HarvSFC

Sunderland definitely showing our lot up a lot. Went up through the play-offs with a team that on paper looked weaker than our play-off winning team. Then they sold Jobe Bellingham. But, after that they made numerous signings around the £20m mark. They even signed one player for £30m, smashing our transfer record. Got a decent goalkeeper from Holland as well for £11.5m, so they do exist, you just need a good scouting team. Granit Xhaka was a smart buy for their Premier League experienced signing too. They also made eight of their signings before August. Giving their new signings a pre-season. While, when we went up we were signing Adam Lallana, Charlie Taylor and Ryan Fraser on frees, Nathan Wood and Ronnie Edwards for small fees and Sugawara and Brereton-Diaz weren't that much either, while Cameron Archer was hardly an ambitious signing. We were haggling over fees for Liam Delap, Matt O'Riley and Fabio Carvalho, while Sunderland were a lot more aggressive in the market. Identified a talent and signed him.

Goztepe are definitely getting the better end of the deal here, sitting second in the Turkish top flight after six games and behind Galatasaray. They get filtered players through us that would otherwise be too good for them and outside of their budget. While, we don't get the same players coming to us that are too good for the Championship, or outside of our budget. We have a strict sell before we buy and wage cap budget which has created this team of underperformers. While the players we do sign are often projects and have no impact on our starting eleven, they weaken it even and bloat out the squad.

There was absolutely nothing stopping the club from loaning a new number one this summer after loaning out Ramsdale, one of our two good players from last season. Yet, we replaced him with a third choice on loan, because he's a good character to have around the dressing room. Surely, McCarthy already covered that criteria? This is the same club that went into the Premier League season with McCarthy as number one and Lumley as number two while Bazunu recovered from injury. It then became apparent that was a big fuck up and they panic bought Ramsdale in the last days of the transfer window. Unfortunately, our poor start to the league season didn't get the board to act in the goalkeeper department this summer. Looking at the free agent list for a Boruc like signing and there isn't a lot available, but Forster (shudder), Rui Patricio and Guaita are there to cover for a season and then reassess a new long-term number one in the summer.

I was slightly concerned when Still didn't arrive with his coaching staff (his brothers), that he had his good record with in France. There have definitely been cases in the past of manager's being elevated by their staff and struggling with others after the old lot move on. Paul Ince with Ray Mathias and Wayne Rooney with Liam Rosenior spring to mind. It's why a lot of the successful managers are so loyal to their staff. Hard to say what influences coaches have. But, Carl Martin has been here throughout our recent poor history. Adam Lallana has been elevated above his experience and qualifications based on his name. He should be earning his stripes like Andrew Surman is. While Paul Trollope isn't really a big enough name nor does he have much big club experience, to make up for Still's shortcomings in those regards either. Things have to get better.

Bazunu - Wasn't good enough for us two years ago. Wasn't good enough in Belgium last year. Needed to replace Ramsdale, yet we're stuck with him. Roerslev - Hasn't looked great recently. Very erratic on the ball and not great defensively. Another recruitment dud? Harwood-Bellis - Has the reputation of a decent Premier League player, but plays like a Seaborne. Not good enough to lace the boots of Fonte/Hooiveld recently. Stephens - If the club still had the standards it did 10+ years ago then he'd never have been good enough to be a starting centre-back for this club. Yet, here he is captaining this team because he's such a fantastic leader. As I said in the summer, being captain of this awful side isn't something you'd put on your CV. Manning - Scored a couple of good free-kicks, but in open play he's just bad and always has been. Can't defend or stop a cross and offers little going forward. Jander - Early, but from today his YouTube videos lied to me. Charles - Probably been our best player this season, but isn't a player who can do it on his own and when the others are... Yeah. Fellows - Early, but doesn't seem to have much pace out wide and hasn't created anything in his first two games. Azaz - Early, but while he has created some nice moves he has always been missing a lot, as Middlesbrough fans warned. Fraser - Doesn't have the pace or skill to start in an attacking position in this league anymore. Was a super sub two years ago, but now a permanent starter based on no end product, but a bit of endeavour when he's asked play full-back. Downs - When a cross comes in he stands still ball watching, hence the two sitters missed this season. Doesn't do much, if anything. There were a few red flags around his lack of game time for the USA in the summer tournament. You don't have to be much good to start for them. The new Derby striker was playing ahead of him. The friendly goal gave us some hope, but he is looking like another recruitment dud. Dire showing from the starting eleven this afternoon and hopefully some will finally get dropped as they've been putting in this substandard performances for well over a year now.

