riffraff
Striker
Nearly bankrupted both though.Some quality players went to mags and Boro though.
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Nearly bankrupted both though.Some quality players went to mags and Boro though.
Including wages, really ?!?!?!?!?!Arguably the North Stand extension shouldn’t have happened and the nigh on £8M it cost spent on a handful of quality players. Can understand Sir Bob’s thinking, he wanted to leave a legacy and he did but he went the other way and we’d had an extra couple of years at the top end of the table probably competing in Europe even just the once or twice, the North Stand could then have been extended and paid for itself.
The lad i went to the match with fell out of love with football after that season. I met up with him a few years after and it was like talking to a stranger, he went from football mad to barely even knowing any players.Summer of 2001 we lost Hutchison, Makin had already gone and wasn’t replaced, even letting Alex Rae go was a bad move I thought. Quinn was starting to fade but we still played the same and Laslandes barely featured. Even though we didn’t go down I remember 2001/2002 being one of the worst seasons. After two 7th finished it was so deflating and the football was diabolical.
The week that 17th season started me and a few of the lads got on us to go down just enough to pay for next seasons ST. We had been dogshit for the second half of the season before and summet was obviously wrong backstage. Odds weren’t worth it the next summer as we were a known contender by then.Yep. The year we finished 17th was absolutely atrocious, that should have been a warning that was heeded, and changes made. It wasn't.
Always thought Hutchinson was a Sunderland fan disappointed to learn he’s a magShould have gave Hutchison billions to play up with Phillips for a few more years.
Not sure £8m would have gone very far, even back then.Arguably the North Stand extension shouldn’t have happened and the nigh on £8M it cost spent on a handful of quality players. Can understand Sir Bob’s thinking, he wanted to leave a legacy and he did but he went the other way and we’d had an extra couple of years at the top end of the table probably competing in Europe even just the once or twice, the North Stand could then have been extended and paid for itself.
Crouch was being talked up at work down here by a few QPR fans, his one season at qpr was our second 7th season and we were shite in its second half. He was young and they needed the money, that summer he was off to Pompey.Reading this thread has got me thinking with hindsight at the forefront with those players that did leave who would you lot of replaced them with? Like someone has said Hartson for Quinn would’ve been a good one
He was a Rangers enthusiast when at safc. Mag as owt.Always thought Hutchinson was a Sunderland fan disappointed to learn he’s a mag
Would YOU have given it to Reid to spend? Looking at the shit he was buying at the time I think Murray gets a hard time in opting for the extension.Not sure £8m would have gone very far, even back then.
Hard to say. I think this club gets to a level whereby it tops out and we struggle to attract the next calibre of player. Reid had that problem. Keane had it. Bruce, O'Neill, Poyet etc had it.Would YOU have given it to Reid to spend? Looking at the shit he was buying at the time I think Murray gets a hard time in opting for the extension.
The NE clubs will always have a struggle attracting top players in their prime because of the location without over paying them and risking bankruptcy. Gotta get em in when they’re young. Even Utd couldn’t keep Ronaldo in his prime, signed as a spotty 17yr old and a creaking 36 yr old who can’t play three games in eight days, he was begging to leave the summer before he did.Hard to say. I think this club gets to a level whereby it tops out and we struggle to attract the next calibre of player. Reid had that problem. Keane had it. Bruce, O'Neill, Poyet etc had it.
Again, it was possibly harder back then. I think it eased a little as time went on during our ten year stint, but early doors it was definitely a factor.
I remember there being a lot of talk of '"genteleman's agreements" with this player and that one, players we courted but couldn't get over the line. Robbie Keane was a big one.
There was an obsession with having a "team of internationals" anarl, even though they were second and third rate national sides. It all upset the balance of the dressing room. The team that was truly successful was a close knit, predominantly British group, who'd been along for the full ride. And liked a pint or ten in the Shakespeare. When that dynamic was broken, we went south.
We'd have been bankrupted and seen League 1 a lot sooner.Although this was by far the best team and period I ever experienced, I think Reidy stumbled across a magic formula that he found hard to continue/evolve. I would say that a lack of further investment, as well as potentially a lack of ability to continuously evolve the team after losing some key players, cost us ultimately. I often wonder what would have happened if O'Leary came in as was rumoured and he had been backed.
