Congratulations Stewart Donald

[kildaremackem]

Agreed. That's why I'm more confident that Methven is doing a good job than Donald, as far as I know the football side has always been Donald's domain and it's the bit that is dreadful. I know he'll be involved in the commercial side as well like but mainly I see that as what Methven has been working on (along with Davison etc) and we know revenues seem to have increased, things like the SAFC business thing look like they've been canny. There's nothing to suggest he's done anything wrong or is out of his depth since he isn't, to my knowledge, involved in the two bits I have a real issue with, namely the recruitment and the academy. By all accounts he also wanted to be more ruthless and get rid of Ross a lot earlier which would probably have been a better footballing decision than Donald has made as well! It's probably not him who has fucked up the takeover either! He's a lot less popular than Donald but he's the one who is probably worth keeping on!

im not sure how good methven would be at commercial stuff...ie he isnt really a business guy..SD is..but i agree methven has done some good stuff..

I bet he loves being CEO and owner what a fantastic position to be in, I wish it was me, and I am sure he wants to tell the world what is exactly going on, he must have been on a fantastic high when he took it on. The downside for him now is the realization that our support and community is deadly serious about it’s football club and maybe he is seeing that more and more now and the pressure is mounting to do the right thing.

i thing this is exactly right..SD is very nieve about a lot of stuff..and his faults come more from nievete than malevolence..

 

[hertsmackem]

im not sure how good methven would be at commercial stuff...ie he isnt really a business guy..SD is..but i agree methven has done some good stuff..

i thing this is exactly right..SD is very nieve about a lot of stuff..and his faults come more from nievete than malevolence..

I can see that and in general he seems a good bloke but getting further out of depth. He has totally misunderstood what the club means to the community in general and so he needs to take a step back and make some decisions that are going to get him back on track.

 

[kildaremackem]

I can see that and in general he seems a good bloke but getting further out of depth. He has totally misunderstood what the club means to the community in general and so he needs to take a step back and make some decisions that are going to get him back on track.

its a point i made last year..when everyone else was going on about the money he has...oxford united is a community club, that means people in the local arewa follow it or support it through sposnorhsip etc as an act if ebenvolnece..the same way they would support oither community projects..outcomes dont matter as long ad the club is in the league basically..

safc of course has fans who think like that,,,but it has more than that..quite rightly it has fans who see the club as something that should and can be successful..this manifests itself in a lot of positive ways (the big crowds) but also some ways that are more difficult,,because asafc, like all big clubs..has a fan base that us very demanding(i emphasise i dont think the fans are being unreasinavle in this) and want a successdfulk club not just a community club..i doint think SD has ever appreciated the difference.

In dont think SD is out of his depth in the business sense..its a compnay he can run..but i think he thinks of football the way an oxford fan thingks of football..as a benevolent cause and an interesting challenge..he doenst relaise that very big clubs cant also be community clubs..its not about his level of wealth..its about how safc are different to oxford fans..he ahsnt really grasoped that since he got here..from that has spun off all of the other problems..

 

[Chewit]

Too right, Ellis saved the club and offered these blokes the chance to buy it for fuck all, Donald et al had to reduce costs, any fucked could do that

Hollywood couldn’t rewrite history as well as this board.
Short destroyed this club, left it in the third division with the operating overheads of a premiership club and with restrictions on how much we could spend coming at us like a rocket.
He cleared the debt ... big deal. That’s no different to you paying off your credit card, it’s the decent honourable thing to do. But the idea that the incompetent idiot didn’t leave this club in the worst pickle of its history is beyond belief.
Why else do you think it was such a good deal, the only thing he could sell was a vision of oblivion unless someone got the club under control, something Shorts cronies had failed to do.
All they have done is cut costs is such a naive statement. They have had to restructure the club, slash costs whilst still ensuring it functions effectively and if you think that’s easy, you only have to get it wrong in a few places by cutting to deep or in the wrong places and the consequences can undermine all your efforts.
I don’t think in the history of British football a club has been where Sunderland is. Dropped like a stone with the overheads of a top 6/7 premiership team and yet can’t spend their way out due to rules on overheads. You can’t make it up.
Yes we have failed to use effectively what we have had but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to Shorts diabolical waste over many years.
This club was a basket case, in intensive care, it’s not back on its feet yet but plenty of fans seem oblivious to this reality.