Is this our Sunderland. Perhaps Spors and Still need to invite fans to a tactics evening after this... Suppose we should all just be grateful that Portsmouth barely got a good shot off last week.

Now we get the subs.

Had hopes for THB this season, but we should have sold him for £10m, or whatever in the summer.

Any chance of a sub?

Another piss poor half of football and another manager where the opposition seem to be fitter than our lot. Are they still getting more days off than most clubs give during the week? For years we've been needing a manager who gets the players working hard. Hard work outworks talent. As we see all too often lately. Juric was meant to be that guy, the players were still as lethargic as ever. Spors is meant to prefer football with athletic and powerful players and Still was meant to bring a pressing and fit game back to the club. Yet, again, the players are still standing around more often than not and barely breaking out into a jog. Watch Hull on the ball, and our players are well stood off them. Putting no pressure on the ball, nor the player. We allow teams to play out from the back, which is pretty ridiculous when we were the victims of so many errors last year due to teams pressing us. Watch us on the ball, the tempo is all very slow, and Hull swarm and put pressure on us, causing us to hoof the ball out of panic, as like Pompey did last week and the opposition lap it up. Enjoyable football is getting shots off on goal and working the goalkeeper, attempting to win the game, and as like last week we haven't done anything today. Can't score with every shot, so if we're only getting one shot off a game, we're going to lose. It's that simple. We need some early half time subs. No 70+minutes ones today. We're 1-0 down. Scienza has to be better than whatever played in the first half and Robinson, although lacking control does cause problems to defences with his positive attacking play. Damion Downs is crap too. As with last week, I'm still waiting for this fantastic leadership from Stephens with these half hearted performances by the way. We need to go up several levels in the second half to be competitive.

Manning allowed a player who pulled something and was noticeably in discomfort to get his cross in. Sums this team up.

I'll provide a bit of hope with after 5 games last season Leeds had 8 points, two more than us currently and Burnley had 10 points, four more than us. West Brom were the leaders with 13 points from 5, like Middlesbrough now and they finished the season in 9th place. Still a long way to go and we should be aiming for the autos.

Have to think that moving the away fans has harmed the atmosphere. There isn't a back and forth anymore. Opposite end to the singing section, so no directed singing, etc.

They certainly didn't do us proud today. It was like the players didn't know how big the occasion is and it didn't play like a heated derby game. Not one wanted to grab a hold of the ball and dictate the play. The first half was full of aimless and hopeful punts which their defence coped with easily. While the second half was better, but I can't remember us having any clear cut chances. With that said, they came here playing for the 0-0 draw. They were wasting time from the very first minute when Still got told off for running onto the pitch for their first throw. The ref was also shite and gave them a foul every time we breathed on them. I also can't remember Bazunu being called into action too many times, which is good for us. Roerslev had a poor game. No composure on the ball and struggled at times with Murphy. Downes has been poor since his strop more than half a year ago. Fraser, as we know puts in a professional performance, but he doesn't have the pace or skill anymore to pose problems to defences at this level. Archer isn't up for a fight, like Bishop was for them. They had their second choice goalkeeper, who couldn't kick a ball in the net for most of the game. It was a great opportunity and we should have been peppering their goal with shots, but we just didn't do anything with the ball. The one time Archer did round their goalkeeper, there wasn't anyone else in the box.

