Sunderland Away

[LiOC]

Even the natives think we've got a chance....
http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=695161" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"His arrogance will be his downfall, we are comfortably better than any squad Bolton have had in the last 60 years and we're a 'decent' at best team and beatable?"

Yeah, they would be all over our 1958 squad...

What is it with the North East and football?

[Armchair Wanderer]

Did I read somewhere (Super John, maybe) that Tuncay is back in Germany with tonsilitis?

I remember watching last year's fixture on telly so I'm not overly confident... but let's prove me wrong, eh?

Nice article with Ream if anyone's interested.. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peopl ... 82382.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bobo the clown]

Did I read somewhere (Super John, maybe) that Tuncay is back in Germany with tonsilitis?

I remember watching last year's fixture on telly so I'm not overly confident... but let's prove me wrong, eh?

Nice article with Ream if anyone's interested.. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peopl ... 82382.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yep, interesting.

But how bloody inept are we ? He explains his isolation, remoteness and lack of direction in his first couple of months.

These feelings were particularly intense during his first two months playing for Bolton when he was living in a hotel inside the stadium. His wife had spent some time with him during that period, but was mainly back in the States as she began the process of moving the couple's belongings to Bolton. It was an experience that Ream never wants to go through again.

"It was the most boring time of my life," Ream says before chuckling. "I had no way of getting around. You basically don't know anything around where you are. So it's a lot of trial and error. Lots of error." The jovial Ream is still laughing, reminiscing through the awful food he forced himself to eat day in and day out.

"Eating at the same places, eating the same things for two months, it's a struggle," he says. "I don't think I have had a Nando's since. I had it probably four or five times a week during that time. I actually started, and this is horrible, I started resorting to McDonald's, which was awful."

New to Europe, let alone Bolton. An assett worth £2.5m plus ongoing costs. Isolated from his family & friends, just married ...

Would it be beyond us to find a 'minder' for him. To show him the area, view real estate ... go to the local cinema's/theatres/sporting events with him. Even accompany him to the hotel gym. Occupy him. Get him functioning in a more normalised way ? Hey ... not to mention some of the other players !

I recall Jay-Jay saying similar things back in the day, so it's hardly new.

There's no single formula for getting it right. There are dozens of ways of getting it wrong though.

[boltonboris]

Are you really criricising the club because a player was bored? And didn't want to go out because his wife wasn't always around?

[boltonboris]

Despite not scoring in their last 4 games, they've only lost 1 of their last 5.

This suggests our shot shy strikers are going to have a difficult day and we'll probably need a clean sheet to get a point.

Regardless of their inefficiency in front of goals, we don't really 'do' clean sheets, do we?

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

Are you really criricising the club because a player was bored? And didn't want to go out because his wife wasn't always around?

I think he has a fair point. I wouldn’t say it’s criticising the club, mind. Just offering something which needs looking at.

I know it IS something some of our local rivals look at.

What happens when we are in for our next Ream/Holden who has a chat to Ream and learns of his experience on 'warning' to prepare the lad? Suppose he's not 100% on the move and circumstances say his partner can't get over here and with everything for 3-4 months?
It isn't unrealistic to think the lad MIGHT change his mind on such things.

I’d hope not...

[bobo the clown]

Are you really criricising the club because a player was bored? And didn't want to go out because his wife wasn't always around?

I think he has a fair point. I wouldn’t say it’s criticising the club, mind. Just offering something which needs looking at.

I know it IS something some of our local rivals look at.

What happens when we are in for our next Ream/Holden who has a chat to Ream and learns of his experience on 'warning' to prepare the lad? Suppose he's not 100% on the move and circumstances say his partner can't get over here and with everything for 3-4 months?
It isn't unrealistic to think the lad MIGHT change his mind on such things.

I’d hope not...

Boris, yes ... I am.

Not just this club specifically maybe, but it could well be a general situation across football.

Bring a guy over & dump him in a (nice) hotel room for a few months & simply assume he'll be OK ? This is a human investment worth upward of £4m. As it's a human, not a machine, they have normal human emotions.

