Roker Rapport Podcast: With Stewart Donald (Tues 28th May)

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Coeus said:
Given that many of us believe the academy to be critical to any future success, the running of it appears from the outside to be very concerning. Our best young players seem to be leaving on mass for minimal fees. There was investment spoken about for the academy, but the actuality appears in stark contrast. A lot has been said about not being able to do anything about it although we have had people close to those that have left say the opposite and confirmed that it is their opinion, that the club was only too happy to receive a fee. Can Stewart clarify if he is pleased to sell of youngsters or if he would prefer to keep them, if he would prefer to keep them, what was done on an individual basis to give us the best opportunity to progress these youngsters at the club?

Is he happy with how the academy has performed this season? Paul Reid's influence? Is the intent there to produce players for the first team, and what is the stratagy to do this?

Donald spoke of January with clubs adding millions of pounds onto players value due to a "Sunderland Tax". Does he believe that signing Will Grigg for 4 million pounds will add to that tax in the future? Will they see us coming?

How are we counteracting clubs trying to fleece us?

How does he see the scouting set up evolving, is the plans in place to grow whatever system we have or implement a new set up? I'm aware that he said one or two new people were coming into this department but has any thought gone into how the scouting is done? Anything particularly clever or different from other clubs? Will future signings be done under any philosophy (such as to sell for profit) or is it more what we need at the time?

Have any actual conversations been had with Juan to discuss how Monaco went about changing their clubs philosophy very successfully from spending silly money to purchasing excellent prospects?

Has this season encouraged him that this is what he wants to do long term or that he is better suited to a couple of years?

Have any long term plans been created or is the onus firmly on getting the current fundamentals (staff, sponsorship, costs) to be the best they can be?

We saw speculation that John Park was linked, is this true? If not, have you considered bringing someone in with the experience of deploying a long term plan or strategy?
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Great questions as always Coeus, particularly about the academy. FWIW I got in touch with Paul Reid last week and he's agreed to come back on the Podcast just before the season starts.
 


Why did we sit back and try to defend a 1-0 lead, when we failed to do the same against Portsmouth.

How are we going to be better prepared for our second attempt at league one. chomp
 
Coeus said:
Given that many of us believe the academy to be critical to any future success, the running of it appears from the outside to be very concerning. Our best young players seem to be leaving on mass for minimal fees. There was investment spoken about for the academy, but the actuality appears in stark contrast. A lot has been said about not being able to do anything about it although we have had people close to those that have left say the opposite and confirmed that it is their opinion, that the club was only too happy to receive a fee. Can Stewart clarify if he is pleased to sell of youngsters or if he would prefer to keep them, if he would prefer to keep them, what was done on an individual basis to give us the best opportunity to progress these youngsters at the club?

Is he happy with how the academy has performed this season? Paul Reid's influence? Is the intent there to produce players for the first team, and what is the stratagy to do this?

Donald spoke of January with clubs adding millions of pounds onto players value due to a "Sunderland Tax". Does he believe that signing Will Grigg for 4 million pounds will add to that tax in the future? Will they see us coming?

How are we counteracting clubs trying to fleece us?

How does he see the scouting set up evolving, is the plans in place to grow whatever system we have or implement a new set up? I'm aware that he said one or two new people were coming into this department but has any thought gone into how the scouting is done? Anything particularly clever or different from other clubs? Will future signings be done under any philosophy (such as to sell for profit) or is it more what we need at the time?

Have any actual conversations been had with Juan to discuss how Monaco went about changing their clubs philosophy very successfully from spending silly money to purchasing excellent prospects?

Has this season encouraged him that this is what he wants to do long term or that he is better suited to a couple of years?

Have any long term plans been created or is the onus firmly on getting the current fundamentals (staff, sponsorship, costs) to be the best they can be?

We saw speculation that John Park was linked, is this true? If not, have you considered bringing someone in with the experience of deploying a long term plan or strategy?
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Great questions as usual. I would love detailed explanations to these, really important for our future success that we have a long term plan in place, especially in regards to recruitment.
 
Coeus said:
I know mate, just sounds better than "a fee that I'm not exactly sure of that will grow when circumstances that I am not aware of, happen."

Can we agree that we spent too much or at least above market value which is kind of my point?
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oh yes certainly...£3m is more than the going rate for a league one striker-it may prove value in time, but they certainly overpaid.
 
For God's sake Gav, can you make sure someone asks him about our approach to data and anaytics? We appear to be very 'old school' in how we do things (SDs comments about relying on Coton and his contacts, JR dismissing xG as just a betting thing). Yet the best, highest performing clubs in this league and abroad are fully embracing the concept and embedding it into their decision making process (as evidenced by this article in NYT on Liverpool's success). He has said that we need to be smarter in how we operate and make money go as far as we can. This is the next frontier for football and the teams who embrace this early - right throughout the pyramid - will be the ones who benefit most. We cannot afford to miss the boat.
 
offmenut said:
I agree.
The most transparent owners we've had.
The hardest working owners. Desperate to do anything to succeed and make us increase our turnover so we can compete.
Wants to get fans involved as much as possible.
And yet folk slag them off and call them chancers and can't wait to put a negative spin on them at the earliest opportunity.
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What about Quinn?
 
Coeus said:
Good stuff, his last one infuriated me to be honest, but at least it is open.
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ands i agree that reid was not convincing on the pid..struck me as a proper bluffer,,,,a good coprorate operator..but thats not what an academy manager should be.

Black Cat Gypsy said:
What about Quinn?
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took a salary for the job-obviously i have no idea if he worked harder than anyone else-but got a huge salary for the job...
 
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kildaremackem said:
ands i agree that reid was not convincing on the pid..struck me as a proper bluffer,,,,a good coprorate operator..but thats not what an academy manager should be.


took a salary for the job-obviously i have no idea if he worked harder than anyone else-but got a huge salary for the job...
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You keep saying that but no one cares. He was brilliant for this club both as a chairman and player for this club and for the city. Stop trying to dirty his name to big up Donald ffs.
 
Black Cat Gypsy said:
You keep saying that but no one cares. He was brilliant for this club both as a chairman and player for this club and for the city. Stop trying to dirty his name to big up Donald ffs.
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i dont ant to dirty his name. I just state facts. he came in-achieved something on he field (promotion) and was well rewarded for it. good luck to him. he is a business guy who has had some success.
 
Can we get some proper answers to the contract situation with those young players this time please.

Also on a lesser note, whats next on the stadium improvement list and when, surely concourses?
 
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