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Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier
I`m surprised at that comment, most people that I come across really support the national team and I don`t feel there has been any real dip in support for it over the years. When England perform badly, sure there is a dip in enthusiasm but that soon rises when they start winning again.
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Personally I experience a lot of negativity toward the national team.
Where I live there are huge fanbases for club football. Whether it be Blyth, Gateshead, South Shields etc, 'Boro, or Sunderland and Newcastle. The attendances of just the teo Premier league clubs combined, on average, would probably be about 85-90,000 a week. That's a huge fanbase for clubs who don't win anything.
The support for the national team is nowhere near as strong as it should be, here or anywhere else. We're probably quite patriotic on the whole, yeah, but whereas our clubs success could well be a strong passion, our country isnt even a fraction of that.
In many ways its to be expected and makes sense but in other ways I find it sad, personally. I do believe that English football fans get a twisted enjoyment out of criticising and mocking the national team. It feels comfortable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackhammer
Sunderland now have Martin O Neill. You lucky bastards. The man is near genius. Fantastic manager.
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I'm happy with the appointment. To be fair, Bruce had proven to be tactically so inept that I simply welcome a change, any change, but to get a manager with such a strong track record is nothing to turn your nose up at.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger
I don't know why on earth O'Neil would go to Sunderland for. I thought the reason he left Villa in the first place was because some yank owner wouldn't bankroll him millions.
I think O'Neil is at the stage of his career where he should go abroad and manage in Europe then after a few years of that come back to the premier league and get a really top job.
This whole Sunderland thing is a side step for him.
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Are we too small a fish for MON? Maybe, yeah. But we are potentially a big project. We have been a yo-yo club for years and as of late we finally started to turn a corner with that. Dont forget that it isnt that long ago we were sitting 6th before Bent pissed off, Henderson had his head turned and everything started to fall apart. With a manager not afraid to give a bollocking where a bollocking is needed, a track record of not just stabilising a club but strengthening a club and making actual progress with a club then who knows?
He's no magician. I'm well aware of this. He may also need money. He may need money that we maybe dont have. All perfectly valid points and possible hurdles. I cant deny that. But for the first few weeks of this season we were tight defensively, we do have some talent in the midfield. There is of course room for improvement but its not like we have a weak squad, in my opinion. With someone to better motivate and better tighten, make better tactical decisions, make use of our summer signings like Gardner and Vaughan, get Brown and O' Shea playing with a little more fire, and yes of course sign strikers or make the most of any opportunity he has if and when Campbell and Wickham come back in...there is potential there I think.
We just need to stay up this season. We need stability. Then if we invest well and once he has had the summer with his new squad, then we'll see what kind of job he can do here.
Oh and PS I watched the Newcastle I've grown to know and love today. Hopefully dropping points to the big boys and then getting spanked off Norwich will bring them down a peg or two and the table will start to look more the way it "should".