The Unofficial Sunderland Thread

Mentalman · January 24, 2008, 12:07:19 AM

Quote
Sunderland secure Prica signing

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has made his second signing in two days with the £2m capture of Sweden striker Rade Prica from Danish side Aalborg.
Keane, who snapped up Manchester United right-back Phil Bardsley on Tuesday, took his week's spending to £4m with the capture of the 27-year-old.

Prica, top scorer in the Danish league last term, has two goals in 13 games for Sweden and has signed until 2011.

"Rade is an experienced striker with a good goalscoring record," Keane said.

"He's hungry to play in the Premier League and will give us attacking options."

Prica began his career with home-town club Ljungby before moving to Helsingborg.

He then experienced life in the German Bundesliga with Hansa Rostock before joining Aalborg in July 2006, for whom he scored 28 goals in 48 appearances.

Jonny Evans and defender Jean-Yves Mvoto are the other new arrivals at the Stadium of Light this window, with the Black Cats currently 18th in the Premier League.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7205754.stm

I really hope I am wrong but I have a feeling Keano has added to his avian collection with these two. I've seen Prica on a number of occasions playing in the Allsvensken for Helsingborg. He was decent at that standard but not outstanding, unlike say Elmander or Kallstrom. Never was a regular for Sweden, even in a time when Henrik only played in the tournament finals. I'll give him this much, he knows about relegation battles, he left Hansa Rostock for Aalborg after they finished rock bottom of the Bundesliga. As for Bardsley, isn't he the kid who thought he was too good to warm the bench at Rangers, given his extensive experience playing for Burnley and Royal Antwerp? Like I said I hope I'm wrong, and given Sunderland is a hard club to get talent into they kind of have to make do for this season in the hope of staying up, but Keano seems to have feet of clay when it comes to the transfer market - signing lads he played with or saw at Utd. just won't get it done long term. Personally what I think they need now is a tough central midfielder, Lilly Savage would have been a decent stop gap, and an experienced centre half - even a Jaap Stamm type would done for the rest of the season.

Leo · January 24, 2008, 09:07:52 AM

On top of this he spent another £2.7m yesterday - brings his spend to around £35m. And this is the tool the Mistyeyed "best fans in the world" wanted as Ireland manager? It is taking a very long time for the penny (or multi-millions of pennies) to drop.

magpie seanie · January 24, 2008, 09:19:02 AM

So you reckon he is bad in the transfer market and thats a reason why he should not be Ireland manager? Who's the tool?

Mentalman · January 24, 2008, 10:51:08 AM

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 24, 2008, 09:19:02 AM
So you reckon he is bad in the transfer market and thats a reason why he should not be Ireland manager? Who's the tool?

LOL

There's still a couple of days left in the window, hopefully he can get in the one or two players needed to keep them up. Given that he can't depend on Richardson's fitness, which is a pity, midfield is essential. I see this morning they are still after Hunt, making a final push to get him. He is more like the type of player he needs, but I still think the centre needs someone to boss it, a veteran would do to see out the season. From what we I can see man management isn't a problem, Sunderland are a game side who fight to the death, it's just the individual quality isn't there. It's a push but I see Abelda is on the outs at Valencia, if they could get him on loan and throw enough money at him, they can guarantee him the game time, and it would be worth it to stay up. Just an idea, probably couldn't get him anyway.

Billys Boots · January 24, 2008, 12:02:57 PM

QuoteI see Abelda is on the outs at Valencia

He's just the sort of animal they need in the middle.

Leo · January 24, 2008, 05:47:23 PM

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 24, 2008, 09:19:02 AM
So you reckon he is bad in the transfer market and thats a reason why he should not be Ireland manager? Who's the tool?

Sadly your comment is typical of the type of response the Keano afficioandas seem to resort to in order to mask an inability to carry on reasoned debate and not having the objectivity or maturity to handle uncomfortable truths.

magpie seanie · January 24, 2008, 06:05:30 PM

No. In fact quite the opposite is the case. You went off on a foaming at the mouth rant about Keane and I merely pointed out the ludicrous nature of you linking his transfer spending to his ability to do the Irish job. Surely you can see that? Your blind rage is the exact opposite of the irrational "Keane afficionados" who are not able to "carry on reasoned debate and not having the objectivity or maturity to handle uncomfortable truths" to borrow your own words. Not many people were suggesting Keane for the Ireland job. The fact that you focus on that shows the depths pf your own irrationality on the subject.

stew · January 24, 2008, 07:09:26 PM

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 24, 2008, 09:19:02 AM
So you reckon he is bad in the transfer market and thats a reason why he should not be Ireland manager? Who's the tool?

