Football pundits who distort the circumstances of decisions out of all proportion, (talksport as an example) a bunch of maggots feeding off the carcus of a very large money making business by 'discussing topics' that are deliberately designed to screw the average football fans emotions into calling into 'the show' for a rant live on air. A completely overly saturated TV schedule of games to view on TV. Heck I mean, if you screw you're fiance every night for 3 months you even become bored of sex... Football needs to become a rarer commodity so that we feel excited about matchday's once again. We ought to return to saturday and tues/weds like 'the good old days' and that is what will happen when the apathy of the OP from that thread on the other forum takes seed in the mind of the average football fan because the demand for viewing games will drop. Other issues that don't help are when you go to the match and you're ordered around by a jumped up little hitla that call themselves matchday stewards. We don't have standing anymore, if you stand you are thrown out... The rules of the clubs are strangling the passion out of the average football fan... Changing MON won't change the price of a pint of cheap fizzy beer, it won't replace the mentality of the average matchday steward, it won't bring back match standing, it won't stop the dodgy ref's and FA from quietly going about their deceptions and it won't stop the number of games that are readily available to view on the TV. MON is about the best our club could ever hope for in a manager and that is why anybody with an ounce of sense will understand why we have to see this rough patch through and give the manager an opportunity to build his own squad for start... Too many people with too many expectations of immediate success. If we are playing like this after 3 years when MON has had the opportunity to mould his own squad then I'm sure MON will walk for free, as opposed to the the average manager who wait for the shekels before being shown the door.
Still doing better than Pardew on recent form and they aren't beying for his head (This is NOT a dig at Newcastle by the way - more a "look at the fact the the fans are willing to give him time")
if he is still playing like this in 3 years, we will be in league 2 I mentioned in another thread, when we have got managers in with pedigree its all went tits up. Lawrie was a good manager for Southampton he came here and was a disaster (fa cup winner, league cup final, 2nd in the league) Wilkinson worked wonders at leeds, promoted then won the 1st division, came to us was a disaster MON great manager, atm watch this space but its not good thats for sure. I will support him and cross my fingers and toes for a turnaround but there has to come a time when we all just have to say enough is enough if he doesnt turn it around. PS: I dont give a crap about Newcastle, but a lot of them are baying for his head, the fact that he got them Europe last season is helping him though.
Why do people keep banging on about Martinez? What has he ever won? His team fights a relegation battle every season and don't think cos we are financially better of than Wigan that he would become a success. He's unproven and seems to me to be very loyal to Wigan and their chairman, ho WOULDN'T come to us. Forget him. Who else is available that would jump at the chance to come to us? Hughes, no ****ing thank you. Honestly can't think of anyone else right now.
Win three games out of six and we're mid-table & I am hoping we're getting our crapness out of the way early on. Martinez isn't coming (Whelan won't let us nick him after Bruce and Catts) so who else is there? Moyes? NO WAY will Everton let him come and, TBH, why would he? MON has a track record that merits more than 12 months if you ask me.
people are harping on about Martinez because he has kept them up season after season, he also plays nice attractive football Martinez is the one that got the Swansea ball rolling and how they play. Personally i am not sure about him, and this who else is there, no one, we should stick with MON is crap imho, i think we would be surprised at the managers that would apply for a vacancy, OK it wont be Guadiola/Mourinho standard but it will be better than Hughes and League 1 managers. or I hope it would be lol
Oh ffs sake... Clutching at other's opinions.. You either want him to stay or you don't... Grow a pair and and say it... MoN in..................for now.
MON certainly isn't untouchable but give the fella a few years... If we go down we go down... Steve Bruce was right, "We are only Sunderland"
If we went down fighting then yes i would agree, but its this lack of chances, yes WBA we seemed to be turning that around then it reared its ugly head against QPR again. The Club wants bums on seats, if we go down most will just say **** it, Newcastle only got (nearly) full houses as a lot of fans had already bought into the 3/10 year scheme so already had season tickets, they may still have got full houses anyway but 2-4 seasons down there they wouldnt have. They also managed to hold onto the core of their players, I just dont think we would be able to. Championship football we would win games and create chances but I really dont want to go down there again.
WBA was great, QPR was crap, no doubt. Time is running out for this season but we might turn it around and have a comfortable end. Hopefully we can bring in a striker and centre mid during Jan and I think that will be enough. Don't have to spend big, even a decent loan will do. We survice and live to fight another day... A few more in the summer and who know's. We could be watching a classic MON team bombing down the wings slinging crosses in at the top half of the table.
