Fan letters: "What's the plan for Sunderland? Where's the money and ambition?" (2023)

Dear Roker Report,

Has no one yet noticed the strange antics during the Sabbath rest?

Danny Batth came out and went to the other side of the pitch to speak to one of the opposing substitutes and the other two who joined him were Alex Pritchard and Lynden Gooch who started passing the ball.

The remaining six substitutes began the warm-up organized under the supervision of the box office, and at the end all three would join the other substitutes outside the penalty area.

It didn't take long for all three to return to their previous positions on the turf.

Are you sure we don't have separate factions in the club, or no one is interested in halftime training?

As for the team, the results were better with faster movement and greater coordination. However, Bradley Dack hasn't done anything for the last two seasons, so if he's not in good shape why is he playing? Would other players have the same luxury?

Why don't we give Ross Stewart and save his salary?

If he returns and is successful, he will leave in January, and if he does not return to form, he will stay and collect a hefty salary.

We don't win and we only pay him as long as he is fit, so let another club do it.

Radius

Note to Ed [Phil]:Hi Ray. Thank you for your letter.
I can't say I noticed the event you're talking about on Saturday, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything serious. Team spirit seems to be very strong, even after our shaky start, and I don't see any cliques or factions emerging.
As for the Stewart situation, I think he will come back to the team in September, prove himself professionally, hopefully achieve his goal and then we can resolve his contractual situation - hopefully with a result that will satisfy all parties.
I don't see him as a mercenary or a money maker, and if he is elected, I'm sure he will go about his job to the best of his ability and start achieving goals that will take us up the ladder.

Dear Roker Report,

The situation with hiring players (mainly strikers) has already become a joke.

They took a fortune from the fans and took it for granted. Also, if the stories are true, they intend to sell our experience.

It's time for Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to send one of his famous letters to fans, but not just full of platitudes. Instead, he should tell us what his real intentions are for the future.

David's wall

Dear Roker Report,

This letter is undoubtedly one of many you will receive on this matter, but something has to happen.

The season is moving quickly and we had the whole summer to sign a striker, but once again we failed to realize the seriousness of not doing so.

It is my impression that the owners and leaders of the club believe that a modern player should be able to adapt to a certain position when the need arises, but in some positions this is not the case.

There is genuine dissatisfaction on the terraces.

Pedro Miltona

Dear Roker Report,

Without a doubt, this transfer window could make or break our season and whether Tony Mowbray remains our head coach or not.

Potentially allowing experienced players to leave the club when we have a large squad of young players and inexperience, and the possibility of not having a striker, is a recipe for disaster.

Right now, it looks like a cat and mouse game between Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman. Just look at the conversations with the overseer to see how aloof he seems and indicate what he needs.

If Mowbray doesn't get what he needs and we're not happy with the results in the next few weeks, I have a feeling he won't be there.

I think he believes in the spirit of the club, but he also needs some extra help in an area where we are sorely lacking. The fans agree with the direction of the club, but it needs to be resolved before it's too late.

John McHugh

Dear Roker Report,

I read on one of the fan forums that someone asked the question: "Where would we be now if Kristjaan Speakman hadn't arrived when he did?"

That may have been the case, but the transfer model that followed left us with a terrible lack of strikers after the January window and a terrible lack of strikers at the start of the season.

I think it's extremely shortsighted not to buy an experienced striker just because he can't be sold for a profit. If an experienced striker had been brought in in January, who knows where we would be now.

By signing the agreement now, young people would certainly be at an advantage in terms of adaptation and transfer of experience.

Fans want success, but they want it as soon as possible, especially with what's going to happen in the future.

Ernesto Bagnalla

Dear Roker Report,

Time to ditch Plan A (cheap, no deal guys, something I have no problem with), which should fit into Mr. Speakman's future plan.

Surely we can get away from this and follow plan B?

A decent striker from the Championship wouldn't cost that much, so it's definitely better to buy someone to fill the gap than play without him.

Is the club in bankruptcy or liquidation? It certainly seems that way.

Alana Metcalfe'a

Dear Roker Report,

Let's be honest: there is nothing to spend money on.

You need top players and pay league wages.

If we go through, you will need world class players and real wages.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has not arrived and will have to step down if we go up.

proud Carlos

Dear Roker Report,

And here we are again: the problem of hiring someone.

Every Sunderland fan knows that apart from the clowns running our huge club, we also need strikers.

Let them put their hands in their pockets or walk away, leave us alone and let someone who cares about the club try it.

This also applies to Kristjaan Speakman who takes many children so we only have to pay minimum wage which is not working.

