Sunderland

From the archives: as John O’Shea departs, let’s look back at looking at Paolo

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'You decide,' as Jake used to say. But is there a middle ground?
‘You decide,’ as Jake used to say. But is there a middle ground?

Monsieur Salut writes: Pete Sixsmith’s piece on the departures of John O’Shea, Robbie Stockdale and Adrian Tucker – a fond farewell but measured and excellently argued – got one or two talking about Paolo Di Canio. ‘JoS stood up to the ridiculous bullying of Di Canio,’ Pete wrote. Jeff, in response, felt PDC went ‘because players didn’t want to work hard and John was part of that’.

I have a good anecdote that concerns the infamous drinking culture at the club and supports the Sixer view of John O’Shea, but it is probably not one I can yet share without my informant’s consent. Ken Gambles, however, reminds me of a piece he wrote here back in 2014, at the time of the controversy about PDC’s man-management techniques and that can be repeated ….

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What a difference: the hope we cannot stand rises again at Sunderland

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[polldaddy poll=10001532]

Monsieur Salut keeps his promise (threat?) to repeat the obvious poll as developments present themselves. You can check the results for yourselves but as the number of votes cast reached 600, we were just above 82 per cent not just wanting but believing in promotion …

Salut! Sunderland’s associate editor John McCormick has already bagged naming rights should Jack Ross – could a Sunderland manager be blessed with a better moniker? – restore the tradition of post-match managerial e-mails.  They shall be called Ross on Why, and wye not?

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Donald’s ducked in, Jack’s the lad: what now for SAFC’s League One prospects?

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Nic Wiseman, not so long ago of this parish, and kindred spirits

For what it is worth, the bookies are already putting Sunderland among favourites to go up from League One next season. But as you’ll see at Betway sports betting they are naturally more concerned just now with flutters on the World Cup.

Unless we count Wahbi Khazri, whose form since going on loan to Rennes has won him a place in Tunisia’s provisional World Cup squad, the only Sunderland player who may feature in Russia is Bryan Oviedo, with Costa Rica. Senegal obviously had Papy Djilobodji watched while he was at Sunderland, where he was wretched, and not on loan at Dijon where he was a lot less accident-prone. In any case, none of the three seems remotely likely to be at the Stadium of Light when the League One season kicks off …

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Adieu Martin Bain

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Gone

Monsieur Salut knew, or had a good idea, this was coming, but thought it prudent not to say. Now it has happened. Martin Bain, CEO of Sunderland AFC, is now Martin Bain, ex-CEO of SAFC. No one takes his place because the “place” has been declared surplus to requirements – quite a dramatic change from being one considered worthy of £1.2m a year.

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SAFC takeover: done and dusted with a £40m price tag and, soon, a new manager

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Keeping the faith

Monsieur Salut couldn’t be in Sunderland today but pieces together the bits he has gleaned about the confirmed purchase of SAFC …

 

Stewart Donald confirmed today that his takeover of Sunderland AFC from Ellis Short had been completed. The club is now debt-free after Short accepted a £40m purchase price to be paid over two years.

Donald told a news conference at the Stadium of Light that the takeover was concluded on Sunday night after being approved by the EFL on Friday.

He said it was his hope to have a new manager appointed in a week or less to give him as much of the summer as possible for rebuilding.

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That takeover: the Ellis Short era seems all but over

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Keeping faith?

 

No need for much more to be said than that Stewart Donald is now on the brink of completing the takeover of Sunderland AFC from the hapless Ellis Short. The EFL seems ready to confirm the change of ownership.

Here is the helfpul if limited club statement:

Following a meeting with the EFL on Friday, and the provision of further information, we can now confirm that the proposed sale of the club could be concluded as early as next week.

We would like to place on record our thanks to the EFL for their assistance during the process, at what is a very busy time of the football calendar for them.

 

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The Salut! Sunderland Haways: Hull, Brentford and Derby fans edge out Bolton

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Jake: ‘thanks to all who participate’. Click this image to see all interviews from the season just ended

It’s that time of year again and Monsieur Salut unveils the Salut! Sunderland equivalent of the Oscars …

And the winner is: Kathryn Townsley. Click on her photo to read her interview

Salut! Sunderland is delighted to bring you the results of our annual awards for the best interviews of the season with fans of opposing clubs. We call the award the Haways – the Highly Articulate Who are You? (s).

One of the few bright spots of the season was the continuing high standard of responses from our interviewees. Remember, people have to be found, they have to agree to do it and they must then answer a lot of questions (maybe too many; if the series continues into League One, that may change).

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Come what may, can Sunderland go up?

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Jake: ‘when will we next see sunny times for Sunderland AFC?’

 

Whoever turns out to be Sunderland’s next manager will soon – and let us hope it is soon as the club’s recent experience of delayed pre-season planning is a depressing one  – have to start a substantial overhaul of playing staff as we approach an August kickoff in League One.

With the ownership change moving along but not yet settled, no appointment is likely for another week or more depending on how long the EFL takes to approve the Stewart Donald takeover.

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Presenting the HAWAYs: Wolves, Brentford, Hull among Salut! Sunderland’s Oscar frontrunners

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Jake: ‘thanks to all who participate’. Click this image to see all of this seaon’s interviews

No one gets to clasp a gold-plated bronze statuette. But at the end of each season, Salut! Sunderland says thank you to the supporters of all opposing clubs by making its own modest version of Oscar awards for best interviews in the Who are You? series.

We call them the HAWAYs – Highly Articulate Who are You?s – and the process has developed into a strong Salut! Sunderland tradition.

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