Dear Roker Report,
I wrote in after the Bournemouth game, stating that the club was in crisis and that there were no discernible positives to be found in recent performances. I also noted that while Le Bris should be given the right to fix this, it must happen immediately.
I have since ‘given my head a wobble’ and ‘considered where we were a few years ago’, as suggested by some of the predictable comments in response, and I can’t say I’ve changed my opinion. On the contrary, I have become more convinced, after another
league game where we created nothing, literally nothing, from open play, and made another bang-average side look like the World XI from EAFC Kick-Off mode, that if we want to remain a Premier League side next season, things must change, and change now.
I say this with a heavy heart, as Régis Le Bris has little competition for the best Sunderland manager I can remember in my lifetime (29). However, eras have endings, manager/club relationships have shelf lives, and the evidence of our eyes and ears cannot continue to be ignored. Last season’s rock-solid defence looks like a bunch of strangers, the previously dynamic and exciting midfield looks like a group of Championship players, and the forward line looks almost as toothless as the average attendee of the Gallowgate.
If Le Bris were to go now, he’ll be forever remembered as the man who took Sunderland back into the Premier League and into the seemingly impossible heights of Europe. If he stays, he’ll also be the man who takes us down.
Matthew Laidlaw
Dear Roker Report,
Yet again, we bottle it at Coventry. First and foremost, Ahoka should be in the team.
We rocked up and showed fuck all.
Alderete, hang your head in shame. You are dog shit.
Régis, instead of picking the same players that served us well last year, change the fucking team up now and again.
Please get a centre-forward, otherwise we are relegated.
Talbi should be starting instead of Angulo.
Relegation fodder yet again, and yet again we will set the record for the lowest points gained in the Premier League.
Very fucking frustrated with today’s performance.
Wake up before it’s too late.
The football club should give those unfortunate supporters who travelled down to that piss-poor show their money back.
Absolutely shocking performance.
Rob Brown
Dear Roker Report,
2-0 down at half-time away at Coventry.
The mood behind the goal amongst the fans was that we needed at least two substitutions at half-time. Change formation, change the style of play, change tactics.
But no, RLB waits until we are 3-0 down and the game is over.
Before the final whistle, some were already in their cars and coaches, ready to go home.
The next international break normally begins the sacking season.
RLB has been a revelation for Sunderland, but with all the recent backroom changes, I believe RLB has taken us as far as he can and therefore must go.
In the first three months of the season, we have been awful, with no leadership both on and off the pitch.
Let’s not sit back. We must act now. All the good work of getting us to the Premier League, then not only staying up but finishing in a European spot, is being undone. We are Championship-bound if changes are not made.
Mark
Dear Roker Report,
Due to our performances and results in the Premier League getting progressively worse and worse as the weeks go by, what on earth has happened to the morale and ability of our team that took us to unimaginable heights last season?
Whatever has occurred for this to happen within our beloved club, I don’t suppose we’ll ever know the truth. But I do know that if the problem isn’t solved soon, and we don’t spend at least a minimum of £150 million in the January transfer window to make up for the disastrous summer one, we’ll be doomed to the you-know-what next season.
Can you possibly imagine what our team would look like next season after the scavengers have been prowling around and picking up bargains?
There would be no Robin Roefs in goal. No Nordi Mukiele or Dan Ballard in defence. Our midfield would be absolutely decimated, with no Noah Sadiki, no Enzo Le Fée, no Granit Xhaka and, most probably, no Chris Rigg.
And finally, can you envisage a forward line without Brian Brobbey, plus a couple of our very promising young wingers?
If anyone in the Sunderland hierarchy reads this, please sort out the problems pronto. Since you purchased our club, you’ve been the best thing that’s happened to Sunderland AFC for many years, and we don’t want to go back to the years of doom and gloom. We need to continue going forward with you, Kyril, and Juan.
Robert Hall
Sunderland supporter for 73 years.
Dear Roker Report,
Here we are yet again at the crossroads with regard to our manager. It seems that, as a club, we are destined to be the “almost men” when it comes to actually realising the huge potential we have.
However, I am not one for ranting and raving about changing managers, but we do need to look honestly at why we are where we currently are. The recruitment model is not the best, nor, I imagine, is it one that RLB himself would go for if given freedom of choice. It is quite absurd that someone else goes out and buys players and then expects the manager to fit them into the team.
I honestly do not believe RLB has much input into who we receive as players. It sounds – and this is seemingly backed up by his own comments – as though he is there to try and ensure the players purchased are as good or as suitable as the powers that be believe, and he then has to fit a round peg into a square hole.
Then there is RLB himself. He is a master tactician and, when he enters the dressing room, young, hungry players are indeed eager to listen, learn and bust a gut for the cause. But what happens when the initial burst of excitement and eagerness dissolves somewhat? Maybe this is what we are looking at now!
He unfortunately does not seem to possess a Plan B to motivate players. Instead of last season’s gritty underdog mentality, the team now looks tactically inept and, to a large extent, unwilling. His calming demeanour is becoming agitating to a lot of fans.
We are in serious trouble and we have played a quarter of our league games. It is not helpful when he repeats the same lines about “connection”, “still learning”, etc. We do not have the time to learn, and lessons should have been learned last season.
Finally, we have too many games. Ask any fan up here and we will all say the same. Let us lose out in Europe and the Carabao Cup, but keep our league status. That is the only prize we need at this stage.
I personally think RLB is a brilliant tactician, but I also question whether he can motivate and gel this squad any more. We all have our opinions on this, but make no mistake: this has to turn around now, or this club will collapse on and off the pitch.
As fans, and long-suffering fans, we deserve so much more than the garbage that has been served up so far this season in the league.
Peter Milton
Editor’s note [Martin]: Thanks for all of the emails – it’s right to address them together rather than try to find individual responses to you all. I think we are all in a bit of a state of shock as to how it’s turned so bad, so quickly. We all expected a bit of a drop off this season given Europe (although I thought that drop off would be in December/January, which is something to look forward to) but this has been appallingly bad, and there’s a collectively responsibility here I feel. The club have tried to run before they could walk, they’ve thought we’re an established Premier League club now, and things have gone badly awry off the field. November and no shirt sponsor tells you everything...
Recruitment wise, we’ve let Le Bris down – we’ve recruited as if we’ve got a core of 18-25 proven, established Premier League players. We haven’t.
The players simply aren’t doing the basics – they’re not putting the effort in on the field. The pressing is weak, the off the ball work is half paced, on the ball we’re slow, ponderous and negative. Granit Xhaka isn’t playing well, but more than that it seems he’s no longer ‘in it’. He’s going through the motions, and I’m sure if the club thought this would be his response to the Chelsea move being rejected they’d have driven him there themselves. And if that’s the leader in the dressing room, then you can understand why we’re in trouble.
But Le Bris is the man who’s responsible for getting those players organised and motivated, and he’s not doing that – instead simply repeating the same thing that hasn’t worked. Picking the same players, the same tactics, the same formation. Fair enough, that might show courage and strength of conviction, but it’s now counterproductive stubbornness.
Will we make a change? I think we will – although whether that comes today or next Monday I’m not sure. For KLD – who’s got to take a lot of responsibility for this too – he simply cannot let it drift on much longer. He’s going to take action, but also needs to reflect on his role in this.
Today, it’s a major problem that’s still salvageable. In a few weeks, we may go past the point of no return. Who’s he going to put his money on to turn it round?
