RR EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Methven discusses Sunderland’s investment, transfer window & scouting plans



The fans wanted the seats changed, it was done. The fans wanted a stand renaming, it was done. The fans wanted flags, it was done. The fans even wanted the manager sacked and that was done too. The fans have been involved with the club far more in the last 18 months than they ever have.


Hi Charlie, please beg the Americans to buy you out, you’ve been a disaster for this football club
 
Any idea on the colour of his trousers
At the beginning of last season he was often to be seen courting publicity around the SOL. A cross between Rupert the Bear and Robert Maxwell ? I will reserve judgement until the January window. Could anyone else apart from Methven and Donald done much better ? If we get a bit of money in Jan and Parky brings a couple in I am hoping things can be turned around
Any idea on the colour of his trousers
At the beginning of last season he was often to be seen courting publicity around the SOL. A cross between Rupert the Bear and Robert Maxwell ? I will reserve judgement until the January window. Could anyone else apart from Methven and Donald done much better ? If we get a bit of money in Jan and Parky brings a couple in I am hoping things can be turned around
 
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The big thing SAFC fans knee jerk and moan about is spend spend spend, to get us out of this league, well that worked for Ellis Short and 8 other managers didn't it, FFS look where we are, it's from 10 years of shit decisions and a massive turn around in names we thought would do the job, including JR.
This is not a 1 season turnaround it's a work in progress and until we all realise this we can moan as much as we want.
Back SD & CM at least give them your support until the end of the season, then we can see if they and PP have done their job right.
 
$10 mil for the right of first refusal. Probably waiting for the club to be completely devalued.
Most of that is me being a dick. I hope there’s a plan somewhere.

I said this last night. I was thinking maybe that the Americans were on board to buy for a certain price, then when it became apparent we weren’t nailed on for promotion, they’ve had a second thought and decided to ask the question about it getting it cheaper, current owners dig their heels in because promotion is still (technically) realistic. Mexican stand off, £10 mill loan for first dibs once we know for definite which league we’re in next year. Perhaps.
 
I said this last night. I was thinking maybe that the Americans were on board to buy for a certain price, then when it became apparent we weren’t nailed on for promotion, they’ve had a second thought and decided to ask the question about it getting it cheaper, current owners dig their heels in because promotion is still (technically) realistic. Mexican stand off, £10 mill loan for first dibs once we know for definite which league we’re in next year. Perhaps.
If we don’t get promoted where does that leave us? Increased running costs, no parachute payments and the owners have a £10m loan to pay back?
 
If we don’t get promoted where does that leave us? Increased running costs, no parachute payments and the owners have a £10m loan to pay back?

The Americans will buy for less.

That’s what I’m saying, I think they don’t want to pay the full asking price right now, and then potentially not go up. When this takeover talk started these two were on about 100 point seasons etc. Promotion is 50/50 at best right now.

They can wait it out, and if we don’t go up this season (and we will be financially fucked at that point make no mistake) get us for next to nowt when the current owners have to cut their losses.
 
The Americans will buy for less.

That’s what I’m saying, I think they don’t want to pay the full asking price right now, and then potentially not go up. When this takeover talk started these two were on about 100 point seasons etc. Promotion is 50/50 at best right now.

They can wait it out, and if we don’t go up this season (and we will be financially fucked at that point make no mistake) get us for next to nowt when the current owners have to cut their losses.
That would be an incredibly dangerous game for the current owners to play could fuck the club over.
 
I said this last night. I was thinking maybe that the Americans were on board to buy for a certain price, then when it became apparent we weren’t nailed on for promotion, they’ve had a second thought and decided to ask the question about it getting it cheaper, current owners dig their heels in because promotion is still (technically) realistic. Mexican stand off, £10 mill loan for first dibs once we know for definite which league we’re in next year. Perhaps.
Listened to the RR pod with Charlie. It sounds to me like the investment is going to infrastructure. He painted a picture of neglect by the previous ownership and it needs to be made right. Said our class 1 academy is in danger of losing its ability to attract and keep young players. There’s jokes about speakers and lifts but the club is the sum of many smaller parts. Seats, speakers, lifts, hospitality, ticketing, match day experience in foul weather, netting for safety ...
There are no more wise cracks about pink seats. Soon the comedic license will expire on lifts and speakers.
 
Listened to the RR pod with Charlie. It sounds to me like the investment is going to infrastructure. He painted a picture of neglect by the previous ownership and it needs to be made right. Said our class 1 academy is in danger of losing its ability to attract and keep young players. There’s jokes about speakers and lifts but the club is the sum of many smaller parts. Seats, speakers, lifts, hospitality, ticketing, match day experience in foul weather, netting for safety ...
There are no more wise cracks about pink seats. Soon the comedic license will expire on lifts and speakers.
We were told when they took over they had the finances to see us top half of the Championship. Now they're needing loans to pay for speakers and basic maintenance repairs. They can't afford to run a club this size, gambled on us going straight back up and selling us for a quick profit. That doesn't look like happening any time soon and now they are panicking.
 
We were told when they took over they had the finances to see us top half of the Championship. Now they're needing loans to pay for speakers and basic maintenance repairs. They can't afford to run a club this size, gambled on us going straight back up and selling us for a quick profit. That doesn't look like happening any time soon and now they are panicking.
You sure it’s a loan? You sure they were going for a promotion/flip scheme?
I agree that SD spouted on about having enough capital to buy and pay players.
Not looking for an argument of speculation but do think he bs'd the supporters?
I also agree his initial plan hasn't gone according to what was said.
 
You sure it’s a loan? You sure they were going for a promotion/flip scheme?
I agree that SD spouted on about having enough capital to buy and pay players.
Not looking for an argument of speculation but do think he bs'd the supporters?
I also agree his initial plan hasn't gone according to what was said.
At the minute it looks a like a loan with no shares changing. Whether that happens a later date remains to be seen. There wasn't a long term plan when they came in. Completely abandoning the scouting set up and touting out the academy players for quick cash, whilst only signing players proven only at League 1 mean we would've been looking at another rebuild had we gone up.
I don't mind Donald and wouldn't go as far as to say he's bullshitted supporters but there's been a lot of untruths and things that have been intentionally vague about. Saying he paid Short £40m when in fact £25m of it was the clubs parachute payments. He said this was to be put back into the club but we've seen no sign of that yet.
 

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