Warnock interview - "It's the biggest challenge of my career"

[SunderlandBluebird]

I wonder if those who were queuing up to say Tan is our best ever owner are changing their minds. It's all well and good saying protect the future of the club but he's not doing that is he - he's just trying to cut his costs and recoup as much money as possible. He could quite easily invest without putting the future of the club at risk.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

I wonder if those who were queuing up to say Tan is our best ever owner are changing their minds. It's all well and good saying protect the future of the club but he's not doing that is he - he's just trying to cut his costs and recoup as much money as possible. He could quite easily invest without putting the future of the club at risk.

If he spent £100m and we'd had a similar start, people would be saying the same thing. "We've spent too much money, he's risked the future of the club to stay up." I'm certainly far from Tan's biggest fan but he can't win.

As Warnock's said, we've gone from midtable mediocrity and a relegation fight to promotion in next to no time, with good Championship players. We've had a tough ask because we've played 3 of the top 6 back to back, and shockingly our players are lacking confidence because of it. Fulham have spent an absolute fortune and are 17th. Huddersfield spent £18m on one player, they're bottom.

[SunderlandBluebird]

If he spent £100m and we'd had a similar start, people would be saying the same thing. "We've spent too much money, he's risked the future of the club to stay up." I'm certainly far from Tan's biggest fan but he can't win.

As Warnock's said, we've gone from midtable mediocrity and a relegation fight to promotion in next to no time, with good Championship players. We've had a tough ask because we've played 3 of the top 6 back to back, and shockingly our players are lacking confidence because of it. Fulham have spent an absolute fortune and are 17th. Huddersfield spent £18m on one player, they're bottom.

Nah an extra £20 million would've got us a striker and a right back if spent wisely and it would've given us a much better chance of staying up. Warnock has said himself the club hesitated on occasions and it's cost us. We've spent 25m which is a pittance to improve a side that in Warnock's eyes got promoted too soon. Spending 50m wouldn't have put the club at risk, especially spending it correctly. I'm not saying spend 100m, but the funds should've been made available for a striker and a right back.

People are going with the "he's protecting the club's interests" but lets be honest, it's not that at all. Good luck to Warnock, I can see why it's his hardest job to date. It would be a miracle if we stayed up.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Nah an extra £20 million would've got us a striker and a right back if spent wisely and it would've given us a much better chance of staying up. Warnock has said himself the club hesitated on occasions and it's cost us. We've spent 25m which is a pittance to improve a side that in Warnock's eyes got promoted too soon. Spending 50m wouldn't have put the club at risk, especially spending it correctly. I'm not saying spend 100m, but the funds should've been made available for a striker and a right back.

People are going with the "he's protecting the club's interests" but lets be honest, it's not that at all. Good luck to Warnock, I can see why it's his hardest job to date. It would be a miracle if we stayed up.

Which striker are you getting for under £15m that's going to score the goals to keep us up?

[SunderlandBluebird]

Which striker are you getting for under £15m that's going to score the goals to keep us up?

Vydra, Vokes, Chris Wood, Rondon, Gayle, Austin, Mitrovic, Kodjia, Afobe would all probably be available for under 20m and all much better than our current options.

Not saying we'd have got the likes of Mitrovic etc when Fulham were a much more attractive option but we weren't even in the mix. It's not just about scoring goals though before you send me some stat about Vokes averaging 8 goals a season for the last three years. Rondon won't bag 20 a season but he'd do the hard work, create chances and bully defenders.

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Vydra, Vokes, Chris Wood, Rondon, Gayle, Austin, Mitrovic, Kodjia, Afobe would all probably be available for under 20m and all much better than our current options.

Not saying we'd have got the likes of Mitrovic etc when Fulham were a much more attractive option but we weren't even in the mix. It's not just about scoring goals though before you send me some stat about Vokes averaging 8 goals a season for the last three years. Rondon won't bag 20 a season but he'd do the hard work, create chances and bully defenders.

Vydra isn't a number 9, and wanted 50k pw from Leeds. Vokes has 2 in his last 30. Wood cost 16m+ last season. Rondon is on 60k pw. Gayle was on 80k and scored 6 in 35. Austin would cost a fortune and Southampton wouldn't sell to a rival. Mitro cost over £20m. Kodja cost 15m 2 seasons ago. Afobe went to Stoke for 12.5m and scored 10 in 63 PL games.

I'm not sure any of them are realistic or would be able to solve the problems we have.

[Rock_Flock_of_Five]

Vydra isn't a number 9, and wanted 50k pw from Leeds. Vokes has 2 in his last 30. Wood cost 16m+ last season. Rondon is on 60k pw. Gayle was on 80k and scored 6 in 35. Austin would cost a fortune and Southampton wouldn't sell to a rival. Mitro cost over £20m. Kodja cost 15m 2 seasons ago. Afobe went to Stoke for 12.5m and scored 10 in 63 PL games.

I'm not sure any of them are realistic or would be able to solve the problems we have.

It's why we need a better overseas scouting system. Kodjia came to Bristol City two years ago from Angers for just £2m. Swansea unearthed Michu, again for just £2m (admittedly, six years ago), Andre Ayew was a free transfer from Marseille and then later sold to West Ham for a healthy profit of £20m. I know that not all foreign transfers work out and I could be accused of being selective in the afore-mentioned players, however, have we ever signed anyone from abroad that has really worked well for us? (I won't include Garry Medel because he didn't come cheaply at the time and didn't pull up any trees while he was with us for the one season).

Whoever our overseas scouting network are, I just don't think they're good enough, they don't appear to have an eye for real talent. Before anyone points out Camarasa, it should be noted he literally arrived on our doorstep courtesy of a pre-season friendly.

[surge]

If he spent £100m and we'd had a similar start, people would be saying the same thing. "We've spent too much money, he's risked the future of the club to stay up." I'm certainly far from Tan's biggest fan but he can't win.

As Warnock's said, we've gone from midtable mediocrity and a relegation fight to promotion in next to no time, with good Championship players. We've had a tough ask because we've played 3 of the top 6 back to back, and shockingly our players are lacking confidence because of it. Fulham have spent an absolute fortune and are 17th. Huddersfield spent £18m on one player, they're bottom.

We've seen with Bamba and Holiett that teams can be improved with free deals, with Etheridge that teams can be improved with lower league signings, and with Arter that sometimes not the best player but key ingredients can improve a side. I think everyone would want another striker but that would potentially involve spending an extra £10m we didn't have, however I bet we would improve our side 10x over by spending as little as £2m on a right-back. It's not always the amount of money when people ask if enough money has been spent.

[jamieccfc]

I wonder if those who were queuing up to say Tan is our best ever owner are changing their minds. It's all well and good saying protect the future of the club but he's not doing that is he - he's just trying to cut his costs and recoup as much money as possible. He could quite easily invest without putting the future of the club at risk.

Wow just Wow

[lardy]

I wonder if those who were queuing up to say Tan is our best ever owner are changing their minds. It's all well and good saying protect the future of the club but he's not doing that is he - he's just trying to cut his costs and recoup as much money as possible. He could quite easily invest without putting the future of the club at risk.

It's true what they say, takes all sorts.

[Der Kaiser]

I wonder if those who were queuing up to say Tan is our best ever owner are changing their minds. It's all well and good saying protect the future of the club but he's not doing that is he - he's just trying to cut his costs and recoup as much money as possible. He could quite easily invest without putting the future of the club at risk.

Go back to bed, and restart tomorrow.