| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' 23:06 - Nov 4 with 7913 views | jasondozzell |
Moaning at every opportunity, delighting in having a pop at players and KM and then joining in the promotion celebrations at the end and saying 'never in doubt I love this team'. |  | | |  |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 14:50 - Nov 5 with 904 views | blueoutlook |
It’s a forum. People are allowed opinions. That’s why it’s called a forum, FFS! |  | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:27 - Nov 5 with 865 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 14:42 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The context is that this team has only been together for about 9 games. That's the most relevant context the 'I want it now' brigade seem to miss. |
People seem to have a narrative one way or another and just go with their point though without acknowledging the rest of said context.
I agree to an extent with the turnover but I've seen other teams spend big even a level up and do fairly well off the bat. Some of our subs are worth half of Charlton's squad alone. Pressure is a privilege and all that so we are going to have to learn how handle expectation and get some more of these over the line.
Win Saturday and it's suddenly 10 points from 12, I am not all doom and gloom at all with KM at the helm we have some top talent in the squad. I just think there is a little something missing with a few individuals out there and over a few months a good amount of concerning results with games following similar patterns. [Post edited 5 Nov 15:29]
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:38 - Nov 5 with 827 views | Vic |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 12:18 - Nov 5 by budgiebasher |
But if we hadn’t been very tolerant with Robson he would have been gone when we finished 19th in the 1970-71 season and he would never had built that incredible squad for it to be dismantled [Post edited 5 Nov 12:22]
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And plenty were calling for his head in '78 when we flirted with relegation all season. That get's forgotten in the glory of the cup win. |  |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:38 - Nov 5 with 826 views | itfcsuth |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 14:06 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
That team had already been together a year. This one's been together about 9 matches. You're not comparing like with like. |
The bulk of this group has had a pre season, a percentage were here last year, we are nearly a third of the way through season and we still look fairly dysfunctional at times. |  | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:42 - Nov 5 with 819 views | Vic |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 13:35 - Nov 5 by itfcsuth |
Who looks significantly better than in our 23/24 season?
I think the opposite that the group of 23/24 has been massively disrespected, by the club and by the fans - and what they built with KMc during that period was something so unique, and so hard to find at a football club - the ultimate fairy tale.
The decision to dissolve that group, instead of evolve the group is one of the worst decisions arguably in the clubs history, and we are seeing the repercussions of that currently.
That team lost 6 games all season off the back of promotion from L1, we've lost 3 already, it achieved 96 points, just 1 point off the top spot.
If we carry on in current form, we will hit 72 points, wouldn't even get in the play-offs when the 23/24 side achieved automatic promotion.
Disrespect is a joke. |
I would expect us to be better in the 2nd half of the season. If we're not then something is indeed wrong. | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:11 - Nov 5 with 783 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:27 - Nov 5 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
People seem to have a narrative one way or another and just go with their point though without acknowledging the rest of said context.
I agree to an extent with the turnover but I've seen other teams spend big even a level up and do fairly well off the bat. Some of our subs are worth half of Charlton's squad alone. Pressure is a privilege and all that so we are going to have to learn how handle expectation and get some more of these over the line.
Win Saturday and it's suddenly 10 points from 12, I am not all doom and gloom at all with KM at the helm we have some top talent in the squad. I just think there is a little something missing with a few individuals out there and over a few months a good amount of concerning results with games following similar patterns. [Post edited 5 Nov 15:29]
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There is a fine line between opinion and narrative - in fact either will often translate into the other. Many (rightly) defend everyone's right to have an opinion, but is it then acceptable to criticise having a narrative? One begets the other. The issue is that both the opinion and narrative expressed by some, is actually dogma. Therein lies the problem imo - it leaves no room for reasonable debate.
