Crisis Sunderland: Short out (about time), Coleman out (and his fault lay exactly where?)

Thanks, Chris

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Monsieur Salut writes: read on to learn what little we know about the welcome departure of E Short esquire as owner of SAFC. And here is the thoroughly inadequate SAFC statement on Chris Coleman’s sacking:

Sunderland AFC announces that manager Chris Coleman and his assistant Kit Symons have been released from their contracts. The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Chris and Kit for their tireless efforts in what has been a hugely disappointing season for everyone involved with the club. The club is unable to make further comment at this time.

We have waited a long time for the American recluse to speak. At last he has done so, to confirm the sale of Sunderland AFC and also – via the hapless communications dept – the departure of Chris Coleman and Kit Symons.

Monsieur Salut needs time to digest this. He also needs confirmation that Martin Bain, a staunch supporter of Coleman’s managership up to a few days ago, is out, too. Otherwise, what is the point, where is the honesty?
For now, I shall just say this: SAFC are not about to visit the lower reaches of the EFL for only the second time in history because of Coleman. He was not given a chance under the bumbling ownership of a man who even now says he will be a Sunderland fan for life.

My other instant response is that this club does not deserve the support we give it. But I may be wrong and am open to persuasion .. club statement follows:

25 thoughts on “Crisis Sunderland: Short out (about time), Coleman out (and his fault lay exactly where?)”

  1. Vince, Allardyce was accused of all the ‘faults’ Chris Coleman has been saddled with and it was only after spending money on Kone, Kazri and Kirchoff that we started to play like a team. Sadly Coleman didn’t have the luxury of spending ANY money. Do you believe he really hankered after the loan signings? I don’t

    • Ken,

      Good points,though Allardyce did lose Johnson’s services,though nothing to do with him.Canny signings which kept us up,no doubt.

      I’m totally despondent at the club really,just Coleman did not much to impress me on top of that,..well not enough to say I’d want him to stay,maybe he got a bad rub, but he had a chance to impress and he didn’t.Had we gone down with a fight I might say different,but to finish bottom and play so abjectly…what’s a manager for?we may as well not had one at all.

  2. If I read Mickey Gray’s latest tweet correctly (and I’m no twitter expert) he seems to think this is not the answer and could be a bad move. He has promised to reveal all in more tweety things and on TalkSport from 10.00 tomorrow. What does he know that we don’t? Worrying?

    • Yes would agree,the more I read the more I think something fishy is going on here.

      Is this a ploy by Ellis to get off the hook,he seems to be promising to write off all our debts…but is he?….this deal may fail yet and he looks like he was trying to be the good guy…just to have all fell apart at the last minute….then we are back to square one.

      • I’ve just listened to Mickey Gray’s thoughts and the information he has. Hopefully you can listen on catch up or elsewhere on the internet. It’s about 2 hours into Jim White’s programme. I’m certainly alarmed at what he had to say, especially the bit about having to find 14 new players (which can’t be done until the deal is ratified) and HAVING, YES HAVING to be promoted straight back to the Championship. He thinks if this is not achieved then administration is a possibility. He also says that the £40m parachute money still owing will be wiped out by player and staff wages, and that FIFA and Inter Milan are still chasing us for a resolution to the Alvarez dispute which could cost us £12 at least. And the, there’s Rodwell!

      • I have my doubts about the new ‘ consortium ‘ and I wouldn’t be too surprised if the EFL knock it back creating a huge ,paralysing legal battle . As for Mickey Gray, I get the impression they he was close to the other consortium and I hope this is just sour grapes and I hope I’m wrong.

      • Gray’s thoughts and knowledge are obviously just one side of the argument. However this needs to be resolved quickly. If not, we go into pre-season well behind other teams in the recruitment process and that has severely hampered us over the last couple of seasons. I will now sit back and see what unfolds.

  3. Not bothered about Coleman staying,his team picks,formations, tactics and subsitutions were not effective. We got no response at all from the team to his leadership far as I could see. At least Allardyce made a difference with what he had when he came..he also came to.a bad team but in a better league,…but we got nothing from Coleman’s arrival.The amount of goals we shipped in needed addressing but we never looked like doing that.I’d have expected better organisation defensively but every week we just got worse.Won’t be missed by me

    At least Ellis looks to have paid his contract off so the new owners can start with their own man/mistakes,would have been hard for them to sack Coleman as soon as they arrived or soon after if things did not turn out so good. I’m sure he will get a job somewhere in the mananger merry go round, eventually we will strike lucky and get one who lifts the supporters,lord knows we are not asking for much now.