 

[hertsmackem]

its a point i made last year..when everyone else was going on about the money he has...oxford united is a community club, that means people in the local arewa follow it or support it through sposnorhsip etc as an act if ebenvolnece..the same way they would support oither community projects..outcomes dont matter as long ad the club is in the league basically..

safc of course has fans who think like that,,,but it has more than that..quite rightly it has fans who see the club as something that should and can be successful..this manifests itself in a lot of positive ways (the big crowds) but also some ways that are more difficult,,because asafc, like all big clubs..has a fan base that us very demanding(i emphasise i dont think the fans are being unreasinavle in this) and want a successdfulk club not just a community club..i doint think SD has ever appreciated the difference.

In dont think SD is out of his depth in the business sense..its a compnay he can run..but i think he thinks of football the way an oxford fan thingks of football..as a benevolent cause and an interesting challenge..he doenst relaise that very big clubs cant also be community clubs..its not about his level of wealth..its about how safc are different to oxford fans..he ahsnt really grasoped that since he got here..from that has spun off all of the other problems..

when I say community as opposed to support I’m talking about generation after generation of fans that always live in hope but ultimately have been left disappointed and disillusioned.The owner has not taken this into account and by having to cut costs he will always look bad the same as Bain did. He now has to deliver it’s the only way back or he will find himself stuck in quicksand very fast. He wanted the deal he got it now deliver.

Hollywood couldn’t rewrite history as well as this board.
Short destroyed this club, left it in the third division with the operating overheads of a premiership club and with restrictions on how much we could spend coming at us like a rocket.
He cleared the debt ... big deal. That’s no different to you paying off your credit card, it’s the decent honourable thing to do. But the idea that the incompetent idiot didn’t leave this club in the worst pickle of its history is beyond belief.
Why else do you think it was such a good deal, the only thing he could sell was a vision of oblivion unless someone got the club under control, something Shorts cronies had failed to do.
All they have done is cut costs is such a naive statement. They have had to restructure the club, slash costs whilst still ensuring it functions effectively and if you think that’s easy, you only have to get it wrong in a few places by cutting to deep or in the wrong places and the consequences can undermine all your efforts.
I don’t think in the history of British football a club has been where Sunderland is. Dropped like a stone with the overheads of a top 6/7 premiership team and yet can’t spend their way out due to rules on overheads. You can’t make it up.
Yes we have failed to use effectively what we have had but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to Shorts diabolical waste over many years.
This club was a basket case, in intensive care, it’s not back on its feet yet but plenty of fans seem oblivious to this reality.

of course they had to restructure the club what a fantastic challenge and what else would they do from day to day if they weren’t actually doing this. The whole deal has been fantastic for them I think u underestimate how fantastic it is.Short got into it for the same reasons, he took his eye off the ball and ultimately we are in a mess but when he took over he must have been So excited same as SD. Short did the right thing but he did not have to he could have just said fuck this and called in the receiver most would have .

 

[Fredericton]

'I bet he loves being CEO and owner what a fantastic position to be in, I wish it was me, and I am sure he wants to tell the world what is exactly going on, he must have been on a fantastic high when he took it on. The downside for him now is the realization that our support and community is deadly serious about it’s football club and maybe he is seeing that more and more now and the pressure is mounting to do the right thing.'

We all wish it was us. But he's got the same problem we all have - we haven't got enough money to do it.
He's got plenty for his own use and good luck to him, hope he enjoys it.
But he's out of his depth in every way with this football club, took a risk in taking it on and desperation is setting in. Watch how season ticket sales go next year. Unfortunately I've got a bad feeling.

 

[hertsmackem]

'I bet he loves being CEO and owner what a fantastic position to be in, I wish it was me, and I am sure he wants to tell the world what is exactly going on, he must have been on a fantastic high when he took it on. The downside for him now is the realization that our support and community is deadly serious about it’s football club and maybe he is seeing that more and more now and the pressure is mounting to do the right thing.'

We all wish it was us. But he's got the same problem we all have - we haven't got enough money to do it.
He's got plenty for his own use and good luck to him, hope he enjoys it.
But he's out of his depth in every way with this football club, took a risk in taking it on and desperation is setting in. Watch how season ticket sales go next year. Unfortunately I've got a bad feeling.

totally agree and i think we all were surprised when a bloke from eastleigh took it on, he gambled and it will all fall down unless he brings in serious money soon. He has gambled with our football club which is where the problem lies.

 

[Swagmore]

On the cheap ffs

The issue isn’t spending money it’s that they’ve employed Tony Coton and one other scout to assemble the squad.

Add in losing three of our best players in Catts, Honeyman and Maja without adequately replacing them and it’s mismanagement.

