Who, realistically, could sunderland sign in the summer?

PHB

The SPL isn't good enough. He needs to go up against top quality defenders more often if he wants to develop his game. It's nothing to do with Celtic or Sunderland, its to do with the rest of the quality of the league.

Look at Maloney for crying out loud, tore up the SPL, and now struggling in the PL.

Mr Alan

Actually Moloney has been pretty super anytime i've seen him in the PL, his problems seem to be more off the field than on it.

invincibleirish

Sunderland have more money then Celtic, thats what counts.

I think MON would gladly sell Moloney to Sunderland, especially if they offer some ridiculous money for him, only a bit part player for Villa this season, but a few good games (4-4 Against Chelsea)

Maybe MON might bo back shopping to Celtic park for Mcgeady? some prem club is surely going to make a move for him?

King John V

Some PL club is bound to move in for McGeady in the summer. I just hope Sunderland show the initative and move first. Even if he did cost 10-15 million he'd be more than worth it. If Sunderland were spending up to 6 million for championship level players last summer McGeady is worth that amount to take them to the next level.

ziggy

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King John V

ziggy wrote: »

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Ireland have a very small player base and like England the relative number of British and Irish players on PL teams is getting smaller by the year. The majority of Ireland's players in recent times have been drawn from mainly the championship. So if Ireland and England are 'crap' as you describe it perhaps it's down to the fact that many of their players aren't at the level to be selected for PL teams in the first place.

ziggy

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Mr Alan

King John V wrote: »

The majority of Ireland's players in recent times have been drawn from mainly the championship.

Given
O Shea
Finnan
Dunne
Reid
Duff
Hunt
Doyle
Keane
Carsley

etc etc etc

????

PHB

Of the Irish international players currently in the Premiership which ones are developing year on year? Which are developing as fast as McGeady?

Em, our best youth prospect Steven Ireland?
Kevin Doyle? Stephen Kelly? Stephen Hunt? Robbie Keane even is getting better with age finally fullfilling his potential.

And we've no real idea how McGeady is developing, because he's yet to do it for Ireland, and he's playing against crap in the SPL.

Mr Alan

isnt Hunt like 27?

JimiTime

Mr Alan wrote: »

Actually Moloney has been pretty super anytime i've seen him in the PL, his problems seem to be more off the field than on it.

Off field problems?

Mr Alan

JimiTime wrote: »

Off field problems?

he's been home sick pretty much since the day he arrived and has wanted to go back to Glasgow.

King John V

In truth ziggy I don't think any of the Irish lads are developing as fast as McGeady. But I'm not sure if that can really be attributed to the standard of the spl but rather the ability of the individual himself. In England he could test himself against defenders like Ferdinand, Carvalho, Terry, Vidic etc. Would that improve him even more? Who knows. But sooner or later the increased wages of the PL are likely to draw him down.

I get where your coming from mr. alan but that's just 10 players. Trapattoni's squad had 44. So 30+ players are in the championship. Even when that's reduced to 28 there is still going to be a championship majority. But that certainly isn't a negative point on the Irish team who I actually believe can do really well in qualification.

King John V

Just saw your post PHB. Ireland is another excellent example of a fast developing talent.

Mr Alan

King John, thats just the players that came off the top of my head, that would all start when fit, not ALL the premiership players, I'd be fairly confident that when the squad is at 28, it'll be majority PL

estebancambias

we actually don't have a championship majority.

1.Given
2.Dunne
3.McShane
4.Miller
5.O'Shea
6.Kelly
7.Duff
8.Ireland
9.Reid
10.A.Reid
11.McGeady
12.Carsley
13.Doyle
14.Keane
15.Murphy
16.Stokes
17.Hunt
18.Long
19.O'Brien(if he returns)


Yeah perhaps our complete pool of players, but our actual squad, no. And also, the players who do play in the championship a lot of them are very talented.

