[Jazz 16]

^^^ you forgot to mention last nights game.
Decent result again for Sunderland, winning 2-1 vs Forest.
Scored an equaliser in the last 4 mins. How do they do it?
Would love to see them get a good cup run.

[Jazz 16]

Sunderland were awful against City. Very bad result.

Anyway, Keane has got his left back and his last signing this summer.
George McCartney of West Ham.

Looks like danny Higginbottam is off to Stoke as well.

[cjl_safcfan]

thanks for the news jazz- i hadnt checked, new about higgingbottom going, but nothing bout mccartney coming back
could be interesting

and yeah, we played badly yesterday, but not 3-0 badly.
i was really peed off with the ref- and i am not making excuses, and could not possibly be- as ive learnt as a referee myself that mistakes happen- but that was bloody outragous

[Jazz 16]

Originally Posted by cjl_safcfan

thanks for the news jazz- i hadnt checked, new about higgingbottom going, but nothing bout mccartney coming back
could be interesting

and yeah, we played badly yesterday, but not 3-0 badly.
i was really peed off with the ref- and i am not making excuses, and could not possibly be- as ive learnt as a referee myself that mistakes happen- but that was bloody outragous

I saw Keane's interview and he was asked about the dodgy decisions, but he
refused to blame the ref or anyone but themselves, which was refreshing to hear.

[cjl_safcfan]

he managed that for most of last season aswell

[Jazz 16]

Great result for Sunderland today in the derby.
2-0 vs Boro. They rode their luck at times, especially as Downing missed a peno.
Chopra got the 2 goals, late goals at that. That result moves Sunderland up a
fair few places. Good stuff Keano.

[RedForceRising]

Forward planning is key for Quinn
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...229928,00.html

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has admitted the millions flowing into the Premier League has forced him to think two years ahead.



The Black Cats last week opened negotiations with manager Roy Keane over a new contract - he is currently in the last year of his existing deal - but only after making sure they had a long-term plan to put in front of him.

Quinn said: "I have always got to be one step ahead. One of the things I realised the day I came here - and I had to learn very fast - was it's not about what is happening today, it is about what is happening six months down the line.

"I spent the first couple of years trying to be six months ahead.

"How this new influx of money throughout the Premier League has changed my approach is that it is now more than the next six months, it has got to be six months, 12 months, 18 months.

"I have got to look at the next three or four (transfer) windows, and you have got to have stability around the place.

"I think we have that. From where we came from two and a half years ago, that stability has more than crept in, you can almost touch it around here now. We have a strong base.

"But it could end very quickly with the money that's flying around the place and people jumping up and down about large sums of money being paid.

"We just have to play a slick game and the difference now is we are ready for the next two years."

Quinn and the Drumaville consortium he leads have funded a major regeneration of the club in the last two years, and have big plans for the future.

However, the chairman, who both played for and briefly managed Sunderland, knows their dreams will only be fulfilled if they take the fans along with them.

He said: "You asked yourself a question: one trophy since the war - why are we getting 49,000 at matches?

"That is enough to kill off any football club, one trophy in that amount of time.

"There is something deeper here at this club, and I have no idea how far it is going to go. The potential is frightening.

"We had a change in the shareholding there recently and people might have expected us to do a big PR song and dance about it - that wasn't the case.

"We just sent the message out that the machine has got plenty of oil in it and we are kicking it on, and the big thing is on the pitch.

"The only thing we can ask in return is that the people come and watch us and continue that great affinity and make it even bigger and better."

Quinn's comments came as he joined forces with Gina Carter, the widow of former Sunderland keeper Tim Carter, at the launch of an appeal to raise £1.2million to build a hydrotherapy pool at the Percy Hedley School in Newcastle.

:: Donations can be made online at www.percyhedley.org.uk/timcarter, or by texting the word "Percy" to 82540 to donate £1 or "Hedley" to donate £5.