Probably gives up his weekend's for a fraction of what he was earning giving them up here. He has my full sympathies.

Remember that the 2014-15 team never had to "gel". We had no other option but to play all the new players due to the turnover that summer. An expected, but narrow opening day defeat to Liverpool and then we won 8 of our next 10 league matches, one of those losses coming against a Tottenham side under Poch entering their best years of their recent history. I'd like to think the saying that teams need to gel is just an excuse, especially after a two week international break. No excuse but to play our best available side against Portsmouth.

For the first time in years we have competition all across the outfield positions. Manning wasn't performing in our last Championship campaign, he was Martin's mate and Meghoma wasn't trusted, so what happened? He kept playing every week. Now, if Manning's form continues, what happens? Jelert takes his place. Downes was also a shoe in, in the team every week, including last season, but again if his poor performances continue, Jander takes his place. If Harwood-Bellis and Stephens continue to look a bit poor, you'd hope they would be taken out of the team with Edwards, Wood or Quarshie all looking to grasp an opportunity. If one of our new forwards doesn't perform we've got Fraser, Matsuki and Robinson waiting in the wings. And then if one of our strikers isn't performing we've got Archer, Stewart, Downs, or Armstrong (shudder) looking to cement the place as their own. Even if we're not winning a game we'll have five good Championship attackers to bring on. Best way to raise the performance level of the eleven? Give them genuine competition for their first team place. Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Manning and Downes have had it very easy up to now. Only weak position squad wise with little competition is goalkeeper.

Scienza - Azaz - Fellows So good.

Wouldn't have been a Saints transfer window without multiple left-back signings. (Including Jelert as a LB)

Well Spertsyan didn't sign for Leeds. Armenie Football Twitter the true villain of the window, trying to hook in two fan bases with his deal's on, deal's off, final decision will be made tomorrow, no actually it will be made next week, actually it will be made two weeks later Tweets.

Next signing please!

Remember when these used to go on to midnight.

With Downs, he did at least show us in pre-season what he's capable of with the right service. He made a similar run against Espanyol to what he's been doing a lot this season, but hasn't received the ball. It's the two reactionary shots that have let him down, which is a different skill to what he showed against Espanyol and I would also agree that his all round game has been a bit underwhelming. But, the hope is that now with Fellows, Azaz, likely Scienza and Jander feeding him and our other strikers, the goal outputs from them will start to increase. We all love a new striker signing, as much as Newcastle love a number 9, but we have added a shit tonne of creativity this summer, in the last week and we could get greater goal output from our midfield, which we haven't had for a few years.

Sacha Tavolieri gets a lot wrong to be fair. Lavia was sold many times before he finally went to Chelsea. Edozie was sold weeks ago to Strasbourg and Brugge. We signed Manuel Benson alongside a host of other random Belgian footballers. This feels like a tactic to speed us up on deadline day. By all accounts we've agreed personal terms with Scienza, and quite some time ago. It's just the transfer fee that is stalling the deal. Heidenheim would of course love the deal to be concluded early today so that they get the time and money in to sign his replacement, so any reports of a "hijacking", and very few deals get hijacked these days may make our side a bit more proactive.

Yeah, he has a good CV doesn't he, especially for the Championship. Two time Danish league title winner and played 20 league matches for Galatasary last season, who won the Turkish league. With Roerslev looking so comfortable at right-back, I guess it's safe to assume Jelert's coming in as a left-back for the first instance and then right-back cover should anything happen to Roerslev. He could also be seen as the long term right-back if we get promoted as he's still got a lot of growth and potential, while Roerslev is at his peak. Two Danish full-backs. But, yeah, despite his free-kicks this season Manning has been a weak link in the side and was the same two years ago. Left-back needed strengthening, wasn't a priority, but a good move from the club.