Scannell-linked with Man City, Aston Villa...only 17.
Garvan
Lawrence(16 goals this season from the wing and didn't even get in the squad)
Walters
Folan
Best.
Darren Gibson
Hoolihan.

ziggy

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ziggy

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King John V

It's certainly a good point ziggy but if players of his calibre don't manage to cope with teams like Chelsea and Man utd at club level how can they step up to that level at international games when they face the very same players. Next season Sunderland could have improved to mid-table level if the rumors of a 50-million war chest are to be believed. So he would be playing alongside club players that are as good as his Ireland colleagues and the experience would be invaluable.

As for the numbers of PL players from Ireland. This is the list:
Given (Newcastle), Henderson (Preston), Kenny (Sheffield United), Randolph (Charlton/Bury), Colin Doyle (Birmingham), Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe), Kelly (Birmingham), Dunne (Manchester City), Kilbane (Wigan), O'Shea (Manchester United), J. O'Brien (Bolton), McShane (Sunderland), Foley (Wolves), O'Dea (Celtic), Steven Reid (Blackburn), Miller (Sunderland), Ireland (Manchester City), Duff (Newcastle), McGeady (Celtic), Andy Reid (Sunderland), Carsley (Everton), Gibson (Manchester United/Wolves), Hunt (Reading), Potter (Wolves), Garvan (Ipswich), Hoolahan (Blackpool), McPhail (Cardiff), Rowlands (QPR), Whelan (Stoke), Elliott (Wolves), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Kevin Doyle (Reading), Morrison (Crystal Palace), Long (Reading), Andy Keogh (Wolves), Stokes (Sunderland), Murphy (Sunderland), Scannell (Crystal Palace), O'Donovan (Sunderland), Connolly (Sunderland).

It does look to be mainly PL alright.

ziggy

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King John V

I'm not going to sell this idea to you am I?:D. McGeady probably will move south, if not this coming season then sooner or later. More than likely Portsmouth, Blackburn or Everton will move in for him where a high table finish + uefa cup/CL soccer would be on offer + more money. I'm just biased for Sunderland to get him but not realistically expectant.

Really it depends on how you weigh it up. Does he want regular game time with Celtic against average oppostion or with a club mentioned above where he'll play against stronger oppositon but would have more pressure to get on the team sheet. Personally I think the latter would improve him if Scottish football have brought him as far as it can go but if he's settled there then there's no real need to move.

ziggy

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King John V

ziggy wrote: »

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Agreed. If the speculated offers don't come there's no obvious reason to suggest he'd put in a transfer request.

What are people's views on Dean Ashton moving to Wearside?
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2211436.mostviewed.hammers_striker_on_his_way_to_sunderland.php

kryogen

im a big fan of dean ashton, think he could do very well at sunderland

estebancambias

ziggy wrote: »

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Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane are as good/better than anything Celtic have.


Reid has a lot more talent that Scott Brown.

O'Shea and Dunne have more talent than McManus and Kennedy.

I wouldn't even take Boruc, as Given has been class for us and better than Boruc over a longer period.

They are about similar in terms of quality(first teams)

Charlie

ziggy wrote: »

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Jaysus, that's a scanger's paradox right there.

aidan24326

Can't believe people are suggesting McGeady is worth 15 million?? Based on what? He's playing in a sh1t league against (mostly) poor teams. He has done nothing yet in an Ireland jersey, and is unproven in the premiership. 15 mill would be ludicrous money. He might be worth half that amount, tops. Even then you're only buying potential.

Keane needs to start bringing in some quality players, not the dross he's bought thus far (Jones and Reid excepted). Stephen Hunt would fit the bill, possibly Duffer too if he could stay fit for 5 minutes. Dean Ashton, Darren Fletcher, Wayne Bridge, Peter Crouch, these are the kind of players he should be looking at. After that there could be some value to be had on the continent, get those scouts earning their crust.

King John V

Ashton, Crouch and Bridge would be excellent buys for Sunderland especially with their lack of cover in defence and need for a second striker.

