Some fascinating insights from big Sam on the radio, about how he tightened the team up with a decent CB partnership and covering defensive midfielder, but also how the fitness levels have improved, enabling the players to close down much more.
Sunderland is the Premier League team that I've kept an eye on this season. They would never have stayed up without Big Sam. He brought in four players in the January transer window and three of them have been in their starting line up since then and made a huge impact. Also it's been said that Big Sam has brought in a sense of calmness around the team, which is obviously crucial in a relegation battle.
This is what an experienced English/British manager does. Unfortunately we'll never see one at Charlton under our current owner. #RolandOut
They are massively underrated in the mental manager sweepstakes, in part I suspect because they're Newcastle and you just assume they're doing something mental, and in part because Ashley has been at it for so long that it's lock it's shock value.
I cannot stand Sam Allardyce, the way his teams play, the way he speaks about himself, everything he represents. And yet, and I'm clearly feeling generous this evening, I suspect if you saw him in a pub he'd be a decent bloke and buy you a drink and provide an entertaining evening.
They are massively underrated in the mental manager sweepstakes, in part I suspect because they're Newcastle and you just assume they're doing something mental, and in part because Ashley has been at it for so long that it's lock it's shock value.
I cannot stand Sam Allardyce, the way his teams play, the way he speaks about himself, everything he represents. And yet, and I'm clearly feeling generous this evening, I suspect if you saw him in a pub he'd be a decent bloke and buy you a drink and provide an entertaining evening.
There's this preconception of Allardyce that he only plays boring long balls and nothing more. But from the West Ham and Sunderland games I've watched over the last few years, it's not as simple or one-dimentional as that. His teams play much better football than say a Tony Pulis side does.
Love how that Bayern Defender (Kirchhoff?) was slated by the Media after his first game... Saw the other week they were saying that he was one of the reasons for their Survival!!
Love how that Bayetrn Defender (Kirchhoff?) was slated by the Media after his first game... Saw the other week they were saying that he was one of the reasons for their Survival!!
I think they got beaten 4-1 at Spurs on his debut and he had a stinker at CB. They then started playing him as a holding midfielder.
See, there is hope for Roger Johnson and Naby Sarr.
Well done Sunderland-a club with great fans.By contrast Newcastle have the 'Arsenal' fans of the north-completely deluded and obsessed with the idea that they are too big and important to fail.
Just goes to show the effect bringing in the right player can have. Sam brought in a brilliant centre half, an excellent holding midfielder and a winger who could score and provide superb dead ball deliveries. With the rest of the residual talent in the squad that was all they needed. Kone, Kirchoff and Khazri made all the difference for Sunderland because Sam knew what the team was capable of and what he wanted to do with them, and was allowed to shape that plan in the transfer window. If you have a plan and you start to follow through on it with decent signings then it will lift the whole team as they see progress.
But I'm sure just bringing in random players you saw on YouTube works great too Katrien
Amazing to see their fans staying to the end and not disappearing 20 minutes from the end with clenched teeth and a look at me being angry attitude. Oh well, same again next year lads.
They are massively underrated in the mental manager sweepstakes, in part I suspect because they're Newcastle
Didn't you predict that Benitez would guide Newcastle to survival and then use that as the basis for your argument that we should get a coach rather than a manager?
Can't argue that Big Sam is a genius at organising and motivating players his signings have been inspired really. Love a manager like him at our place right now. Well done Sunderland very pleased for you.
Great escape but I'd be interested to see their books for the last few years. They come across as a club that are always gambling next years revenues to stay up. Maybe the new TV deal will let them off the hook but I can see them going down the Bolton route one day.
Great escape but I'd be interested to see their books for the last few years. They come across as a club that are always gambling next years revenues to stay up. Maybe the new TV deal will let them off the hook but I could see them going down the Bolton route one day.
I've always thought they're a lot bigger than Bolton (and Charlton) and are a 'natural' top tier club. You could be right about the short term gambling each season though. Bolton was obviously unsustainable when they were in the Premier League. I think the bad case for Sunderland would be more like Forest or Derby.
If the stick with Sam then I can't see them finishing below mid-table next season, it's been the continual merry-go-round of managers and coaches that has hurt them most, and the dodgy appointments they made
I saw them beat Norwich 3-0 away last month and Allardyce had them set up perfectly, so no surprise they stayed up with him in charge.
Allardyce knows the value of not losing games, Sunderland drew a lot of games in the last couple of months (7 draws from 13 games) and we're stuck in the bottom three but he did not panic, he knew that a couple of those points could make all the difference - and he was right.
Proper old school manager who takes no crap from anyone.... Can you imagine him vs Meire?
Same here, always had a soft spot for them after the play off final and that together with the arrogance and entitlement of some Newcastle fans (others have been great, but some definitely do make the club a contender for Arsenal of the north as mentioned above).
Really pleased they managed to turn it around, but not at all surprised given their approach to possible relegation (i.e hiring a knowledgeable, British manager and then making some very astute signings); compare and contrast to what our lot did - hire some obscure foreign no-mark with no knowledge or experience of our league just to save a few quid, and then rehire a past it centre back deemed not up to scratch only a few months earlier....
Their fans were great after the Wembley Play-off game and still singing even after defeat and friendly - at least the ones I saw leaving the ground. Contrast that to the Leeds fans after the St Andrews play-off and the nasty reaction of many of those.
They are massively underrated in the mental manager sweepstakes, in part I suspect because they're Newcastle and you just assume they're doing something mental, and in part because Ashley has been at it for so long that it's lock it's shock value.
I cannot stand Sam Allardyce, the way his teams play, the way he speaks about himself, everything he represents. And yet, and I'm clearly feeling generous this evening, I suspect if you saw him in a pub he'd be a decent bloke and buy you a drink and provide an entertaining evening.
There's this preconception of Allardyce that he only plays boring long balls and nothing more. But from the West Ham and Sunderland games I've watched over the last few years, it's not as simple or one-dimentional as that. His teams play much better football than say a Tony Pulis side does.
Mind you, Karel's teams play more attractive football than TPs teams.
Comments
They have become the new Wigan. Treading water every season and doing just enough to survive each year.
The signing of Defoe was crucial.
This is what an experienced English/British manager does. Unfortunately we'll never see one at Charlton under our current owner. #RolandOut
I cannot stand Sam Allardyce, the way his teams play, the way he speaks about himself, everything he represents. And yet, and I'm clearly feeling generous this evening, I suspect if you saw him in a pub he'd be a decent bloke and buy you a drink and provide an entertaining evening.
See, there is hope for Roger Johnson and Naby Sarr.
But I'm sure just bringing in random players you saw on YouTube works great too Katrien
Oh well, same again next year lads.
Well done Sunderland.
The Curbs of the North.
Allardyce knows the value of not losing games, Sunderland drew a lot of games in the last couple of months (7 draws from 13 games) and we're stuck in the bottom three but he did not panic, he knew that a couple of those points could make all the difference - and he was right.
Proper old school manager who takes no crap from anyone.... Can you imagine him vs Meire?
Really pleased they managed to turn it around, but not at all surprised given their approach to possible relegation (i.e hiring a knowledgeable, British manager and then making some very astute signings); compare and contrast to what our lot did - hire some obscure foreign no-mark with no knowledge or experience of our league just to save a few quid, and then rehire a past it centre back deemed not up to scratch only a few months earlier....
Well done Mackems.
Contrast that to the Leeds fans after the St Andrews play-off and the nasty reaction of many of those.
Well done Sunderland.