[Jazz 16]

Great result today. 1-1 with Arse and they were only 90 seconds away from victory.
Keane had his men well organised, with 5 across the middle and Cisse up front.
Arsenal slip up again, thanks Roy.

[RedForceRising]

Cats supremo puts faith in Keane
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...299366,00.html

Niall Quinn wants manager Roy Keane, in the final year of his current contract, to take Sunderland and his own career to the next level.



The former Manchester United midfielder is the final year of his contract at the Stadium of Light and talks are ongoing over a new deal.

Keane guided the Black Cats back into the Premier League in his first season at the helm and helped them survive last term.

Sunderland chairman Quinn now hopes his former Republic of Ireland international team-mate can establish the North-East side in the upper reaches of the Premier League table.

He told the Daily Express: "In some ways, if Roy signs this deal, it is the end of his apprenticeship and the start of him being a fully-fledged manager.

"He has been through the learning curve, he has been successful. He is carrying the club on his shoulders. This is an opportunity for him to go forward.

"Roy's winning mentality and philosophy is that 'we have done nothing yet'. I have to see that through, too. The owners are like that. The owners like the way that we are not satisfied with things. We don't go off celebrating.

"The first part in our aim was to get out of the Championship; the second part was not to go straight back down - which we achieved.

"Now the third part is to get up the league. We are not going to be playing Champions League football next year; let's be serious."

Quinn is confident that a deal can be struck with Keane to ensure that he remains at the Stadium of Light beyond the summer.

He added: "We have met his solicitor twice now. It is getting to an area where the next meeting we have we will be getting closer to putting something onto paper.

"Roy is in a good place. He understands a lot more about football management now than from day one.

"I didn't want to offer him a contract until I had a good plan in place behind the scenes. That is more important to Roy Keane.

"The delay, if you can call it that, isn't because we were wondering about what we had to pay Roy Keane; we were wondering about what we would do with him for the next two years, we were wondering where the club could go."

[RedForceRising]

Jones Excited By Imminent Return
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=925068

Kenwyne Jones will make his first appearance in over five months when he lines up for the Sunderland reserves this evening...

Jones was a revelation for Sunderland last season, earning rave reviews from pundits and opponents alike during his first Premier League campaign after moving from Southampton in August 2007.

The Trinidad & Tobago striker has not had the chance to continue his progress this term, however, as he suffered a horrific knee injury during his country's friendly with England in June.

But the 24-year-old is finally ready to return, and he is brimming with anticipation ahead of tonight's clash with the Wigan reserves.

“I’m excited to be playing again,” Jones said in The Times. “I’ve been training for the last two or three weeks, but it will be nice to get back into kicking balls again.

“The worst part for me was getting the injury and then the first six weeks of rehab. It was just waiting around for something to happen. That six to eight weeks was the worst part of it for me.”

It could have been much worse for Jones, as the initial prognosis indicated that he could be out of action until March. That would have meant much more time in the gym and a more agonising wait before getting the chance to play alongside his new team-mates.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane recruited heavily during the summer, signing the likes of Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque, Anton Ferdinand, David Healy and Djibril Cisse.

“I was excited about the team from the moment the transfer window opened, with all the players coming in,” Jones said.

“It’s all to make the team and the club stronger and it’s nice to come back and play and get back into it. I’m just looking at it as one training session at a time.”

An encouraging showing against the Latics' seconds could earn Jones a spot against Newcastle United this weekend, but the former Sheffield Wednesday player is adopting a 'wait and see' outlook.

“I can’t say what’s going to happen with the derby. I can’t talk about what’s going to happen after today,” he said.

“I’ve got the reserve game and god willing that goes well, then I can look forward to the next day and then the process starts again. If I’m in the squad so be it, but I can’t do anything about it.

“In some senses, I’m still in rehab. I’m not going to cross my fingers or anything because when you cross something it messes you up. So we’ll just wait and see.”

Leslie May