If he cannot spot talent when he has the money to buy it how the hell is he going to know what his strongest team is ? the fact is that there is doubt as to his managerial prowess and he would need to be a bit more of a proven commodity before Ireland should touch him, that is if the IFA care at all about improving the standard of the national team.

red hander · January 24, 2008, 07:30:56 PM

'he would need to be a bit more of a proven commodity before Ireland should touch him'

What? Like Staunton, reserve team manager at Walsall?

Leo · January 24, 2008, 11:06:29 PM

Quote from: magpie seanie on January 24, 2008, 06:05:30 PM
No. In fact quite the opposite is the case. You went off on a foaming at the mouth rant about Keane and I merely pointed out the ludicrous nature of you linking his transfer spending to his ability to do the Irish job. ................................. Not many people were suggesting Keane for the Ireland job.

And I was merely pointing out the more ludicrous suggestions (of which the papaers were full a while back) that he would be a serious contender for the Ireland manager's job at this stage. Stand back from your prejudice - do you have any reason to question his judgment of players looking at some of the dross he has brought to his club? If not, I rest on the point.

stephenite · January 24, 2008, 11:12:22 PM

Not wanting to get invovled in a Keano debate but I think it's only fair to point out that if the quality players were willing to live in Sunderland or it's environs than we wouldn't be having this discussion. Trying to use the fact that players won't do this as an argument for Keanos inability to recognise talent doesn't wash

Leo · January 24, 2008, 11:23:35 PM

Quote from: stephenite on January 24, 2008, 11:12:22 PM
Not wanting to get invovled in a Keano debate but I think it's only fair to point out that if the quality players were willing to live in Sunderland or it's environs than we wouldn't be having this discussion. Trying to use the fact that players won't do this as an argument for Keanos inability to recognise talent doesn't wash

Cant really get the sense of this argument. Surely the superhero that is Keane to many should be a magnet for "top" footballers to join his club, whether it is Sunderland. or anywhere else. I have never heard this location argument from the managers of Newcastle or Middlesborough. Those two clubs are under-achievers as well but their transfer expenditure pales beside Sunderland and they do genuinely have one or two class recruits in their squads.

stephenite · January 24, 2008, 11:54:33 PM

Whilst I'd be aware of the superhero cult status Keane might have amongst some supporters of Ireland and possibly Man Utd. I'm not sure that professional players would have the same sense of reverence for the man, I could be wrong. Todays players are savvy enough to know that Keane is still unproven as a top flight mananger, and they're not likely to move a club unless they think it can consistently operate in the top flight.

I think that Newcastle and Middlesborough would find it easier to recruit star players on the basis that they're established premiership clubs, sure they have flirted with relegation on occasion but in the main they tend to stay up as opposed to a yo-yo premiership club like Sunderland. If Sunderland were to get a few consistent years in the top flight they could just as easily attract star players.

My only point is that for reasons above it's a tad unfair to question his abilities in recognising talent, that's not such a hard thing to do. He may well be a shite manager it terms of tactical acumen, man management, ability to work under extreme pressure and all the other things that go into making a successful manager, I don't know

Main Street · January 25, 2008, 09:42:08 AM

He might turn out to be good, very good or he might turn out to be one of those great ex players but an average manager like Bryan Robson.
But so far, in the EPL by his own standards, he has been poor, all things considered.

Leo · January 25, 2008, 09:55:44 AM

Quote from: Main Street on January 25, 2008, 09:42:08 AM
He might turn out to be good, very good or he might turn out to be one of those great ex players but an average manager like Bryan Robson.
But so far, in the EPL by his own standards, he has been poor, all things considered.

Good comparison but I would venture to suggest two things:
Robson was a much better player and is a very poor manager (not average at all) He through money around at previous clubs like confetti at a wedding and I fail to see how he still gets appointments, Sheff Utd being his latest relegation project.