Welcome to the Sunderland AFC live blog for Monday, February 5.
The Black Cats crashed to another defeat yesterday, this time Ipswich Town leaving Wearside with three points after a 2-0 win.
Chris Coleman added Ovie Ejaria, Ashley Fletcher and Lee Camp on loan deals until the end of the season last week, and all three made their debuts against Mick McCarthy's men.
They all did reasonably well, but it was the old defensive frailties which cost Sunderland dearly as they couldn't build on a positive start against Ipswich on Saturday. We've got all the reaction and analysis to the game.
Join the Chronicle SAFC team for all the latest from the Stadium of Light throughout the day.
That will be all for today folks. Thanks for joining us as always. Here’s the top stories on the site right now:
- Have Sunderland been written off by the bookmakers already? Latest survival odds
- Sunderland have to be more proactive ahead of transfers, says ex-chief football officer
- Sunderland and Ellis Short are locked in a death spiral as the club peers into the League One abyss
- Celtic and Rangers interested in Sunderland’s Ethan Robson, with his contract expiring soon
Leeds looking to get a deal wrapped up quickly
The ex-Sunderland player was favourite to replace Grayson at Sunderland for a long time. He’s now favourite for Leeds.
The Black Cats boss said:
We’re (in the Championship’s) bottom three, away to Bristol City next week and we either succumb to it, think it’s too much for us, or we can’t match the challenge and become engulfed in it all or, alternatively, be bigger than that, not swallowing it. It doesn’t guarantee you success, but it guarantees you an easy night’s sleep.
As a manager the number of good night’s sleep you have during a season are not many.
If we were an absolute waste of time and I thought we had no chance of getting out of this, I’d probably go and say to Martin (Bain, the chief executive), ‘Come on, let’s have a chat – I can’t, we haven’t got it, there’s not enough here.’ But there is a chance for us to get out of it and that’s when you get sleepless nights.
This from Sky Sports on Birmingham:
Birmingham jumped up to 19th in the table with their 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday. The Blues have won four of their last six Championship games having only won four of their previous 24. Jota scored his first goals for Birmingham in his 18th appearance for the club.
Birmingham have scored three goals in each of their last two games, the first time they’ve scored three or more goals in successive league games for two years. Birmingham had scored only six goals in their previous nine games.
According to TalkSport, ex-Sunderland manager Simon Grayson is interested in taking on the vacant role at Leeds United.
Grayson has this morning been linked with the vacant Bradford role, but is understood to be more interested in returning to Elland Road where he managed between 2009-12.
He was popular with Leeds fans having guided the club from League One to the Championship. He departed with them just seven points shy of the play-offs.
This is going to be a huge game!
Saturday really was poor...
Both Rangers and Celtic are interested, and free to discuss a deal with him now. Full details:
James Hunter has written a piece about the future of Sunderland and owner Ellis Short. Here’s a snippet:
Sunderland AFC and its owner Ellis Short are locked in a death spiral.
With debts of £110m and losses running at more than £30m per season, the club is effectively on life support, dependent on Short to write cheques to fund the deficit.
Meanwhile, aside from making up that shortfall, the American - scarred by the way many tens of millions of pounds of his money was frittered away by the previous regime on Wearside - refuses to throw good money after bad, and is desperate to find a buyer.
A sale is the only way forward for the club, and the only way out for Short.
Full story is here: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sunderland-ellis-short-locked-death-14247446
He signed for Sunderland under Sam Allardyce, only for a FIFA ban to end his spell on Wearside before he ever officially kicked a ball.
Last month a big feature with the Mirror revealed that the Arsenal cult-hero is now ‘skint and regularly hides from bailiffs. Now in an interview in France with Canal TV, he said:
All I want is to return to football once more. I still possess ability.
I would even go to places like Baghdad or Pakistan just to play football. I don’t care where.
I live with my bags already packed, as there is a chance I could be kicked out of my house.
I don’t have anyone by my side nowadays. I feel abandoned. I used to get on well with my children and my family, and now I am completely alone.
The game takes place on February 24 at the Stadium of Light.
The young Newcastle United fan who became close friends with Bradley Lowery, sadly passed away today...
Bradford have this morning sacked Stuart McCall.
Former Sunderland manager Simon Grayson has been made the bookies’ early favourite.
Sky Bet offer 2/1 on him landing the role at Valley Parade.
Celtic and Rangers will rival one-another for the signature of Ethan Robson in the summer, according to the Sun.
The midfielder, who has impressed in Sunderland’s first team in recent weeks, is out of contract in the summer and will be available to leave, with the Black Cats due just £150k - according to the Sun’s report.
Sunderland are likely to offer the 21-year-old a new deal, but with the club currently on a downward trajectory Robson might choose to continue his development elsewhere.
He’s confident Sunderland can get out of trouble.
If we were an absolute waste of time and I thought we had no chance of getting out of this, I’d probably go and say to Martin (Bain, the chief executive), ‘Come on, let’s have a chat – I can’t, we haven’t got it, there’s not enough here.’ But there is a chance for us to get out of it and that’s when you get sleepless nights.
Tough decision?
It wasn’t a tough decision. For me personally, I just want to play football. I knew that there were quite a few ahead of me in the pecking order at Middlesbrough, and I knew that coming here would get me games
The Sunderland boss is urging his players to stand up and be counted.
We’re (in the Championship’s) bottom three, away to Bristol City next week and we either succumb to it, think it’s too much for us, or we can’t match the challenge and become engulfed in it all or, alternatively, be bigger than that, not swallowing it. It doesn’t guarantee you success, but it guarantees you an easy night’s sleep.
And he wants to do it at Sunderland.
For me, it’s all about playing games. I just want to play and score goals, and hopefully I can do that with Sunderland.
After 18 disappointing months, the forward has arrived at Sunderland with a point to prove.
He told Stu Rayner:
“I haven’t really had the opportunities over the last couple of years.
“That’s not really through anyone’s fault at all, it’s just one of those things in football where you’re down the pecking order and it’s up to you to get your career back on track. That’s the way I’m approaching things.
“For me, it’s all about playing games. I just want to play and score goals, and hopefully I can do that with Sunderland.”
You can read the full story here.
They couldn’t on Saturday...
Good morning and welcome to today’s SAFC live blog.
We will bring you all of the latest Black Cats news and updates throughout the day, so sit back, relax and stick with us.