Not having honeyman in that list like! Ffs were you even watching last year?

 

[Chewit]

when I say community as opposed to support I’m talking about generation after generation of fans that always live in hope but ultimately have been left disappointed and disillusioned.The owner has not taken this into account and by having to cut costs he will always look bad the same as Bain did. He now has to deliver it’s the only way back or he will find himself stuck in quicksand very fast. He wanted the deal he got it now deliver.


of course they had to restructure the club what a fantastic challenge and what else would they do from day to day if they weren’t actually doing this. The whole deal has been fantastic for them I think u underestimate how fantastic it is.Short got into it for the same reasons, he took his eye off the ball and ultimately we are in a mess but when he took over he must have been So excited same as SD. Short did the right thing but he did not have to he could have just said fuck this and called in the receiver most would have .

that’s another common misconception, that Ellis didn’t have to and most wouldn’t. His name would have been mud in his sector had he been associated with failure, it would have followed him round like a bad smell, his credibility would have been shot to pieces. He couldn’t afford that. He’s not a local second hand car dealer.
But I don’t think that’s why he did it anyway, he saw it as his debt so paid it.

 

[hertsmackem]

that’s another common misconception, that Ellis didn’t have to and most wouldn’t. His name would have been mud in his sector had he been associated with failure, it would have followed him round like a bad smell, his credibility would have been shot to pieces. He couldn’t afford that. He’s not a local second hand car dealer.
But I don’t think that’s why he did it anyway, he saw it as his debt so paid it.

a bit naive, do u think all entrepreneurs succeed in every venture.....

 

[Chewit]

a bit naive, do u think all entrepreneurs succeed in every venture.....

big difference between been an owner/operator and being an investor/shareholder.
Buck stops with him.
If he had buried one of the oldest football clubs in the world, one of the most successful in English history a 140 year old institution. His reputation would have been shot to pieces.

 

[ilovehorswill]

He backed Ross as any good boss would.
Ross let him down.
Donald reacted quickly. Judging by the performances so far we have created ten times more chances under Parky.
Early days.
There are plenty of good players in this league could of done better than what we have.
Shrewsbury centre forward was hailed as better than what we have.
Glad this forum is only a very small indication of fans opinions

He sacked Ross after the play-off final?

 

[Gone Troppo]

Backed with what? Gamble on grigg and a load of freebies, how can you say he was backed when the squad got made weaker this summer?

Donald reacted quicker? If he had reacted quick he would sacked him end of last season.
You need to wake up and see what’s happening to our club.

You need to remember where the club was at prior to the takeover with all the dead wood still hanging around.
Rome wasn't built in a day. We were at Rock bottom.
Ross's failure was poor Recruiting.
Obviously you have a short memory and unrealistic expectations

He employed Ross and all of the people who identified and negotiated for all of he players. He set the clubs direction. And seeing as it was clear where Ross was headed in October 2018 I’m not sure why you say he reacted quickly.

It was a huge task for Ross to get us up with limited finances and overpaid hangers on.
I believe Donald gave him the opportunity to start with a fresh slate as all the crap had been removed
As soon as he saw Ross had not learnt by his mistakes he got rid

 

[fyl2u]

Im not saying don is a worse owner than short because he does not have the same funds!
Pesonally I feel and i am backed up by fact that short was the richest owner we ever have had and he made a choice not to invest anymore in a failing enterprise.Short made a choice and if he wanted he could have bankrolled the purchase of a decent goalkeeper and we woukld not be in the position we find ourself now!
I personally have looked at what don has done rather than what he has said and i guess i have a different view on dons acumen as an owner of safc than you!

Short spent something like £300m of his own money on us during his time in charge. I think it is his prerogative to decide when to say "Right, that's enough, no more".

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. If Short hadn't bankrolled us for so long in the first place, we may well have been down here faster. If Short had given us just a little bit more we perhaps could have been in Europe. It's his money. If he decided he'd paid enough already, that was his choice to make. "Oh go on, just another £2m on a new keeper, just another £10m on a new striker, just another £15m on a midfielder that would be the envy of the Championship and pretty much guarantee us promotion, just another..."

He came, he invested, we had some great times, he pulled his funding, wiped us clear of debts incurred under him and the previous owners and sold the club. So, when you think of the Short era, try to remember the great times and the fact they all came directly out of his own pocket.

We'll likely never see the likes again. An owner coming in and just spunking money up the wall on players for us for the sake of it. Truly the greatest owner we've had in my lifetime, probably in our entire history.