Duff could be a very expensive risk. He's on £70,000 a game and has been injured for most of this season. Like everyone else I hope he regains his fitness for the world cup qualifiers but I don't see a role in team building at Sunderland.

estebancambias

aidan24326 wrote: »

Can't believe people are suggesting McGeady is worth 15 million?? Based on what? He's playing in a sh1t league against (mostly) poor teams. He has done nothing yet in an Ireland jersey, and is unproven in the premiership. 15 mill would be ludicrous money. He might be worth half that amount, tops. Even then you're only buying potential.

Keane needs to start bringing in some quality players, not the dross he's bought thus far (Jones and Reid excepted). Stephen Hunt would fit the bill, possibly Duffer too if he could stay fit for 5 minutes. Dean Ashton, Darren Fletcher, Wayne Bridge, Peter Crouch, these are the kind of players he should be looking at. After that there could be some value to be had on the continent, get those scouts earning their crust.

Alan Hutton cost Spurs 8 million.

I would put McGeady at around 9-10 million(same as Ashley Young)

ziggy

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ziggy

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King John V

Lancashire Evening Post estimate McGeady at 10 million.
http://www.lep.co.uk/national-football/Race-on-for-10m-McGeady.3952690.jp

Likely to go for at least that amount if not more. Celtic have no desire to sell their best player and McGeady is showing no signs for an escape route.

scruff321

i also agree with whats been said on a move for mcgeady to sunderland would defo be a step down,c'mon winning trophies and playing in the champions league the elite competition is a far better prospect then taking a gamble on sunderland a mid table/relegation battle team for next season, if a bigger prem club came in for him one that could compete for a place in europe then maybe that would be a positive move..however look at mcgeady hes improving every year,enjoying his football and still a young player i believe he'l come good whatever happens.
theres plenty of options for sunderland,keane must bring in alot more quality players though if there going to do anything next season.

CountingCrows

estebancambias wrote: »

Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane are as good/better than anything Celtic have.


Reid has a lot more talent that Scott Brown.

O'Shea and Dunne have more talent than McManus and Kennedy.

I wouldn't even take Boruc, as Given has been class for us and better than Boruc over a longer period.

They are about similar in terms of quality(first teams)

OMG - do you watch the SPL at all!?

O'Shea better than McManus :eek:

Reid is a different type of player to Scott Brown, he can make a pass but isn't a patch on a box to box tackling midfielder like Brown (even though he's having a poor end to the season)

Boruc is a better and younger keeper than Given.

estebancambias

O'Shea if he was playing with any team outside the top 4 would be a top player, same with fletcher.

Ok perhaps the Andy Reid comparison was unfair but I believe Steven Reid is a similar to Brown. My Irish bias would make me pick Reid before Brown.


Fair enough point about Boruc, but Given has proven over the years his quality for Ireland.


I would take Hinklel, Naylor(as an orthodox left back) McDonald and maby Nakamura for the starting line up.

Bounty Hunter

estebancambias wrote: »

O'Shea if he was playing with any team outside the top 4 would be a top player, same with fletcher.

in what position?

Bubs101

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

in what position?

Goalkeeper

estebancambias

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

in what position?

Centre back or left back, hell even in the middle.

Top player was probably over the top but O'Shea would be better than players like Upson, who are touted as being fairly good defenders.

Bounty Hunter

id agree he's a top squad player and would have prehaps been a top Left or Right back had he specialised in either position but yes he is a fairly good defender a la Upson.

A move to a mid-table team might suit him now as id be worried for him when they bring in the 7subs rule and united have a specialist for most positions on the bench.

CountingCrows

estebancambias wrote: »

O'Shea if he was playing with any team outside the top 4 would be a top player, same with fletcher.

What are you basing this on?

John O'Shea always looks like he carrying an egg in his pocket, never commits and never looks comfortable on the ball. He probably has some ability but from what I can see he's happy just to potter along on the fringes collecting his wages.