Fan Letters: “Stop using the head coach as the scapegoat for unreasonable expectations!”
Dear Roker Report,
I suspect that KLD, Speakman, and the majority of the fans have too high expectations. Most seem to believe that reasonable expectations for the upcoming season should be to challenge for the playoffs as a bare minimum. So that might mean at least a top 8-9 finish and not adrift from the top 6. Le Bris might get the sack if he fails to meet such expectations.
The bookies currently rate us to finish around 16-17th. Promotion odds are currently 12/1.
Someone will be proven wrong. Either the bookies, or the majority of people associated with the club.
By the way, this seems to be a longstanding issue. It has been the same for at least a year, the bookies being more sceptical regarding our ability to compete.
Personally, I think that it would be sensible to either:
To me, it seems like KLD and Speakman create unnecessary problems for the club and themselves when they seem to insist on lofty expectations towards the squad and whoever is their current head coach. That Alex Neil and Mowbray overachieved doesn’t warrant lofty expectations. At least not, as long as we have one of the lowest wage budgets in the league. I think it would be better for the club if KLD and Speakman lowered their expectations and made it clear to the public that this is a slow, long-term project.
They should be more patient and supportive towards their head coaches. They should be less sacky. Less inclined to use the head coach as the perpetual scapegoat for their own unreasonable expectations.
In time, I think that promotion will be achieved. I like KLD and Speakman’s long-term focus. They seem to do a great job gradually building the wage budget and the market value of the squad.
Within a few seasons, we will likely be in a position to mount a sustained promotion challenge before we eventually succeed. But unless we overachieve, it is too early to have such ambitions.
I suspect that the issue with unreasonable expectations is the norm in football. Not just at Sunderland, but at most clubs. I don’t know, though; I barely follow football except for Sunderland. In any case, just because most clubs perhaps fall into this trap doesn’t mean that we should do it as well.
