For Paul Summerside, the time is right to wish a happy 2018 to all at Salut! Sunderland and its Facebook page – and to reflect on “Groundhog Day. 2017 revisited”. It’s hardly an open letter to Ellis Short, more a quick reminder that if we set aside changes in personnel, what is needed now if Sunderland are to avoid a humiliating drop into the third tier is pretty much what was needed a year ago …
Different year … same SAFC.
* our chairman was told in the summer our relegated squad needed an experienced old school manager. So Simon Grayson was appointed, but with a negligible budget
* our chairman was told by Grayson that we have a top six squad getting bottom six results
* our chairman was told that the players mustn’t be trying for the manager. So the inevitable sacking happened
* our chairman was told to invest in a young manager, used to playing a style of football which suits the squad, a style with no style but one that gets results. So smash and grab expert Chris Coleman was appointed
* our chairman is being told we have improved as a result of this
In fact, under Coleman we are only marginally better than under Grayson. We remain a bottom six relegation-threatened side [rock bottom after Birmingham’s win at Reading – Ed]
The common denominators are:
1 the squad
2 what the chairman is being told by his closest advisor
Well I’m telling you this, Ellis, your squad is paper thin and riddled with 5/10 players who occasionally get a 7/10.
Chris Coleman has hope, belief and crowd support but desperately needs financial support in January.
My advice for 2018 is identical to that of 2017….
1 stop listening to Martin Bain
2 invest in CC and give him the four players he needs
….or relegation beckons
And for a few moments of distraction, whu not have a go at guessing the score in Saturday’s early kickoff, the FA Cup third round at Boro? There’s a prize as usual for the winner …
This was my best mate’s text reaction to the Barnsley game. I was back home for the game but couldn’t go due to the dreaded lergy…..I think I had more fun drowning in Penderyn whisky…….
“It was shit unfortunately ,
I took my son to the Quinns bar as a treat. It was f*****g woeful in there , the staff, the service, the value – all terrible . I will never pay money to go to the SoL again for a very long time .The attitude of not caring is at every level of the club now. It was good to have a few pints but that was basically as good as it got.”
We are an absolute shambles facing extinction. Only Short can ultimately change this , remember his recent interview stating he wants us to be a top 6 premier club ? It would be funny if it wasn’t so utterly pathetic.
We are not a bottom 6 side, we are BOTTOM…
Let’s just hope we find our level in Div 1.
Ellis Short now lives in Florida, following his son’s progress at a tennis academy.
How much interest does he have in Sunderland these days? Does he consider it a bad investment and one in which he doesn’t want to throw good money after bad?
The value of his investment will drop even lower if we get relegated again. Hopefully, he will see this and put his hand in his pocket.
I wonder if financial fair play rules prevent him putting in additional funds. Do we need to sell in order to buy? Can we get decent money for Ndong and Kone? Can we get Rodwell off the payroll?
We appear to be on a sink or swim exercise now and making do with players out funding players in.
CC will have to make his moves carefully he could be gone before he gets the suitcases unpacked.