The Unofficial Sunderland Thread

[slow corner back]

Sunderland arsenal last day could be tasty, Roy needs points to stay up and gunners going for the title. Roy will put fire in the bellies but if Arsenal need the points you gotta think they will get them

[Mentalman]

Sunderland tell Miller he can go

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has placed Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Miller on the transfer list.
Miller, 27, joined the Black Cats from Manchester United in August 2006 but has now been told he is free to look for a new club.

With the transfer window now closed, Miller is limited to an emergency loan move to a Football League club.

The former Celtic trainee has made more than 50 appearances for Sunderland, scoring three goals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7266844.stm

Changed the title of the thread to reflect the fact we seem to have a little bit of occasional discussion about the Mackems here.

To me this is a bit of a strange one and I'd love to know what's behind it. I mean I know I've critcised Keano's tranfer dealings a bit, and Miller has hardly lit up the Stadium of Light, but he was getting quite a bit of game time lately. Is he injured too often or not effective enough? A bit of both, but so is a lot of his squad, what else could be behind this?

[Rav67]

I actually think Miller is one of their better players so I'm surprised to read that.  He's technically sound and I've been impressed with him any Sunderland games I've watched this season.  I think his level is at a stuggling PL side or a top Championship one so he'll have no bother getting a move in the Summer for around £1.5-3m.

[AZOffaly]

Wasn't it Miller that Keane was shouting about Staunton not picking for Ireland because he was from Cork? Does Roy not rate him anymore, or was he just mouthing off at the time?

[An Fear Rua]

Wasn't it Miller that Keane was shouting about Staunton not picking for Ireland because he was from Cork? Does Roy not rate him anymore, or was he just mouthing off at the time?

Just becasue Roy doesnt rate him for a prem league side, doesnt mean he doesnt think he can fit in nicely with Ireland..

[AZOffaly]

Touché.

Although to be honest, given that the premiership side in question is Sunderland, I'd have my doubts.

[The Real Laoislad]

Wasn't it Miller that Keane was shouting about Staunton not picking for Ireland because he was from Cork? Does Roy not rate him anymore, or was he just mouthing off at the time?

Just becasue Roy doesnt rate him for a prem league side, doesnt mean he doesnt think he can fit in nicely with Ireland..

Do you not think Ireland would have a better team/squad than Sunderland?

[AZOffaly]

Wasn't it Miller that Keane was shouting about Staunton not picking for Ireland because he was from Cork? Does Roy not rate him anymore, or was he just mouthing off at the time?

Just becasue Roy doesnt rate him for a prem league side, doesnt mean he doesnt think he can fit in nicely with Ireland..

Do you not think Ireland would have a better team/squad than Sunderland?

Maybe Roy thinks that.

[The Real Laoislad]

Wasn't it Miller that Keane was shouting about Staunton not picking for Ireland because he was from Cork? Does Roy not rate him anymore, or was he just mouthing off at the time?

Just becasue Roy doesnt rate him for a prem league side, doesnt mean he doesnt think he can fit in nicely with Ireland..

Do you not think Ireland would have a better team/squad than Sunderland?

Maybe Roy thinks that.

Well if Keane believes that Sunderland have a better team than Ireland i think he has lost his marbles
On the Miller situation though,I'd say the chap is regretting ever leaving Celtic for Man U

[Rav67]

Maybe Roy is a twat who likes having a dig at the FAI and the Ireland team every chance he gets.  

[The Real Laoislad]

Maybe Roy is a twat who likes having a dig at the FAI and the Ireland team every chance he gets.  

There's no maybe about it

[AZOffaly]

I think Celtic to Man Utd was too big of a jump for him at that stage in his career. In hindsight, although in fairness a lot of people were saying it at the time, he would have been better off going to somewhere like Everton, Man City, West Ham, etc etc. Never really struggling, but not in the main glare all the time. Once he established himself in the premiership, a move to one of the really big guns would have been the next career move.

What age is Miller? Hopefully he goes to somewhere like Coventry/Leicester/Wolves or wherever and gets his confidence, form and playing time back on track.

[Mentalman]

Keano was giving it the big one about Miller not getting his game for Ireland. Then again didn't he think Joe Royle or some such was good enough to manage the side? I know he has become a bit of a rent a quote but I think there must be something more to this - there are plenty more dross in the Sunderland midfield than Miller on his game.

Keano has a habit of getting rid of lads, and then later you find out it was some incident or other, or off field behaviour, like the time he moved the 3 guys who were allegedly involved in the roasting video (one of whom is having a great season in the champo). Not that I'm suggesting anything like that in Miller's case, it just seems odd to me.

I'd say you are right Laoislad, except Miller was on the outs there, as far as I recall, again getting little or no game time through injury until that final season when all of a sudden he made a massive impact after returning from AGF, hence why his contract was running out and he got the Bosman - Celtic were caught on the hop and Liam put in a massive effort. I think injuries have prevented him from ever getting enough games to develop his game since then.

[lynchbhoy]

miller should have stayed at celtic to learn his trade ad become the exceptional midfielder he was shaping up to be.
However after Celtic paying his wages and ploughing money into his inj rehab on more than one occasion, he decided to listen to keane and join man u- while he was still a very unfinished player.
Plenty of people inc myself said at the time he should have stayed at Celtic Park. Going to man u was a mistake, but AZ has mentioned that he should have joined everton etc ..thats a bit mad - yes he would have got a game, but playing with a second rate team amond poor enough players wasnt going to educate him the way playing along with Larsson, Sutton, Hartson etc etc was going to .

he too k the gamble for bigger bucks and it hasnt paid off.

Thats a pity for him and Ireland,as I thought at one stage he was our answer to def midfielder problems.

[AZOffaly]

I dunno Lynchbhoy,

I think a team like Everton would have allowed him to acclimate to the premiership, and it's not like he'd be joining Accrington Stanley. If he had time to find his feet in the premiership without being under pressure for his place, and in the white heat of Old Trafford, it may have suited him.

Of course it was a gamble to go there, that he chose to take and it hasn't worked out. There's no guarantee my way would have been a better bet, but I'd have preferred the cautious approach.