"It was the most boring time of my life. I had no way of getting around. You basically don't know anything around where you are.

. So offer to help the guy.

As Bowtun says, it may affect not only that player's immediate performance that would be aided, but also how we are portrayed to other future options.

A minder ... in my view an ex-pro with a level head would seem ideal ... given the task of helping him settle in will help the guy out & needn't cost more than a fraction of the players wages.

Obviously it would vary, player to player and ... of course ... I don't know any of the details, but it seems a no-brainer to me to at least have that option available & offered.

[BWFC_Insane]

Under Allardyce we had a team of player liaison officers who had the job of looking after players in general, but importantly helping new ones settle.

They'd take them shopping (or do it for them), drive em round till they got their bearings and were on 24 hour call should any problems arise (Bet the one assigned to Diouf was happy.......)

[bobo the clown]

Under Allardyce we had a team of player liaison officers who had the job of looking after players in general, but importantly helping new ones settle.

They'd take them shopping (or do it for them), drive em round till they got their bearings and were on 24 hour call should any problems arise (Bet the one assigned to Diouf was happy.......)

If I recall, this happened after Jay-Jay's experience ... saying he damn near packed it all in in that first couple of months.

I'm sure we are all very grateful he didn't.

[Barr Hill]

Sundeland club website stating that away fans can pay on the day (turnstile 61). This is the complete opposite to what the Bolton website was saying yesterday

[Barr Hill]

Sunderland (spelt correctly now)!!!!

[thebish]

SBlunderland (spelt correctly now)!!!!

[Mar]

Under Allardyce we had a team of player liaison officers who had the job of looking after players in general, but importantly helping new ones settle.

They'd take them shopping (or do it for them), drive em round till they got their bearings and were on 24 hour call should any problems arise (Bet the one assigned to Diouf was happy.......)

I hope we've not packed that in. After all if we're going to be spending £4m on a player and their wages simply hiring someone to show them around and feed them decent food or at least food they're familiar with should come at a pittance of the cost. Not only that but they can be there to give them someone to chat to.

Would be disappointed to be having players coming in from foreign countries and other clubs without at least being shown whats available to them over here.

Maybe one of the reasons Sturridge did so well up here is because he'd already been up north with Man City prior. Its not like he'd need to settle he's already having a great time reminiscing with friends he'd made up here.

[thebish]

isn't Holden at a loose end - he knows the lingo - why didn't we shack him up with Ream??

[Annoyed Grunt]

isn't Holden at a loose end - he knows the lingo - why didn't we shack him up with Ream??

Wasn't Holden in America?

[BWFC_Insane]

isn't Holden at a loose end - he knows the lingo - why didn't we shack him up with Ream??

On the other hand just cos they're from the same country, doesn't mean they'll get on.....

[Jez]

If we win this one and wigan lose then mathematically theyre going to need another win to finish above us

of course they have wolves and blackburn last so they will most likely get one but its puts a good bit of pressure on

[Athers]

Under Allardyce we had a team of player liaison officers who had the job of looking after players in general, but importantly helping new ones settle.

They'd take them shopping (or do it for them), drive em round till they got their bearings and were on 24 hour call should any problems arise (Bet the one assigned to Diouf was happy.......)

I hope we've not packed that in. After all if we're going to be spending £4m on a player and their wages simply hiring someone to show them around and feed them decent food or at least food they're familiar with should come at a pittance of the cost. Not only that but they can be there to give them someone to chat to.

Would be disappointed to be having players coming in from foreign countries and other clubs without at least being shown whats available to them over here.

Maybe one of the reasons Sturridge did so well up here is because he'd already been up north with Man City prior. Its not like he'd need to settle he's already having a great time reminiscing with friends he'd made up here.

We still have one - a short bloke in his 20s. Usually wearing a suit and chances are he's carrying the players' iPods...

[LiOC]

isn't Holden at a loose end - he knows the lingo - why didn't we shack him up with Ream??

What happens when it's someone from a different country though? Did Chung Yong Lee get greeted by Kevin Davies with a Korean phrase book?

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Sounds a bit like Rush Hour..