K. Skillfully

Note to Ed [Phil]: Thank you for the many letters regarding our transmission policy. Of course, this is a rather controversial issue that evokes a lot of emotions.
I will respond to the above seven letters at once as they all fit into the club's approach to recruitment and the way we operate today.
As for the "where's the money?" question, it's worth remembering that of the seven players we signed this summer, six were included in transfers and only one was a free agent.
The thought that the club is bankrupt or that we belong to a con man with empty pockets who only sees us as a vanity project, simply has no comparison in the cold light of day. Part of the Sunderland ethos these days is spending money wisely rather than lavishly, and ensuring that every transfer is good value for money.
Would Dan Ballard, Dennis Cirkin and Trai Hume get new contracts if there was no money? I don't think so.
We are also a breeding ground for young and exciting talents, and something like this hasn't happened in a long time. Doesn't that deserve praise? Couldn't we just rally around one of Sunderland's most exciting teams for years and embrace the way they've come to life on Wearside?
Newcastle's progress and Newcastle's approach to the transfer market may scare our fans and put pressure on Dreyfus to spend his money like there's no tomorrow, but do we want history to repeat itself or are we even in danger?
We spent ten years in the Premier League from 2007 to 2017 and finally found ourselves on the brink of bankruptcy, struggling to survive each season and clearly having learned nothing from the campaign that just ended.
It was a one-off cycle that started five years of confusion, anger and humiliation before we were finally promoted in May 2022.
The current regime has made it clear that it wants us to return to the first league, but the future of the club will not be risky in this way. This is an admirable goal. This is the right decision and it will certainly not change.
Of course you need strikers.
Everyone can see it and it seems safe to assume that it is being traded at this point. However, it cannot be ignored that it is a competitive market, fees are constantly inflated and clubs compete for the best value.
Football-wise, the club is run in a way that is unfamiliar to many of us and perhaps a little disturbing. We don't count on a rich benefactor and we don't count on him getting bored and turning off the taps, leaving the club in the river without an oar and potentially in danger of financial oblivion.
However, this does not mean that it is bad and that everything should be dismantled.
It takes time to break the cycle of failure, and while we have a long way to go, it seems we're on a much more exciting path than we've been in years.

Dear Roker Report,

Looking at the current financial state of the club from a purely business perspective, it is clear that it is terribly undercapitalized.

If this issue is not addressed urgently, further progress will be minimal at best and none at worst.

None of these options are acceptable because in business you either grow or you leave. The financial benefit of playing in the Premier League is around £165m over three years, which includes a three-year grace period in the event of relegation.

Parachute payouts, while not guaranteeing an immediate return to the Premier League, make it more likely, as is the case with Burnley.

This reduced the risk and increased the attractiveness of investing in a club with our potential.

While the current employment model may prove effective over time, time is what we don't have. With each passing year, the gap grows wider and harder to bridge.

As has already become clear, the current owner and board members are unable or unwilling to invest new capital in the business.

The only way to ensure the continuation of the necessary rapid progress is through new funding. It is not about a change of ownership, but about new members of the management who will invest additional capital.

No club in the world has been able to look for undiscovered diamonds in the baskets of other clubs, and neither will we.

allana d.

Note to Ed [Phil]:Hi Allan. Thanks for the letter.
I'm not going to ramble on here: I'm more than willing to bet that if we finish solidly in mid-table this season, the first rumors of KLD's departure will start to appear on social media. media and discussion forums.
They will argue that he tried and did some good things, but in the end he failed to secure the golden ticket to the top flight, so it is time for him to step down.
Not only is it an utterly absurd idea to give the club owner three years to provide everything the fans demand, but the more immediate question is who will be next if Dreyfus sells, or who are these outside investors you are bringing in? more capital?
An anonymous billionaire from the Texas oil belt with a ten-gallon hat, a wallet and a real ego? The mysterious sheik who grew up with Sunderland posters on his walls and now wants to bring us back the old glory?
On the other hand, if fan pressure forces Dreyfus to leave, can we risk falling into the hands of someone who does not have honorable intentions towards the football club?
The way we operate in Sunderland today is not perfect and there is always room for improvement and improvement, but it is much better than before.
Without financial strength, sporting success is unattainable, and ultimately it is always easy for fans to ask for money when they are not the ones writing the checks and potentially suffering losses if something goes wrong.

Fan letters: "What's the plan for Sunderland? Where's the money and ambition?" (2023)

Dear Roker Report,

Radius

Dear Roker Report,

David's wall

Dear Roker Report,

Pedro Miltona

Dear Roker Report,

John McHugh

Dear Roker Report,

Ernesto Bagnalla

Dear Roker Report,

Alana Metcalfe'a

Dear Roker Report,

proud Carlos

Dear Roker Report,

K. Skillfully

Dear Roker Report,

allana d.

References