Pitt's Bit : What Next?

Hi NASA members,

At the beginning of the season I spoke to Ellis and we were both confident that the season ahead would be a positive experience and the team would be able to compete at Championship level.

Having brought in Chris Coleman, who did a great job with Wales, the expectation was that the club would have a relatively good season.

I certainly didn't expect us to be relegated bottom of the league with two games left to play after a home defeat by Burton Albion.

As a Sunderland fan who has seen most of the home games this season I am so disappointed with the way the season has developed. A lot of the games have been very similar in pattern....we started off well and put pressure on teams but then conceded a sloppy goal, players then lacked confidence and we go on to lose by the odd goal...or two.

The team got bullied out of games because we couldn't compete physically with teams who had bigger strikers. Everyone in football knows that the Championship is a physical league and I don't think we brought in players who could have handled this aspect of the league. We have also been very weak up front. Grabban obviously decided he didn't want to stay for the second half of the season and Fletcher hasn't scored enough goals as his replacement.

Other factors have been far too many injuries and I cannot understand the Rodwell situation. From a fans point of view I cannot understand a player who apparently doesn't want to play for the club but is happy to pick up his astronomic wage packet every week. As a player who had to finish through injury at the age of 21 I am sickened by his attitude and committment to the club. Sunderland are in financial difficulties and we really needed everyone at the club to be pulling in the same direction.

We now are looking forward to next season in the third tier of English football.

Will we have a new owner in the summer?

If so will we have a new manager?

Will Chris Coleman want to manage in League One if he receives an offer from a club in a higher division?

Will we have the necessary funds to bring in the quality of players to be promoted at the first attempt?

I am afraid I can't answer any of these questions but what I can say is that this team as it stands is not good enough to win promotion next season so something has to happen to enable the team to improve if we are to put in a promotion challenge. Let's hope there are significant moves this summer and the club..and the team..can move forward.

On a brighter note Micky Horswill and I went to see Billy Hughes (pictured above) in Derby yesterday and he looked very well.

I am organising a 45th reunion of the 1973 team and we are having a dinner in the boardroom on Saturday 5th May.
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It will be great to meet up again and I would like to thank the club for supporting the event.

Best Wishes,
Ritchie

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