    As I read somehwere Ellis has probably lost £250 miliion in 10 years so must gets some credit for leaving us with a chance,he has made some howling mistakes,but he has left us with some hope.

  4. Well a new era is about to start if EFL approve the takeover which i’m sure they will. I don’t know much about the people who are taking over,but they must be better than the clowns we have had in the past.I am really looking forward to see what happens,see who they bring in as manager,who will be staying and who will be leaving….I will be really interested to learn who these people are and what they are planning to do.Time will tell…KTF.

  5. The ‘other’ answers so far:

    * Purely on this season, no, hands tied. But if a condition of take over, yes

    * Depends who else they have

  6. So in typical Sunderland style, the news we were all waiting for was delivered on the back of needless sacking of an enthusiastic, committed, popular young manager. I’m pleased the club’s under new ownership and I thank Mr Short for balancing the books and giving them the best chance to succeed. For me ,they will starting with a black cloud over them after their rotten treatment of Coleman.

  7. I have been a long standing critic of Ellis Short’s running of the club but I have to give him credit for not bringing in the administrators. I’m assuming the new owners have someone in mind for the manager’s job but Eastleigh’s turnover in recent times has rivalled ours.

    Feel sorry for Coleman as like Grayson he took on a sinking ship but at least he seemed to understand how big a part the club plays in the region and he gave the impression that he really wanted to do the job and take the club forward.

    I’ll wait and see who is appointed before passing judgement on that decision but with Short gone and hopefully a new ethos at the club I can look forward to returning to the SOL next season.

  8. Coleman came to Sunderland because he wanted to be here. He never made excuses despite a complete lack of support from above, unlike Moyes. He had goalkeepers dropping clangers left, right and centre to frustrate any tentative steps forward, and no doubt a clique-ridden dressing room. Did he have a chance? Look at this season’s top 4 and then remind ourselves how Warnock and Bruce struggled in their first seasons with Cardiff and Villa, and with financial support too. Best wishes to a great character and an honest man.

    • Feel sorry for Coleman, but bringing in Camp was a serious misjudgement. Also not replacing Grabban and Vaughan with players with experience sent us down. Not Colemans fault, and how different the outcome would have been if we had spent £5m in January

  9. Not sure why – on this occasion anyway – you brand the Communications Department as “hapless”. There are obviously restrictions on what can be said until the sale is complete and those involved candraw breath. That said, I join those who are grateful for the clarity of the club’s ownership for next season and the speed with which this has been done so plans can be laid out quickly.

    • The first definition of hapless I came across was “the unfortunate victims of the disaster” and I cannot think of a better one, Ian. Hapless, not hopeless, thus powerless to say more than in all conscience needs to said and could be said without jeopardising any aspect of the change of ownership

      • Yes these club releases are rather anodyne;

        Definition “not likely to cause offence or disagreement and somewhat dull.”

        You can imagine them announcing the end of the world thus;

        “Sunderland AFC announces that the end of the world is nigh. The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to all its supporters ,previous managers and players for their tireless efforts in what have been hugely disappointing seasons for everyone involved with the club. The club is unable to make further comment at this end of time.”

  10. Since there a few ‘other’ responses to the poll questions – ie not straightforwardly for or against the sacking – rest assured that these will be revealed

  11. Great news that Ellis Short is finally able to sell the club. I don’t know much about the man leading the consortium although Eastleigh is apparently a well run club and financially stable. Chris Coleman had a lot of time to turn things around and unfortunately failed. I’m not keen on any of the names the bookies are bandying about but someone with experience and knowledge of lower league football is desperately needed. Step forward John Coleman of Accrington Stanley. Not a “sexy” appointment, I agree, but could be ideal.

  12. He is a manager Colin and his management of the team and tactics were not good enough look what Darren Moore has done at WBA in four games Coleman had about thirty and maulings against massive sides like Barnsley twice and little Brentford with very little money show that it can be done .His loan signings in the january window have been a disaster.

  13. He may not have been the reason we were relagated, but I couldn’t give you a convincing reason why I’d want him to stay on. I’ve never been so ambivalent about a manager departure.

    For now we’ve got to trust the new buyers and the project that they have in mind.

  14. We need a top to bottom clear out of the old regime for the new owners to rebuild the club.

  15. Great news about Short and -whether you like it or not, he has repaid a debt of honour by paying the debts. Coleman did nothing to inspire the players he inherited, made poor loan signings, and has a poor club track record. Now would not be the time to gamble on him being able to turn us around.

    Big Sam to return?

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