"Keano" - honeymoon over

[Shaggy]

So he did a great job with the existing squad last season, but the acid test was always going to be the upcoming season in the Premiership.

I may be jumping the gun a little but look at this hideous list of signings...

Kieran Richardson
Dickson Etuhu
Greg Halford
Russell Anderson
Michael Chopra for £5m

[Rich]

My flatmate was trying to convince me that Kieran Richardson was a good signing - I just can't see it myself.

Chopra is on a hiding to nothing....

[The incredible igor]

needs to work on his business sense if he's goig to cut it in the premiership. That said i reckon he will get the best out of the players he has. They will struggle next season but will be a far better team than the last time sunderland were in the top flight

[Shaggy]

Just noticed Sunderland paid £5.5m for Richardson. HAHAHA. WTF? How? Why?

[Maestro]

I'm even more surprised at the players he has kept - eg David Connolly.Everyone accepts that Connolly is a top Championship player, but him in the PL? He's 30 years old now too...

Isn't Graham Kavanagh still there too? He should have brought in Graveson instead of him..

[Big Dave]

The relegation scrap could be very close next season............there's some seriously **** clubs in the prem this year

[thesilverfoxlfc]

I think they will do well this season.

[tomasjj]

Did Scum get 5.5 mill for Richardson!?!?!

[red g]

russell anderson is a very very good defender and organiser. Very highly rated north of the border. quality player. The rest are **** though.

Keane and benitez have the same mentality on players being mercenary unfortunatley that means most of the better players arent interested in going there coz they wont pay the money

[red g]

The relegation scrap could be very close next season............there's some seriously **** clubs in the prem this year

lawrie sanchez says they are off for europe this year. my god how deluded are you fella ...you aint going to do **** all with a quartet of northern ireland players in your team

[Shaggy]

russell anderson is a very very good defender and organiser. Very highly rated north of the border. quality player. The rest are **** though.

Who is he? Where's he signed from?

[dww]

Just noticed Sunderland paid £5.5m for Richardson. HAHAHA. WTF? How? Why?

That is a ridiculous value but I would back Keane to make him a decent player. He has great positioning, it's what he does with the ball he needs to work on. I think he is currently a very poor player but he has a lot of potential. £5.5m says more about the market than his ability in my opinion.

The Chopra thing is interesting. There is a real dearth of good strikers about, particularly those capable of handling the physicality of the PL. I suspect he will struggle but I think you have to take a gamble this season as a promoted team on at least one striker who if it works out will make all the difference. I think that Chopra had a better goal record that Nugent in the Championship - who went for a similar fee.

£10m for those two does seem like madness though.

I think as a squad Keane will make them do well. It is going to be a very competitive lower half of the table this year though. I think the fact that Keane has clearly gone for athletic players like Etuhu means that he will look to fight for games and use the pace of Richardson and Chopra on the break.

[Bob]

So he did a great job with the existing squad last season, but the acid test was always going to be the upcoming season in the Premiership.

I may be jumping the gun a little but look at this hideous list of signings...

Kieran Richardson
Dickson Etuhu
Greg Halford
Russell Anderson
Michael Chopra for £5m

I agree, he's got a fall coming.

[bazza76]

That is a ridiculous value but I would back Keane to make him a decent player. He has great positioning, it's what he does with the ball he needs to work on. I think he is currently a very poor player but he has a lot of potential. £5.5m says more about the market than his ability in my opinion.

The Chopra thing is interesting. There is a real dearth of good strikers about, particularly those capable of handling the physicality of the PL. I suspect he will struggle but I think you have to take a gamble this season as a promoted team on at least one striker who if it works out will make all the difference. I think that Chopra had a better goal record that Nugent in the Championship - who went for a similar fee.

£10m for those two does seem like madness though.

I think as a squad Keane will make them do well. It is going to be a very competitive lower half of the table this year though. I think the fact that Keane has clearly gone for athletic players like Etuhu means that he will look to fight for games and use the pace of Richardson and Chopra on the break.

I admittedly have seen nothing of Chopra last season.
however, I remember seeing him play before and he was an exceptional talent, a player that really cought my attention that has alot of natural ability. I am not sure what happened to him at Newcastle, but I expect him to surprise a few people this season,

[dww]

I admittedly have seen nothing of Chopra last season.
however, I remember seeing him play before and he was an exceptional talent, a player that really cought my attention that has alot of natural ability. I am not sure what happened to him at Newcastle, but I expect him to surprise a few people this season,

It will be interesting to see. It would be nice to see him come good - being at Newcastle seems to have had an adverse effect on a lot of players careers.