I agree with your frustration, I think this window was always going to be frustrating because the owners were always going to be loath to overspend when we have some quality players to come back into the squad. In less than a month we could have all those players back fit and they all have to fit somwhere. Every window we seem to get stuck with the odd player that we can’t move on in time and I don’t think we can really afford to have a spare £200k a week being spent on wages for players not even in the squad. That said I appreciate the fine balance between this and getting relegated. If we stay I’d anticipate some belting signings in the summer, as so far in every summer window we’ve seen an upward trajectory in what they’ve been willing to spend. If we go down, we’ll it would have been justified to have expected us to have pushed the boat out a bit more this window.
Think in a perfect world he's our 3rd/4th choice midfielder. Given our injury crisis however he's likely to get first team action and really can't see how he could be worse than Watson or Capoue. Sure he's not Dendonker but ultimately he's better than what he currently have available and a loan with an option to buy is a no lose situation.
We also spent £50m in the summer so Dendoncker at £35m was probably too much. We badly needed players who can close down the opposition and get around the park which Watson and Capoue don’t do.
I’d say Watson is now at a level where he does more harm than good, I’d honestly wager we’d play better if we left him out and played with 10, so I can’t see how this guy can’t contribute towards us improving.
Can we not bung Watson into this deal as a sweetener for Sunderland. Lower championship is about Ben's level now. He has been fantastic for us, but as others have said he now seems to be doing more harm than good
Once again, I agree and I do see the bigger picture regarding injuries. I say this as a frustrated fan, not as a businessman - I don’t know the wage budget etc - I just think that by signing players like N’Dong rather than paying out for the likes of Dendoncker occasionally is how we got in this current mess as it is - the backup players aren’t good enough. We seem to build a squad where we have a First choice XI and players who play when we have injuries. You say if we sign these guys, they all have to fit in somewhere - yes and no. What we need is competition for places from quality players. We need more quality players than there is space available to play. I could be wrong, and trust me I hate to be negative - I will give N’Dong every chance and support from the off - this just feels like the cheap option. We have hardly shelled out millions beyond our means since being in the PL so I don’t believe the money isn’t there really.
Yeah true, they're cherry picked quotes, but they were still made and were from just a couple of pages of their forum. I wouldn't agree they were a minority either. Half and half at the very worst. Some thought he was rubbish, but you're rarely going to find a player over which every single poster of a team is gushingly positive - and in the rare cases where a player is so outstanding that almost everyone is in agreement that he's a beast, the big teams are in to whip him away before the likes of us can get a sniff. I think there's plenty of encouragement amongst their comments and I really don't like it when fans are instantly negative about a new signing - give the lad a chance. Let's cheer him and give him the big up and see if he takes us to his heart and rewards us with some big performances.
Was he 19 or 20 then when he signed for Sunderland for that huge amount? That's really very young to be writing a player off as lacking quality. And besides, more knowledgeable football people than you and I (such as the Pozzos for example) have in the past and can now, see enough quality and potential in him to take him on.
Agreed, was only messing. Just imagining an opposition fan coming on here to get the lowdown on Capoue, I think they'd get a pretty unanimous verdict...
Well we should know more in the next few weeks when the accounts to June 17 are due out (latest by 31 March) In our first PL season the accounts to June 16 showed a small profit of £3.6m after profits on player trading of £6m-all the rest of the PL income went on wages -so much cash was spent on new signings (£55m) and London Colney/the ground that the Pozzos had to increase their loan from £20m to £40m. As to whether that is living beyond our means-accepting its represents an outcome over 18 months old-is a moot point. Wages went from £20m to £58m. Of course even those accounts when out will not reflect the money spent from July 17 to date -like "bumper" Gray so Transfermarket has total outlay at a net £40m
What is the Pozzo net return from WFC thus far? I get the impression that the operational side (wages/transfers/tv/commercial) is broadly neutral whilst infrastructure investment (Vic/LC) is a neg. But an expert evaluation would be fascinating. Btw, my sense is that Gino will never ignore the algorithm with an intuitive punt. Dendoncker will have a defined max value & that will be Pozzo’s bid ceiling. I hope that’s true as the other way lies perdition.
Despite the shaky circumstances, we are currently in our third year in the PL; and though we may be in the mix, we are not scrapping quite yet. If 40% can acheive that I am happy that they may still have a few gears to get through yet.
Chris Coleman has confirmed Ndong is on his way to us: While Ndong has only joined Watford on loan, his departure has nevertheless improved Coleman’s negotiating position as Sunderland have received a fee for the temporary transfer of their club-record signing. The loan deal also includes a number of stipulations that will see Ndong complete a permanent move to Vicarage Road for around £8m in the summer if certain conditions are met in the remainder of the current campaign. “Ndong has gone to Watford,” confirmed Coleman, after Bryan Oviedo’s late consolation at St Andrew’s followed Birmingham goals from David Davis, Jeremie Boga and Sam Gallagher. “He’s made it clear that he wanted to go back to the Premier League, and the deal suited us in the end. http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sp...ris_Coleman_is_still_searching_for_a_striker/
So we're making Sunderland believe we'll sign him, with there being almost zero chance we will. Providing Chalobah is back in a month or so, and assuming Doucoure stays fit, I would say there's very little chance he'll play the number of fixtures that triggers the obligation to buy. He may well be decent and we'll want to sign him, but he very much seems like a stop gap me
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sp...ris_Coleman_is_still_searching_for_a_striker/ Watford got the deal Chris Coleman categorically stated at the start of the window they would not get. It was all bluff of course as Sunderland are at the begging bowl have had no where to go, only to hope that Watford were too eager not to wait. A once great club like Sunderland used to look down at clubs like Watford, now they dance to our tune.....how the tables have turned.
Sunderland fans speak highly of him. Losing our record signing would normally be a cause for much woe. In this case I'm genuinely pleased, he's ******* dog ****.
The same Sunderland who gave Jack Rodwell the opportunity to rip up his £70k p/w contract, hard to understand why he didn’t go for that deal.
Decent backup to Doucoure and Chalobah and the way we get injuries we need at least 1 cover for every position
Providing Chalobah is back in a month or so and assuming Doucoure stays fit probably sums up why we need cover
Last report i saw suggested he was hoping to get back playing before the end of the season so I doubt he will be back "in amonth or so".
According to an assessment of what we can expect from Ndong by a journalist in the Herts Mercury, he sounds very much a like for like replacement for Capoue Oh! ****! In fact The Mercury also had assessments of our other two signings, by journalists who supposedly know them well, and neither of those assessments were all that great either, double Oh! ****!
This is what the local press are saying about him. "Didier has been a frustrating player for Sunderland. All the potential seems to be there, he can pass the ball, get around the pitch and carry the ball well. Yet he doesn't show anywhere near enough of it. "He gets nervous in possession when the pressure is on and allows himself to eased off the ball. If he was a youth product who had broke into the first team then fans would want him to stay and would generally think he had a big future. "However, he cost £13m and has never looked like remotely justifying that price tag. He'll always be remembered as the signing Moyes made when we could have brought Yan M'Villa for half the price. "Surrounded by better players, he'll probably slot in okay and get the ball from A to B. He's not been the type to go an take a game by the scruff of the neck though, even at Championship level - which has been highly frustrating."
