Image: No sooner had I said we would hold fire for official news than Sunderland AFC announce the signing of Wes Brown from Manchester United.
No immediate word on John O’Shea and/or Darron Gibson, also attracting our interest, but it is fair to assume there will be movement one way or the other on either or both of them before long.
Salut! Sunderland offers a warm welcome to Wes, who arrives in one of those infuriating and frankly meaningless “undisclosed fee” transfers (take your pick amid the speculated fees you will find all over the press, on TV and radio and online, and simply laugh in the face of any SAFC official who tells you “that’s not the right figure”). The first one I found one said the fee was “in the region of £1m”, with payments to United rising to £12m if we also buy Gibson and O’Shea; you may be able to raise me on those figures.
Here is what safc.com has to say about the defender’s signing:
Former England international Brown has has put pen to paper on a four-year deal … The 31 year-old moves to Wearside with a wealth of experience, including five Premier League winners’ medals, two Champions League medals and having won both the FA Cup and League Cup on two occasions with United. Brown made 361 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 5 goals. He has also represented his country 23 times, chipping in with one goal during the Three Lions draw with the Czech Republic in 2008.
Salut! Sunderland readers are invited to add their own thoughts to the transfer activity so far …
Sarah Palin is a friend of mine – you’ll be hearing from her lawyers regarding your slanderous defammation.
I don’t think they’d let Gyan play in any other colour. That’s a blatant infringement of FA regulations.
The only thing I’ve ever done from the start is to defend a manager who has given us way more to be hopeful about than any of his predecessors. And to blame him for last seasons collapse is incredibly short-sighted considering the luck he had with injuries. The impatient “off with his head” brigade deserve a noisy rebuttal, considering the sheer rubbish we endured before Sir Steve Bruce came along. It’s tragic that you can’t see his potential, and the improvements after two short seasons.
Just for you Bill – here’s a quote from the greatest manager ever to walk the earth – Sir Alex Ferguson – “It’s always the hardest of decisions to let loyal servants go. But life moves on and, unquestionably, Wes will get the chance to make a real contribution to Steve Bruce’s Sunderland and I’m delighted to be passing him into such good hands” – what so you want to say to Sir Alex about this?? Because you know best – right?
You don’t have to edit this Colin – I’m done with BT. I’m moving on to something a little more challenging, (I have a banana to peel) Just gonna let the team do the talking and watch out for Bill’s “It’s well documented that myself and Martin “butted heads” – but now I’ve seen the light” comments. ( I think he posted that 3 times last season (1st half of course) Then the team suffered 8000 injuries and the butting of heads re-commenced.
Totally stunning news about the Screws of the World. It’s also been good that Big Willie and Babykins didn’t come near Toronto.
Sorry about the negativity, but I’ve lost faith in SB. He made some good signings last year, too, and then misused them. I would love to be proved wrong but seeing will be believing.
Bill, stop all this negativity. I know that Canada has just suffered a “Royal Visit” and that is enough to depress any sane person,but you do need to lighten up. These are good, experienced signings. It fills me with optimism. Look at what other clubs at our level (Stoke, Villa, Newcastle etc.) have signed and we are weeks ahead of them. Bruce and Black have to earn their money now and I still think that there is one more to come.
Stunning news about TNOTW. Murdoch running scared; never, ever thought I would see that.
If the Sarah Palin of Salut! Sunderland (noisy and nonsensical) had been paying attention, he’d have noticed my recent comments on other posts. Including the fact that I was the first here to notice Brown was seriously on Sunderland’s radar.
But to reiterate my thoughts: Yes, the team looks very good on paper. It did last year, too. I’m still very doubtful that Gyan will start the season in red and white. I also have great fears that Bruce will decide Ji Dong-won isn’t “ready” for the Premiership and will keep him on the bench until January when he can be sold on. As for the free transfers we’ve picked up, well, you get you pay for…
Well said Pete. They will bring us what we were missing last season. And with them in the team I can’t envisage a repeat of the St James’s debacle. What impresses me is our pulling power! A few years ago, Hell would freeze over before some of our recent signings would come to SAFC. Even better than that, players and former players are all telling their colleagues what a great club it is to play for. And where’s all the “Dooms-dayers” – Shakespear and Taylor? Gone into hiding is my guess.
Brown and O’Shea are excellent signings and I am sure that they will strengthen us mentally and physically. Both tackle well and both can actually use the ball – something our current crop of central defenders are poor at. They also know how to win and how to dig deep when things may not be going their way.
Vaughan looks likely to sign today and we have a new CEO
(unfortunately not me, so back to the application form for trolley collector at Sainsbury’s) and a new finance director.
What an intetesting couple of days. Carlos Tevez next, anyone?
A very good signing for us. I hope his injury issues don’t come back but I think he was fit last season,-just didn’t get in the team which is a frustration for him.
I think he’ll feature in a good solid back 4 next season.
Now, if we get O Shea, he’ll also be useful and add the dimension of height as he is 6ft3in.
I think we’ve made some good signings this year.
I am not sure we need Gibson to be honest, and there’s even talk of Vaughn coming in on a free. We’ll see what happens.
Brown will be an excellent addition to our back four, he, along with O’Shea will bring exactly the right attitude and experience needed to help us avoid a bad run as per the last two seasons, I cannot see either of them being anything other than a success. Good work SB!
Good signing but 4 year contract for a player who will be 32 in October?
I think that the (suggested) fee of £1M is, probably, correct when the length of contract is considered.
Yes, it meant Man Utd taking less than they hoped for BUT it allowed them to get a player off of their books who, it must be remembered called SAF a c**t and had no future at the club.
It would, also, have allowed SAFC to pay a substantial signing on fee and then kept WB’s salary within the club’s wage structure.
In other words the £2/3/4M difference between the original guestimated fee and the suggested actual fee will be used to cover contract length and any difference between his Man Utd salary and that he has agreed to at SAFC.
All in all, it makes no difference to SAFC.
That’s my take on things, for what it’s worth!
Excellent signing – I shall now be able to get Brown printed on the back of my strip
Wes brown is vastly underated. You will find him to be solid and reliable. Hes also technically very good aswell
Best wishes to Wes , Brucie and to Sunderland FC, this lad will give you 100% and bring with him the winning mentality installed in all the players at United, we will miss you Wes but good luck.