Transfer Window - SAFC Blog

Sunderland’s transfer window: bring on Coleman’s cavalry charge or fear the worst

February 1, 2018 by Colin Randall

Pete Sixsmith then (not so long ago) … paper rounds and worry mean he’s a lot trimmer now

Monsieur Salut writes: I asked Pete Sixsmith to cast a critical eye over the ins and outs now that the transfer window has slammed shut – shattered? – on us. I did not expect to find him absent from duty running in sheer joy up and down Busty Bank (which takes the envious souls of South Church up to Shildon). I didn’t fear we’d need to drag him from celebration drinks at whatever they call the Surtees or Red Lion these days, shouting all the while in praise of our saviours Ellis Short and Martin Bain. I sort of expected the cool, measured, underwhelmed appraisal that follows …

The Lars word: Sunderland’s a Yo-yo team

February 2, 2018February 1, 2018 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: the transfer window has closed. Did Coleman get what he wanted? A keeper and an experienced forward – yes, although maybe not the ones originally on his radar. A defender and a midfielder up for the fight – yes, and the Scousers I’ve spoken to rate Ejaria. So will we stay up?

There’s a poll running so you can give us your opinion and to help you decide we have Pete Sixsmith later and Lars Knutsen right now:

Chirpy Chirpy – no. Cheap Cheap – no. But what about Middle of the Road?

September 3, 2016September 3, 2016 by Colin Randall

There are times when contributors to this site hark back to the music of yesterday, and today is no exception. The transfer window’s shut (you can insert any other vowel of your choice if you wish) leaving me feeling underwhelmed, and a song from 1971 or thereabouts is in my mind. Not because I like it (I didn’t then and still don’t now). Not because it got to number 1 (it did, but then so did Benny Hill with a song about a milkman). It’s because of the refrain which starts the song and echoes throughout it.

Only, not quite. The song, “Chirpy chirpy cheep cheep” begins, “Where’s your momma gone?”, but my mind is playing it as “where’s the money gone?”

It has gone, and it’s a lot of money, which explains a great deal.

As the window opens, a team of Sunderland signings to forget

January 2, 2016 by Colin Randall

Rob Hutchison was probably a little harsh with his one-word verdicts on the Lads v Liverpool, or maybe just realistic and angry. Now he turns his fire on a succession of dodgy signings Sunderland have made in the past and picks a team we trust is pure fantasy (again with a spot of harshness along the way)..

Broad support for SAFC in the Salut! Sunderland transfer window poll

September 8, 2015September 7, 2015 by Colin Randall

NB: Polling has now closed but you can still view the results

With more than 400 votes cast, it is nearly time to close the Salut! Sunderland poll in which readers have been invited to offer their out-of-10 assessments of the club’s dealings in the transfer window.

The poll will run for one more day and end t0morrow morning and, the pattern of voting having been established quite early, the results are perhaps unlikely to change a great deal – and the club can be fairly pleased with the outcome.

Votes of confidence in the transfer dealings of Advocaat, Congerton and Short

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 by Colin Randall

Salut! Sunderland won’t labour this but the poll on our club’s performance in the transfer window can continue for another few days before getting its decent burial.

You can see from clicking on View Results that the number of ratings posted is approaching 200 (300+ as of midday on Thursday – Ed). That’s a small percentage of SAFC’s support base but a bigger sample than professional pollsters typically regard as viable in their surveys of voting intentions and so on.

Your chance to rate Sunderland’s transfer dealings

September 2, 2015 by Colin Randall

Opinions are like, well, anything we all have. Mine is no more valuable than the next Sunderland supporter’s.

The transfer window perked up a little towards the end with Fabio Borini’s broadly welcomed return and the loan addition of a full back from Spurs, the USA international DeAndre Yedlin.

Transfer news: there isn’t much, but should we really worry?

June 29, 2015 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'has Messi signed yet?' — Jake: ‘has Messi signed yet?’

Others clubs are doing business and when that happens, and your own is – publicly – doing none, it is natural to wonder what is going on.

I have argued repeatedly over the years since Roy Keane led Sunderland back to the Premier that the best thing to do with most transfer speculation is to ignore it.

There are exceptions. Jordan Henderson’s departure was well flagged for some time, as were the pursuits of Steven Fletcher, Adam Johnson and – though it ended unhappily – Fabio Borini. No journalistic hype was necessary to keep readers, listeners and viewers informed with what turned out to have been reasonable accuracy.

The Lars Word: looking back, looking forward

January 3, 2015 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: Lars Knutsen, who has been gracing these pages a lot longer than me, has made a resolution to post more on this site. That can only be good, as you can see from his reflections on the year we’ve had and the transfer window that opened a few hours ago:

McCormick’s Craic: the half term report says Sunderland must do better

January 1, 2015December 31, 2014 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: I’m beginning this on December 29, the day after we’ve drawn against Villa in our 19th game of the season. With match reports from Villa (er, whatever happened to Bob Chapman’s?), then a game on New Year’s Day, then a cup match, the site will be busy with posts for the next few days, so my reflections will take their chances and appear when there’s a gap (just identified! – Ed).

I don’t think it’ll need much updating. My forecast is that Jozy won’t score against Man City. I seriously doubt whether Fletcher or Wickham will, although I don’t think the result’s a foregone conclusion. In fact, I’d keep Fletch at home and save him for the Leeds game rather than have him battered and risking injury against City … let us see