Went to a talk in with Makin, Summerbee and Gray years ago and they talked about it.Summerbee mentioned it on a podcast iirc. Might be linked to this. TIME TO START MAKIN HAY CHRIS
Reidy struck gold with Phillips, that's for certain, but he at least had the nous to identify him. And Quinn was a good buy.Although this was by far the best team and period I ever experienced, I think Reidy stumbled across a magic formula that he found hard to continue/evolve. I would say that a lack of further investment, as well as potentially a lack of ability to continuously evolve the team after losing some key players, cost us ultimately. I often wonder what would have happened if O'Leary came in as was rumoured and he had been backed.
He played five games for them, and they were the last of his career. What actually happened was they'd signed a 34 year old defender, got him down Whitburn, and quickly realised his legs had gone. That's nonsense what you're said there about Sacko.Linked with Di Canio as well when he was at Celtic.
Fell out with Tommy Helmer who came from Bayern and Borussia and 68 German caps to play two games for us and was then loaned back to Hertha Berlin to play Champions League football for the rest of the season because Bobby Saxton tried to tell him he was wrong about defending in training.
Bizarre to think those finishes should have been higher, second half of the season results and performances were poor in comparison to the start of both of the seasonsThe following two years with back to back 7th place top flight finishes says no to a lot of fans. But why did it go wrong after that.
Wharra bastard eh.Went to a talk in with Makin, Summerbee and Gray years ago and they talked about it.
One of them knew Mel Sykes' mate and arranged a night out in London with them after Arsenal away. They didn't tell Gray but wound him up all week telling him it was a surprise and he was apparently even asking them about it during the match.
We got beat 4-1 and they all went out and got pictured by the paparazzi rolling out of a club. Micky Gray tried it on with her, fell asleep so Makin shagged her instead.
Next morning they were all over the papers. Reid went ballistic but blamed Makin and Summerbee for leading Gray astray. They said that was the beginning of the end for them. They were both dropped and Summerbee was in and out from then on, he was frozen out over the summer and trained with the kids but then recalled at the start of the season when clearly unfit to prove a point. Makin didn't leave for over a year but said that was the first offer that came in and was pushed out the door.
Ran outta steam. Teams worked us out. Etc etc. It happens. We did it both seasons.Bizarre to think those finishes should have been higher, second half of the season results and performances were poor in comparison to the start of both of the seasons
Should have qualified for Europe, should have brought in more quality and depth and if he did i dare imagine we could kept form going and finished either season strong !
Yeah Asprilla found himself being a cult hero and look who became ours ….. Milton NunezWharra bastard eh.
I remember Summerbee coming in from the cold, and his bewildering absence suddenly looking justified.
As with so many of our better players, it's interesting that he sloped off down the divisions after us.
Ran outta steam. Teams worked us out. Etc etc. It happens. We did it both seasons.
Bringing in more quality and depth mid-season isn't always that simple.
The scum brought in Asprilla to secure the title - look how that panned out.
Asprilla shoulda been treat like he’d been brought in for the next season but brought in early. So instead of turning up in the summer and starting from scratch he wadve had 3 or 4 months or so to adjust to a new country, language, league, club etc THEN start from scratch. Thank Christ they hoyed him reet in.Wharra bastard eh.
I remember Summerbee coming in from the cold, and his bewildering absence suddenly looking justified.
As with so many of our better players, it's interesting that he sloped off down the divisions after us.
Ran outta steam. Teams worked us out. Etc etc. It happens. We did it both seasons.
Bringing in more quality and depth mid-season isn't always that simple.
The scum brought in Asprilla to secure the title - look how that panned out.
I know a LOT of people who were passionate fans home & away for years but then for one reason or another stopped going to a few matches. That few matches became dumping the season ticket and going to occasional matches to now not going to any. They say they don`t miss itThe lad i went to the match with fell out of love with football after that season. I met up with him a few years after and it was like talking to a stranger, he went from football mad to barely even knowing any players.
Mind, i feel like that lately![]()