As to your second and third paragraph - yes, these are reasonable points. For me, we are on the cusp of being in a very strong position, and just need some results to tip the other way. Until we start straying away from that position, I have a positive outlook. Some are inclined the other way I guess. |  | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:16 - Nov 5 with 777 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 14:50 - Nov 5 by blueoutlook |
It’s a forum. People are allowed opinions. That’s why it’s called a forum, FFS! |
And other people are allowed to challenge those opinions and say that some are OTT. |  |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:20 - Nov 5 with 772 views | FrimleyBlue |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:16 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
And other people are allowed to challenge those opinions and say that some are OTT. |
OP hasn't really done that though flash, it's not debating a specific thread, it is basically a moan about moaning. What are they even challenging, which moan don't they agree with or is it simply all moaning, in which case the poster you replied to has a point. |  |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:26 - Nov 5 with 764 views | badadski |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:11 - Nov 5 by SuffolkPunchFC |
There is a fine line between opinion and narrative - in fact either will often translate into the other. Many (rightly) defend everyone's right to have an opinion, but is it then acceptable to criticise having a narrative? One begets the other. The issue is that both the opinion and narrative expressed by some, is actually dogma. Therein lies the problem imo - it leaves no room for reasonable debate.
As to your second and third paragraph - yes, these are reasonable points. For me, we are on the cusp of being in a very strong position, and just need some results to tip the other way. Until we start straying away from that position, I have a positive outlook. Some are inclined the other way I guess. |
All are valid points - I love the town dearly and support them whole heartedly win or lose.
All of the players have strengths and weaknesses that we can all see, even McKenna.
i am just being honest in my own appraisal that I don’t see a team worth the money spent on it. I am basing that on our previous team that were riding on a wave and also other opposition teams we have played against this season. Our old team was still full of many great players performing at the top of their game and busting a gut to help one another even if they were having an off day. With the new players you can see some of the effort, some getting used to one another but still too many times I have seen a player lose the ball and sulk that they didn’t win a free kick or stop chasing back like half of the England team against Maradonna on his solo run.
I am also worried that we don’t seem to have an alternative game plan bar the possession based game we are currently deploying and why if we wanted to play this way did we not get a proper target man or keep Keiffer Moore ? Egeli, Clarke, philogene all now seem to crossing more but we don’t really have anyone bar Hirst to get in the end of it ?
Also why are we so pedestrian at the end of games when chasing, why are we breaking man for man but then stopping to allow option time to regroup, why when we have an attacking throw and a long thrower then ending up with playing the ball back to the keeper with seconds go spare and not launching into the box ?
Why are are we not attempting to lump the ball deep up and under with a minute to go with kipre or greaves supporting up front to try and get a flick or to drag defenders out of position to mark them ? Anything at all to mix it up - it has been numerous times this season deep into injury time and we have gone back to the keeper ? Who has coached this or sucked the common sense out of players that we need to get the ball as close to the opponents goal as possible ?
That’s my rant and will continue to hope and prey I am wrong, even have no doubt that we will come together at some point of time by even if we do I still can’t see more than 1 or 2 of the curent squad being fit for premier league survivial | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:26 - Nov 5 with 764 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:27 - Nov 5 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
People seem to have a narrative one way or another and just go with their point though without acknowledging the rest of said context.
I agree to an extent with the turnover but I've seen other teams spend big even a level up and do fairly well off the bat. Some of our subs are worth half of Charlton's squad alone. Pressure is a privilege and all that so we are going to have to learn how handle expectation and get some more of these over the line.
Win Saturday and it's suddenly 10 points from 12, I am not all doom and gloom at all with KM at the helm we have some top talent in the squad. I just think there is a little something missing with a few individuals out there and over a few months a good amount of concerning results with games following similar patterns. [Post edited 5 Nov 15:29]
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I agree there's a little something missing, but for me it seems mainly due to the team not having had very long together and not being quite on each other's wavelengths yet. The last Championship promotion team were almost telepathic, but that didn't happen overnight. I think some people forget that.
It could also be that these players are sh!te and McKenna doesn't know what he's doing, but I find those options less likely!
I think Hirst is the epitome of it - look how great he is when you actually give him decent service (the two goals at QPR). He hasn't had a lot of that this year.
We could've easily won that last night... and by a few goals as well. On another day we probably would have done, it was just one of those days. But how different the posts on here would've been if we'd got the winner! That's what i mean - people are massively up or massively down on the strength of very little these days. | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:33 - Nov 5 with 754 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:38 - Nov 5 by itfcsuth |
The bulk of this group has had a pre season, a percentage were here last year, we are nearly a third of the way through season and we still look fairly dysfunctional at times. |
You seem to be deliberately taking the most pessimistic view.
Actually most of the new signings didn't have pre-season with us.
