The Black Cat Bounce? (Sunderland A.F.C.)

Member Name: thedevilinme

Product:	Sunderland A.F.C.
Date:	06/01/09 (176 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good fans and stadia

Disadvantages: No collective ambition

Full name Sunderland Association Football Club
Nickname(s) The Black Cats, The Mackems
Founded 1879[1] (as Sunderland and District Teachers)
Ground Stadium of Light
Sunderland
(Capacity: 49,000)
Chairman Niall Quinn
Manager Ricky Sbragia
League Premier League
2007-08 Premier League, 15th

Santa not only brings the sack around at Christmas for the kids but for football managers too, the January sales meaning old stock must be got rid of before the 31st of December so the new manager can buy what he needs for the new year to keep his team up and the sleigh in the air. Paul Ince failed to earn the respect of his best players and so forced out at Blackburn Rovers and Gary Macalister was fired last month at Leeds after his fifth straight defeat, ninth place enough to get mangers sacked before their first Christmas pie is munched at the club party these days. In fact the traditional bounce when a new manger comes in seems to be the only reason why the Leeds manger was sacked by the notorious Ken Bates.

Roy Keane's demise at Sunderland was a more delicate affair, choosing to walk before he was fired, the ex Manchester United kingpin clearly losing respect for his players, instead of the other way around.100 games was enough to know he couldn't take the team any further and the thought of being humbled at Old Trafford for his next game in front of 75,000 that adore him was too much for his pride. He could have signed a new deal that was allegedly being offered but the man was too proud to stitch up the Blackcats and walked off into the mist and frost with his beloved dog and the minimum compensation for a family Christmas in Manchester, his spiritual home. I don think he's the type of guy who would walk out on a club because he has a deal lined up at another place, especially Manchester City. On the subject of City not only did the other team in Manchester have to suffer United winning yet another trophy last month but their new shirt sponsorship deal through their Arab owners is with Dubai based 'Etihad Airlines'. 'Etihad, to be emblazoned across City's shirts, translates as 'United'.

Ricky Spragia is the new man at the helm for Sunderland with an 18 month contract, Ricky learning the trade under the best, Sir Alex Ferguson. Sunderland has a footballing history though, one that could feasibly be revived with their big crowds, Newcastle not the only team in this neck of the woods and Spragia will be expected to finish above the 'Toon'. They have a massive new ground and a big catchment area and once sat 4th in the premiership not that long ago. When Keane took over he immediately bought in people he could trust and rely on, 10 Irish players and three Irish coaches no less. In fact so Irish had Sunderland become they became the third most supported club in Ireland. But it was that high turnover of players during Keane's reign that would cost them their stability. But with the dead cat bounce over for Spragia the harsh realities of a relegation campaign are on Sunderland once again. Chairman Nial Quinn has clearly taken the cheap option after Keanes spending and I don't think this will work.

Squad wise Keane bought a lot of players in and shipped plenty out, 26 signings in 100 matches. As I said a lot of those lads were Irish and willing to get stuck in, especially his first batch, earning Sunderland the cult status they now have in Ireland. Whether that will stay that way is questionable. His best early signings were probably Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand and the latter ones , Cisse, Malbranque and goalie Gordon, guys who clearly want to play for the best. He's made some bad signings too, quickly shipped out to minimilize the loss. Once that core of Irish lads went it seemed to be where Roy lost interest though. I do still feel they have enough quality to stay up.

-The squad-

No. Position Player

1 GK Craig Gordon
2 DF Philip Bardsley
3 DF George McCartney
4 MF Teemu Tainio
5 DF Nyron Nosworthy
6 MF Dean Whitehead (captain)
7 MF Carlos Edwards
8 MF Steed Malbranque
9 FW Djibril Cissé (on loan from Olympique Marseille)
10 MF Kieran Richardson
11 FW El-Hadji Diouf
12 MF Liam Miller
13 GK Darren Ward
14 FW Daryl Murphy
15 DF Danny Collins
17 FW Kenwyne Jones
18 MF Grant Leadbitter
19 FW Dwight Yorke (vice-captain)
20 MF Andy Reid
No. Position Player
21 DF Pascal Chimbonda
23 FW David Healy
25 DF Jean-Yves M'voto
26 DF Anton Ferdinand
28 MF Graham Kavanagh
29 DF Peter Hartley
31 FW David Connolly
32 GK Márton Fülöp
34 MF Jack Colback
35 DF Michael Kay
36 MF Nathan Luscombe
37 MF Robbie Weir
38 MF Jamie Chandler
40 FW David Dowson
41 MF David Meyler
42 MF Jordan Henderson
43 MF Conor Hourihane
45 FW Rade Prica
46 GK Nick Colgan

Out on loan
No. Position Player

16 FW Michael Chopra (at Cardiff City until January 2009)
27 DF Russell Anderson (at Burnley until the end of the 2008-09 season)
28 MF Graham Kavanagh (at Carlisle United until December 2008)
30 DF Paul McShane (at Hull City until the end of the 2008-09 season)
33 DF Michael Liddle (at Carlisle United until January 2009)
39 FW Martyn Waghorn (at Charlton Athletic until January 2009)
No. Position Player
44 FW Anthony Stokes (at Sheffield United until January 2009)
-- MF Arnau Riera (at Falkirk until the end of the 2008-09 season)
-- DF Greg Halford (at Sheffield United until the end of the 2008-09 season)
-- FW Roy O'Donovan (at Dundee United until the end of the 2008-09 season)
-- MF Ross Wallace (at Preston North End until the end of the 2008-09 season)


-Trophies-

League

First Division (level 1)
Winners (6): 1891-92, 1892-93, 1894-95, 1901-02, 1912-13, 1935-36
Runners-up (5): 1893-94, 1897-98, 1900-01, 1922-23, 1934-35

Football League Championship (level 2)
Winners (2): 2004-05, 2006-07

Second Division (level 2)
Winners (1): 1975-76
Runners-up (2): 1963-64, 1979-80
Promotion (1): 1989-90

First Division (level 2)
Winners (2): 1995-96, 1998-99

Third Division (level 3)
Winners (1): 1987-88
Domestic cup

FA Cup
Winners (2): 1936-37, 1972-73
Runners-up (2): 1912-13, 1991-92
League Cup
Runners-up (1): 1984-85
Charity Shields
Winners (1): 1936
Runners-up (1): 1937

Sunderland stayed in the top flight until 1958, a record for successive seasons which only Arsenal, in 1992, surpassed. But since the war its been grim, just the one FA Cup win in 1973, an inversion of their only other win in 37. But at the turn of the 19th century they were kings of football, winners or runners up of division every year, plenty of young lads willing to head those medicine balls. Why they havent won anything since that memorable Cup Final and likewsie Newcastle is all rather odd.

-Links-

http://www.safc.com/
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunderland_AFC

Summary: Going down...