IAmNick

£4-5m would be very tempting if offered, especially with his contract situation if Pearson can't convince him to extend on a reduced deal. That said I'm currently looking at it in terms of windows - who (or where) do we need to replace in the first, second, third, and so on. I don't think Kalas is someone who needs to be replaced this summer, he's more than good enough quality wise for us. I guess then it comes down to quality vs cost, which is where the reduced deal comes in. I get we need to improve at the back but don't think we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and if we're replacing Bentley too then I'm not sure an almost entirely new back 4 is the way to go. He's provably good enough for the top of the Championship - what is it, two promotions and a play off final loss? We don't have too many we can say that about! He's a great age for a CB and could well improve. Hold and build around him would probably be my choice.

You'd expect a manager to be on an increasingly upwards trajectory, or at least out performing expectations (wage budget etc) the longer they're at a club. They have time to field a squad entirely of their choice of players, their philosophy fully ingrained in the team, solid relationships with the staff (recruitment, physios) and so on. For a new manager you're working with the set up which contributed to someone else losing their job - to varying degrees of course. It's not fair to compare a first or even second season with someone's forth or fifth, and that's not even getting into the money available/remit in our case either. You could take Pearson's first full season being on track with Lee's first full one as a good sign in that case, surely? The counter could be that we weren't going anywhere at all in five years. One seasons challenging the playoffs when the chips were down.

He in my post being @ExiledAjax who is the one that posted how many times we'd been beaten? You said: Which is all I was commenting on. You said more than two. In his stats, only 3 games were more than 2. 3 of 14 is around 21%, as I said. The other 3 were by 2 which you mistakenly included in your calculation. You can easily check for yourself here for example: https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/182/Fixtures/England-Bristol-City I'm confused how that makes me a bell end? I wasn't rude to you at all.

But he posted we'd lost 3 times out of 14 by more than 2 goals, so that's around 21%? You've got more double that in your post.

Hard to see how people can compare this to the end of Holden's reign. We were clearly on a hugely downward trajectory then with no signs of improvement, quite the opposite in fact. Decent table position thanks to our (fortunate) wins right at the start. Pearson we're largely on an upwards trajectory. Most people have said this last month has been good on the whole, and the best since he arrived. One or two poor performances doesn't change that however much some might want it to.

Jesus, going in pretty hard on the banter there...!

Threaten the playoffs you mean - we didn't get near promotion once. So my cheeky answer would be that over a season we challenged the play offs the same amount of times under Lee that we challenged relegation - once. 16/17 I think we were safe on the final day, by 3 points. 18/19 we lost out on 6th by 4 points - can't remember if it was the final day or not. The other seasons we were well clear of both.

What would they think he's going to do for them though? Tread water? I think he's someone to build on a base and get them playing well, but I don't see why he'd be more effective at doing that in the Championship. If you're good enough to sit comfortably mid table championship you should be able to seriously challenge the top of L1 with a decent club surely.

I think his stock is lower personally. Not much though. I don't think he'd get a Championship job either, and there aren't many "bigger" in L1 currently than Sunderland. I hope he gets promoted somewhere, it's what he needs. If he could swallow his pride a bit a L2 team who could challenge would be ideal I think, somewhere who would buy into him, he could be there and relatively safe for a year or two at least, and take them up. Mind you... I said the same thing after he left here, but for L1. A upper mid table L1 who want promotion, but not yesterday might be a fit too. Sheffield Weds is a good shout I think. Oxford if Robinson missed out again (although he's doing a good job there)?

"Hey guys I'm on coach 1 any tips?" "Just be respectful and you'll be fine" 3 pages later "Ok I'm just going to do whatever I want then and tough shit if they don't like it cheers all" Have to wonder why you bothered asking

It's no more belittling or knocking him than commenting on his choice of cider. Religion doesn't hold a special place that's immune from jokes / commentary... or it shouldn't!