The majority weren't here last year.
We are actually closer to a quarter of the season gone than a third.
And I also think "dysfunctional" is a very harsh reading of things. | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:40 - Nov 5 with 744 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:20 - Nov 5 by FrimleyBlue |
OP hasn't really done that though flash, it's not debating a specific thread, it is basically a moan about moaning. What are they even challenging, which moan don't they agree with or is it simply all moaning, in which case the poster you replied to has a point. |
Au contraire, the OP is calling out dogma, not opinion. | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:40 - Nov 5 with 743 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 16:20 - Nov 5 by FrimleyBlue |
OP hasn't really done that though flash, it's not debating a specific thread, it is basically a moan about moaning. What are they even challenging, which moan don't they agree with or is it simply all moaning, in which case the poster you replied to has a point. |
For me the OP is finding it tedious that some appear to be "delighting in having a pop at players and KM" ...which is as valid an opinion to have on here as any other.
Some might agree. Some might want to challenge that view and show their working as to things they feel need mentioning about players, formations, the manager etc. But all of these opinions are allowed - and all of them can be challenged! | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:35 - Nov 5 with 696 views | ITFCSG |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 14:42 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
The context is that this team has only been together for about 9 games. That's the most relevant context the 'I want it now' brigade seem to miss. |
Half of Sunderland's starting XI were signed in the summer as well. 7 players who started v Man U are new. (So are 5 out of 11 for Leeds)
I don't see the same issue with their squad, and they are in the PL. A division which most people here believed would be impossible to bridge immediately upon promotion.
Or is Le Bris a superior manager to KM? | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:41 - Nov 5 with 675 views | The_Flashing_Smile |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:35 - Nov 5 by ITFCSG |
Half of Sunderland's starting XI were signed in the summer as well. 7 players who started v Man U are new. (So are 5 out of 11 for Leeds)
I don't see the same issue with their squad, and they are in the PL. A division which most people here believed would be impossible to bridge immediately upon promotion.
Or is Le Bris a superior manager to KM? |
I don't really care what Sunderland are doing. Good luck to them if they've hit the ground running. I could quote you loads of great teams that didn't gel immediately.
The fact is McKenna's style and patterns of play take a while for the players to understand and play without thinking. If you're not patient enough to wait and give it a chance because some other team gelled quicker then there's not much I can say. But in a team sport players often need time to gel. | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 18:25 - Nov 5 with 637 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:35 - Nov 5 by ITFCSG |
Half of Sunderland's starting XI were signed in the summer as well. 7 players who started v Man U are new. (So are 5 out of 11 for Leeds)
I don't see the same issue with their squad, and they are in the PL. A division which most people here believed would be impossible to bridge immediately upon promotion.
Or is Le Bris a superior manager to KM? |
I'm delighted for Sunderland, but it bears no relationship to our challenges. Different players, different systems, different capabilities (and spending twice what even we spent).
I want to focus on us, our challenges, and how we get it right. And it doesn't look that we're far off it tbh. | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 19:06 - Nov 5 with 587 views | AVJones |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:41 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
I don't really care what Sunderland are doing. Good luck to them if they've hit the ground running. I could quote you loads of great teams that didn't gel immediately.
The fact is McKenna's style and patterns of play take a while for the players to understand and play without thinking. If you're not patient enough to wait and give it a chance because some other team gelled quicker then there's not much I can say. But in a team sport players often need time to gel. |
Some teams gel. Some teams don’t. Some teams need a lot of gelling, and some teams don’t. | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 19:36 - Nov 5 with 537 views | Churchman |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 09:36 - Nov 5 by itfcsuth |
Jacob Greaves - £15m?
Dara O'Shea - £15m?
Jack Clarke - £15m?
Jaden Philogene - £22m?
Cheio Ogbene - £8m?
Sammie Szmodics - £8m?
Kasey McAteer - £11m?
Nearly £100m across them 7 players. |
So what would you value them as now? Nothing because you think they’re all cr@p?
Given a club sets a selling price and we buy at whatever we are prepared to pay, am I right in assuming you would not have bought any of those players? There’s no third option. Pay the going rate that you can afford or copy the Norwich model. Sign nobody and trouser the cash.
