Malcolm Dawson writes… …this afternoon’s announcement that the club has served notice on Didier Ndong has surely come as no surprise. The club’s record signing who stated his intention not to play for the club again could surely not have expected to be taken back into the fold after a five month no show. His return to Wearside over the weekend was perhaps the last throw of the dice for a player who must have lost at least £600,000 in wages after the club had rightly refused to pay him and on seeing the closure of the Portugese transfer window realised that he would be losing up to a £1 million and maybe more.
From Sunderland’s perspective, although I am sure that there are legal implications still impacting on their recruitment policy, officially getting him, together with Papi Djilobodji off the payroll, will make meeting Financial Fair Play requirements that much easier.
One can feel no sympathy for either of these players, both of whom reportedly had opportunities to sign for new clubs over the summer, which failed to materialise for whatever reason. How much the players’ own greed or that of their agents affected these decisions I have no idea, but I applaud the new regime in charge of SAFC for their stance and their refusal to cow tow (kowtow/ kau tau / khàu-thâu) to these two and their representatives.
What now for the two? I don’t know and I don’t really care. It is suggested the club will be looking to recoup some of the lost income they might have got from the sale of these players, although the costs involved in pursuing such a case through legal channels may prove to be prohibitive and I have no doubt the players and their representatives are considering counter action against the club.
They can surely have no case and the club can point to the way they have honoured their contracts with Cattermole and Oviedo, who are still on Premiership wages and to Kone and Khazri, who were both allowed to move on favourable terms.
We await developments. Meantime here is the club statement in full (courtesy of www.safc.com)….
Sunderland AFC has given notice under its contract with Didier Ndong. The player, who was under contract with the club until June 2021, failed to return to Sunderland for pre-season training in July as scheduled, nor in the subsequent months that followed. No reason was given for his failure to report and continued absence.
As a result, the club has accepted Didier Ndong’s repudiatory breaches of contract and notice of the same has been provided to the player. Sunderland AFC does so whilst retaining the right to pursue the player and any club he may subsequently join in relation to compensation for the value of the player.
The irony [ if that’s the word ] is that Division One is about the right level for these two clowns [ Papy and N’Dong ]
Neither of them ever looked remotely up to Championship standard, let alone the PL.
In Div One they may have been able look half decent, and have been able to take their game up a notch or two and actually make a career for themselves. Instead, they may well have made themselves unemployable. Who in their right mind would want to sign them after their recent shenanigans? Oh, I forgot. David Moyes might.
But who will sign on David Moyes, I wonder, after his departure from the London Stadium? I have a friend who’s a diehard West Ham supporter. I guarantee that right now I’m having a much better time than he is.
A good article nonetheless
Bovine supplication aside, both of these reprobates are fine examples of the flawed recruitment campaigns of the past. Totally mercenary, over priced, over paid and neither brought very much to the table in terms of their footballing ability.
Neither would get in the current starting 11 with possibly Ndong making the bench, but I would rather have Power on than Ndong.
Both were expensive mistakes for the Club and wages excepted we will lose out in terms of fees for either. Hopefully that’s the last skeletons in the cupboard form the last regime and we can now move on with the new spirit of the Club.
The article refers to ‘Cow Tow’ instead of kowtow/ kau tau / khàu-thâu ……….I know, the world hates a smart arse!!!!
I stand corrected and my only defence was I did it in a hurry! It’s usually me that picks these things up though it’s always easier when you are reading someone else’s work and not your own.
Though Malcolm there was a rogue apostrophe in your intro to the last soapbox. I didn’t comment for fear of looking picky. Kowtow or kow tow? Interesting word
Well you should point these things out as you know I have OCD! You would be amazed at how many edits I make, not only to my pieces, but to all the other contributors’ work too but I hate it when a mistake slips through.
Life was a lot easier when I used a red pen!
Now I’m off to suck my thumb, have a good pout and read “Eats, shoots and leaves.”
I can’t recall us sacking a player ever like this,let alone 2 in a month. We are living in very strange times. They can hardly claim any sort of defense having just not bothered to turn up for work.
I am much preferring watching so-called lower class players really making an effort in League 1 than watching those overpaid prima donnas in the PL.
Diddums N’Dong and Papy Dodgybilly are two of the biggest wastes of space ever to have set foot on Wearside. I can’t think of the other one. Perhaps M Salut could offer a mug for the right answer. I would imagine the first entry would be correct. Good riddance.