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

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.
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Who?

We've had more graduates of our academy playing for our first team this season than I can remember happening for a very long time.

Or are you talking about the younger lads on youth contracts rather than pro contracts who we couldn't stop from leaving if we wanted to, because the clubs poaching them have the sort of money that allows them to buy new family homes for the parents of the kid to convince them to move?
 


fyl2u said:
Who?

We've had more graduates of our academy playing for our first team this season than I can remember happening for a very long time.

Or are you talking about the younger lads on youth contracts rather than pro contracts who we couldn't stop from leaving if we wanted to, because the clubs poaching them have the sort of money that allows them to buy new family homes for the parents of the kid to convince them to move?
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I don't believe this to be true.

Interestingly many people who believe we can't stop them being poached are of the opinion that a financial incentive is illegal which contradicts your thoughts.

It's a grey area and one that I would like the owner's and academy's bosses thoughts on.
 
kingmonkey said:
Can you get grumpy old man on to grill him about the finances. Would love to feel 100 per cent confident about what he says as sometimes he seems to get away with being a bit vague on the subject.

I'd like to know what he has learned, what mistakes have been made this year and what he would do differently.

Also, before the concert this summer I would like to know which order he would ride the spice girls.

Correct answer is, ginger, baby, posh, sporty, scary by the way.
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Disagree. No one rides Ginger 1st nor scary last
 
How are we going to make the most of our huge catchment area and Cat 1 Academy.

Do we have any agreements with local lower leagues clubs regarding recruiting academy players and loaning our players?

Are we scouting Europe effectively? Looking at France and Holland, seen to be producing a lot of excellent talent.

How are you profess with your new policy for youth contract? Had this been an issue with Benji?

Hope your bairn and wife are well. Thanks for everything so far. Ta
 
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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These please.

Also something around how he sees the finances going forward is the long term plan for us to be sustainable and not really on any outside investment. If so how what’s the plan to achieve that?
 
Coeus said:
I don't believe this to be true.

Interestingly many people who believe we can't stop them being poached are of the opinion that a financial incentive is illegal which contradicts your thoughts.

It's a grey area and one that I would like the owner's and academy's bosses thoughts on.
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i just think the fact the urpsurge in young lads leaving has coincided with us being in league one-and they are going to the prem-so of course its happening more.

offmenut said:
What for?
All I remember is when he used to moan at fans for watching in the pubs and for not sorting out the pink seats.
Cant ever remember folk being paranoid and suspicious of him and his Irish mates for being chancers. In retrospect they probably were too, put in cash with no real plan, just to get us in the prem and to sell us on for profit.
No one minded that. But now with the owners sorting out the mess we're in and trying to increase our turnover and make us self sufficient some slag them off for only being in it for themselves.
I find it odd.
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although i think quinn got an easier time as owner than he deserved-and that some of the individulas in he consortium are chancers (one of them many years ago chased my dad for miles with an alsation) they did have a plan it was to sell some shares to a bigger investor, sean mulryan of ballymore homes-who lives in kildare like some of he others (lives just a couple of miles from quinny) but when the property market tanked mulryan wasnt interested,,
 
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Themig said:
You’ve previously mentioned ways that the club can generate money by branching into other areas. Would it be feasible to invest in our own manufacturing company to produce our own kits and training gear? Surely this would be more cost effective and we could have strips that didn’t look like they were designed by a 10 year old on an App
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Noone would buy the kit and the accompanying trai
Chop Buster said:
This is a really good idea
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It really isn't. No-one would buy it or the accompanying training wear. We'd make a higher margin on the home shirt but sell far less stuff. Cost us an absolute fortune.
 
fyl2u said:
Who?

We've had more graduates of our academy playing for our first team this season than I can remember happening for a very long time.

Or are you talking about the younger lads on youth contracts rather than pro contracts who we couldn't stop from leaving if we wanted to, because the clubs poaching them have the sort of money that allows them to buy new family homes for the parents of the kid to convince them to move?
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But except for hume they've been blooded in the championship or Premier league. Not be Jr in league one.
We've had a u23 side competing at the highest level just 2 seasons ago. Our u21 were in thr checkatrade last season.
In the Premier we blooded Gooch and Watmore.
Last year we blooded Maja asoro and honeyman.
In the past we've sent players to league one to get experience, and yet when we're in league one we only get hume in.
It's been so dissapointing.
Last game of the season last Yr v wolves and first game this season v Charlton we had mumba, molyneux, hume, Embleton and robson in the squad.

Smartin said:
Is Will Grigg leaving in the summer? If not, why not?

With parents and young kids staying away from matches due to safety why hasn’t the away fans been moved.

Has there been any investigation or further training provided for stewards who refused to stop away fans throwing objects.

Next seasons home strip.... just why....
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What a stupid question.
Big signing, good at this level.
Had no Pre season and not fully fit.
Beggers belief that question mind!

[QUOTE="Jorrd93, post: 29765966, member: 40584"]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[/QUOTE]
We just succeeded in defending a 1 nil lead v pompey for 90 mins man

I'd like to know how were going to go forward in scouting players.
For me it seems (with the one exception of luke 09) that we have gone after older experienced players, players that championship clubs don't want, which is worrying if we do get promoted. Will we have lots of players too old, not good enough, who we have to get rid of cheaply?
The average age of the squad is getting on a bit. You look at Barnsley, and they have 3 or 4 26 Yr olds, then everyone else is a lot younger.
It seems that we're following the Premier years, in buying players for now not the future.
There are so few players we can see on our team and get excited by and think 'these could be really good in the future.'
 
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offmenut said:
But except for hume they've been blooded in the championship or Premier league. Not be Jr in league one.
We've had a u23 side competing at the highest level just 2 seasons ago. Our u21 were in thr checkatrade last season.
In the Premier we blooded Gooch and Watmore.
Last year we blooded Maja asoro and honeyman.
In the past we've sent players to league one to get experience, and yet when we're in league one we only get hume in.
It's been so dissapointing.
Last game of the season last Yr v wolves and first game this season v Charlton we had mumba, molyneux, hume, Embleton and robson in the squad.


What a stupid question.
Big signing, good at this level.
Had no Pre season and not fully fit.
Beggers belief that question mind!

[QUOTE="Jorrd93, post: 29765966, member: 40584"]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
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It isn’t a question of being fit, the lad simply doesn’t want to play for us. He doesn’t try and has been a disaster of a signing, if money\wages are tight we need to move him on.
 
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kildaremackem said:
i just think the fact the urpsurge in young lads leaving has coincided with us being in league one-and they are going to the prem-so of course its happening more.
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It's absolutely possible, however, we have heard stuff to the contrary, hence the confusion.

My interests are fully weighted towards the long term so it of interest to me and it also feeds a nagging feeling that the club, as it has for the last 20 years, is solely focused on the short term.
 
Smartin said:
It isn’t a question of being fit, the lad simply doesn’t want to play for us. He doesn’t try and has been a disaster of a signing, if money\wages are tight we need to move him on.
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Dont agree at all.
His movement looks good. Why wouldn't he want to play for us?
He's obviously not fit.
Stupid signing in hindsight, but, especially if we're in league one next year, he will be good for us.
If we could get what we paid for him then yes. move him on, but we won't as he was never worth that in the first place
 

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