So given you think we criminally overspent (whatever that actually means - presumably as McKenna approved the transfers you want him out?), who would you have bought?
Anyone but them? Kone? He was being waved about as a good cheapie a month ago. Shame he looked a L1 lump at best on Saturday.
Transfers carry risk. Some will work out, some won’t. Some one likes the look of and prove poor, others the opposite. Some are no brainer. I’ve seen Egeli. He’s going to be a terrific player that at worst will make this club a lot of money.
Same with loans. Like Phillips cost wages for the less than zilch he delivered and left our midfield nonexistent. We got nothing back. What did Cajuste deliver? Looked good but one goal and one assist. Whoopee. And in my view he’s less effective than Nunez now, despite the latter horrific miss last night.
Ignoring the profit on Omari and Liam (conveniently) if that £100m over the next two seasons = mid table mediocrity and a loss of £100m, it’ll constitute poor transfer business and money wasted. All with the luxury of hindsight. Until then it might be a radical idea for some to actually support and encourage these players rather than try and tear them down with their FM25 football knowledge at every opportunity.
Just once maybe, as opposed to disappearing when the team wins 4-1 or Philogene tears a team apart.
But hey, you be you. It’s all opinions. Keep moaning and piling in, keep enjoying defeats and less than perfect performances. You are fast becoming the majority which means those who don’t agree with you are probably best leaving the board to you.
Unless we win of course. The board had very different posters after Saturday for a few days. Strange that. |  | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:01 - Nov 5 with 514 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
Errm, you’re including our summer and winter window business.
Nice try, but no cookie  | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:07 - Nov 5 with 494 views | Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:01 - Nov 5 by SuffolkPunchFC |
Errm, you’re including our summer and winter window business.
Nice try, but no cookie |
We did spend a lot on Philogene in Jan and obviously January 2026 has not happened yet but the notion Sunderland spent twice as much as us is ridiculously false. | |
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| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:24 - Nov 5 with 463 views | SuffolkPunchFC |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:07 - Nov 5 by Joey_Joe_Joe_Junior |
We did spend a lot on Philogene in Jan and obviously January 2026 has not happened yet but the notion Sunderland spent twice as much as us is ridiculously false. |
It was ~£110M we spent, and £180M+ by Sunderland.
Ok, not twice, but not far off - 67% more. This is all well documented.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_Sunderland_A.F.C._season
Transfermarket is consistent with these numbers when you convert €:£
I don’t think I’m being ridiculously false, it’s indicative of the scale of the difference. | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 20:45 - Nov 5 with 406 views | ernie |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:41 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
I don't really care what Sunderland are doing. Good luck to them if they've hit the ground running. I could quote you loads of great teams that didn't gel immediately.
The fact is McKenna's style and patterns of play take a while for the players to understand and play without thinking. If you're not patient enough to wait and give it a chance because some other team gelled quicker then there's not much I can say. But in a team sport players often need time to gel. |
“The fact is that….”
Really, that is a fact is it. What about the idea that some of these players may simply be not up to it, and are not worth what we have paid ? Is that something we have to entertain at some point, rather than putting constant faith in this system and ‘patterns of play’ that we are hoping to come to fruition at some point ( By the way have seen very little of these patterns of play taking shape in most games)
The problem with your argument is that at some point you have to accept that it is not working and these players haven’t in fact gelled/ grasped the patterns of play and at what point does this come ? | | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 21:08 - Nov 5 with 369 views | reusersfreekicks |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 17:41 - Nov 5 by The_Flashing_Smile |
I don't really care what Sunderland are doing. Good luck to them if they've hit the ground running. I could quote you loads of great teams that didn't gel immediately.
The fact is McKenna's style and patterns of play take a while for the players to understand and play without thinking. If you're not patient enough to wait and give it a chance because some other team gelled quicker then there's not much I can say. But in a team sport players often need time to gel. |
That reads like 1970s Pravda |  | | |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 21:23 - Nov 5 with 345 views | bluebudgie |
| It's going to be a season of tedious 'fans' on 15:38 - Nov 5 by Vic |
And plenty were calling for his head in '78 when we flirted with relegation all season. That get's forgotten in the glory of the cup win. |
Rubbish, that did not happen, we were all behind Robson that season, and we knew it was injuries that cost us a decent league position. |  | | |
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