So, regarding your opinion of Steward Donald, you're saying you have no source, it's pure conjecture, and you're just choosing a worst case scenario to pin your expectations onto and are getting angry at that straw man instead of waiting for actual facts and staying calm in the meantime? It's not the strongest opening argument but I'm intrigued as to where you're planning on going from there. Go on then, what are these things "don has done" that give you the impression he "has no money to invest, no money to spend on a striker in January, and has no scouting network?"

With all due respect, and I don't want to sound didactic or facetious in any way, but it just sounds to me like you're dribbling on yourself ranting about Short despite the time, money and effort he put into the club, and now dribbling on yourself again ranting about Stewart Donald despite having zero facts to back up your point of view again.

Do you not feel that sometimes in life it feels better to wait until you have at least some truthful, noteworthy and verifiable information about a situation before deciding you have a passionate opinion on that subject?

It can't just be me.

 

[Grimsby Mackem]

On overseeing the assembling of the worst squad in the history of SAFC.

Your “do it on the cheap” strategy is destroying our club and I never thought I would see the day that we have a worse owner than Ellis Short.

At least he's brought stability to the club. We are now a well established League 1 club.

 

[JVokes]

You need to remember where the club was at prior to the takeover with all the dead wood still hanging around.
Rome wasn't built in a day. We were at Rock bottom.
Ross's failure was poor Recruiting.
Obviously you have a short memory and unrealistic expectations

It was a huge task for Ross to get us up with limited finances and overpaid hangers on.
I believe Donald gave him the opportunity to start with a fresh slate as all the crap had been removed
As soon as he saw Ross had not learnt by his mistakes he got rid

you obviously can’t see what’s happened/happening to our club, and i hope I’m wrong about them but if you look at facts it’s been failure after failure, for us to be doing better in this league is not a unrealistic expectation, buying more dead wood players in to replace others wont work, and you honestly don’t think ross picked all them players he got? (donald i want all these players and the all freebies) freebies for a reason most of the time.

 

[cmmackem]

I have to say that without the rage of the OP, I'm coming to the conclusion that SD and the gang all need to go.

I no longer trust them to take this club forward.

They are not capable. Too small for a large club like ours.

 

[Tokyo Optician]

No, we are we are because eventually he said to himself "You know what? I think I've spent enough money on this club now, I'm going to pay off all its debts and pass it over to someone who seems to have a good plan for the future".

Spent more money on buying us players and paying their wages than all the rest of our owners combined. OK, we failed to make the jump we all wanted but he paid a higher price than all of us combined for that failure. I have nothing but gratitude and respect for that man.

Paid off all the debt he created, due to mismanagement.

Took us down to the 3rd tear of English football and washed his hands of us in his last few seasons.

 

[The Cabbage]

The problem with Donald isn’t that he hasn’t got enough money in and of itself. The problem is more that he hasn’t got an answer for any of our issues apart from money. If your only remedy to an issue is to spend - and you also don’t have much money - you’re pretty much boned. If he had any football competence whatsoever his levels of finance wouldn’t even register in this league.

 

[OUFC1]

its a point i made last year..when everyone else was going on about the money he has...oxford united is a community club, that means people in the local arewa follow it or support it through sposnorhsip etc as an act if ebenvolnece..the same way they would support oither community projects..outcomes dont matter as long ad the club is in the league basically..

safc of course has fans who think like that,,,but it has more than that..quite rightly it has fans who see the club as something that should and can be successful..this manifests itself in a lot of positive ways (the big crowds) but also some ways that are more difficult,,because asafc, like all big clubs..has a fan base that us very demanding(i emphasise i dont think the fans are being unreasinavle in this) and want a successdfulk club not just a community club..i doint think SD has ever appreciated the difference.

In dont think SD is out of his depth in the business sense..its a compnay he can run..but i think he thinks of football the way an oxford fan thingks of football..as a benevolent cause and an interesting challenge..he doenst relaise that very big clubs cant also be community clubs..its not about his level of wealth..its about how safc are different to oxford fans..he ahsnt really grasoped that since he got here..from that has spun off all of the other problems..

What an arrogant post.

I don’t follow my club week in week out as ‘an act of benevolence’. Outcomes definitely do matter albeit the expected outcomes might be different for us than for you. The reaction to Tuesday Night’s outcome after McNulty missed demonstrated that outcomes DO matter.

To suggest we’re just glad just to stay in the league is disrespectful and ill-informed.

Remind me which club has more recently won a major domestic trophy? Remind me which club is currently higher in the league? Not bad for a charity case reliant on the goodwill of the local community.