If O'Dowda gives it a go and it works I might be convinced...

Prays for 10m - 1hr before every game? I knew it had been bad recently but wow. Didn't know we were that desperate.

I guess that's the bit I'm not sure on either. When people say the stadium income helps us, is that just because it can contribute to our £11m loss / year, or does it directly impact FFP?

Yes, I think it's a separate company who own it and we rent it - but I was under the impression things like concerts helped our FFP? Maybe not. Yeah it was just an example of how far could you push the "stadium use" thing.

Random question a few in here might know - how does the income from the stadium for non football events work exactly? If we host a concert, does that money count as income for the club and help us for FFP? Where's the line - someone mentioned money from covid jabs above. Could you, in theory, turn some of the stadium into offices, move half of Hargreaves Lansdown there, and make untold billions each year effectively ignoring FFP forever? Surely not, but what are the actual rules?

Double whammy for the majority of the traveling fans then, as some utterly brainless idiots smash the toilets so they can't have a pee, and then they get charged for the privilege. I know it was ST only but my guess is that most of them aren't regulars at away games, if at all. Not sure the collective punishment will even affect them, and any subsequent restrictions next year won't either.

Is it? It's all relative to the clubs stature in the league surely. Sunderland fired their manager before last when they were in 6th, and he had over a 50% win rate as well.

Sure, but either way as the ball comes in and he's in this position: You have to be disappointed he has a free volley on the turn 2 seconds later. Rightly or wrongly Vyner is the one of them who is watching him, while Kalas watches the ball come in (and goes towards it?) Outstanding finish, but someone needed to be in his face.

Think this is the clip people are using to say it's his fault: Not sure I agree it's his fault but I do think he could have challenged more or made a bit more of an effort - definitely doesn't just go for him though, so a bit unfair to single him out. The ball travelled about 70 yards past our entire team, loads of them could have probably done more.

It's not, but Wigan (2nd) have 4 games in hand on them, and Rotherham (1st) have 2. Just giving the positions doesn't quite paint the full picture of recent results and the standings:

I didn't like or rate LJ as a player, at all, and yes that affected my opinion of him as a manager I'll admit it. I was in utter, utter disbelief when he was appointed and incredibly disappointed. I did give him a chance once he was here though, and I think he did an OK job. Unremarkable really, like him as a player. The Man U win was the equivalent of his one "clever" dinked little chip at a free kick which worked, out of the 50 he chipped to nobody or into the wall. However it was also extremely boring, and I genuinely felt my passion for City disappearing in his last year or two which really annoyed me. Combined with the nonsense with Ashton I was thoroughly sick of the pair of them, and extremely happy when he got the boot. I didn't think he had many likeable qualities, and even during some of the highs he somehow managed to say something stupid and make me facepalm a bit (didn't he buy Mourinho an expensive bottle of wine to talk tactics after the match or something ffs?!) For that reason I checked out his results at Sunderland - he was doing a good job earlier in the season, but yeah there was definitely a smirk or a bit of a laugh when they got thumped. Some people take it too far but it's all football pantomime for me. I don't hate the bloke, I'm sure he's a nice enough guy and he definitely gives it his all which is admirable, but I have found what's happened quite amusing... all part of the fun of the game for me. Some ex players I look out for and am happy they're doing well, some I'm happy when they screw it up. Having those characters is part of what makes the game fun for me, and LJ will always be a big one for us now whatever you think of him...

Yeah fair point, but I think you know what I mean really - can't believe many employers will be looking at Sunderland winning that and licking their lips.

I agree. I think it was a bold move and was surprised he went for it. He's done his profile some real damage though I think - fired from mid table championship, fired from really big budget/club in L1. Not sure where he goes next, he needs to win something when he does though. Wasn't that us?

Don't think there's anything wrong with going public with it personally. I hope it encourages other people to have the courage to speak out when they're being abused. Absolutely disgusting.