Post by Les on May 28, 2019 17:36:11 GMT
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/charlie-methven-not-holding-back-16342867
Charlie Methven not holding back on Sunderland's 'failure' - now actions, not words, needed
Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven was not mincing his words when he looked back on the “failure” of 2018-19 in the immediate aftermath of the League One play-off final.
The quiet fans and not good enough players got tough assessments when Metro Radio interviewed Methven at Wembley, but nor was he ducking the board’s part in the Black Cats’ inability to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
Sunderland had just been beaten in the most dramatic fashion, Patrick Bauer’s injury-time goal sending Charlton Athletic up with a 2-1 win . The Wearsiders led through Naby Sarr’s freak fifth-minute own goal, and were only behind for six seconds.
But it was not the failure to deal with Josh Cullen’s 95th-minute cross which condemned Sunderland to only their third season in the third tier. Cup finals can hinge on moments of fortune but not leagues.
Fifth in League One was the club’s lowest league finish. Having finished two places and three points higher, Charlton were the most deserving of promotion from the four sides going into play-offs, and earned the right again in them – if only just.
For Sunderland, scrabbling about at that level only two years after dropping out of the Premier League is humiliating. They drew average 32,156 gates in the regular season – bigger than more than half of the top-flight. Their away support was even more impressive.
But reputations count for little in football, and very little in League One. When Leeds United found themselves there, seven seasons after a European Cup semi-final, it took them three years to scramble out. Nottingham Forest – two-times winners of Old Big Ears under Old Big Head – also needed three.
Leeds were fifth in their first season, Forest seventh.
“Ultimately Sunderland fans need to get realistic about that,” Methven said when it was put to him that their club should not be in League One. “Charlton have been in the Premier League for much of the last 20, 30 years and they had 40,000 fans to our 34,000. On sheer size of club it’s hard to say that Charlton should be the ones who stay down.” 😳
Between 1998 and 2007, the Addicks spent all but one season outside England’s top division but despite Sunday’s numbers, there is no argument to say they have a bigger fanbase. Held back by disillusion with the owners, their average league gate was less than half Sunderland’s last season, their Wembley turnout easily explained by geography and economics. Black Cats fans had already made the much longer journey eight weeks earlier.
Bigger game though it was, it was asking a lot to replicate the numbers who turned out in force at the Football League Trophy final . It was as though they had partied out.
More tellingly, the play-offs had a booby-prize feel for Sunderland’s supporters. Manager Jack Ross commented how it felt like his was the only club across the three divisions not excited about being involved. The focus all season had been automatic promotion, whereas Charlton spent most of the race off the pace, fifth when the final round of regular-season matches kicked off.
Sunderland’s lowest league crowd last season came in their play-off home semi-final. When Charlton went behind, their supporters recognised the need to lift the players, and once Ben Purrington equalised ten minutes before the break, they just carried on.
“I thought the Charlton fans were very loud, very vocal,” commented Methven. “I thought our fans were quiet. 😡
“Fans, players and management have to take responsibility. It was like the club didn’t quite believe enough to make it happen. We all need to take a look at ourselves and understand what we need to do to sort this out and get better because it’s a terrific disappointment.”
There was no sparing those on the field, either.
“Ultimately it was a tight game and we weren’t good enough,” said Methven. “If you’re going to get promoted from divisions you’ve got to be better than other teams and (on Sunday) I didn’t think we were better than them. They weren’t much better than us but that’s not good enough.”
There can be no hiding from the board’s part in this failure too.
January 31 was a telling point in the story. Ross went into transfer deadline day wanting one striker, and was not prepared to pay the League One record fee Wigan Athletic were asking for Will Grigg.
Chairman Stewart Donald not only paid that – £3m potentially rising to £4m – but loaned Kazaiah Sterling from Tottenham Hotspur too. Sterling played only 169 minutes of football, all from the bench. Grigg scored five goals in 22 appearances.
With five signings in all, the January transfer window was supposed to be the kick that took Sunderland over the line, but even with games in hand on everyone, theirs was only the fourth best record from that point on.
“I don’t think Jack or the board would say anything other than the failure to achieve promotion is a failure,” Methven admitted. “There’s no other way around to put it.
“All you can do from that is either wallow in it and let it kill you or else you can dust yourselves down, (and) work out how to succeed.
“The most important thing for this football club is that over the next month to two months is that we react to this disappointment and failure in the right way.”
Noisy or quiet, realistic or not, the fans can only do so much. Methven has outlined some of the problems, now he has his part to play in putting things right.
What now for Sunderland?
Charlie Methven not holding back on Sunderland's 'failure' - now actions, not words, needed
Sunderland executive director Charlie Methven was not mincing his words when he looked back on the “failure” of 2018-19 in the immediate aftermath of the League One play-off final.
The quiet fans and not good enough players got tough assessments when Metro Radio interviewed Methven at Wembley, but nor was he ducking the board’s part in the Black Cats’ inability to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
Sunderland had just been beaten in the most dramatic fashion, Patrick Bauer’s injury-time goal sending Charlton Athletic up with a 2-1 win . The Wearsiders led through Naby Sarr’s freak fifth-minute own goal, and were only behind for six seconds.
But it was not the failure to deal with Josh Cullen’s 95th-minute cross which condemned Sunderland to only their third season in the third tier. Cup finals can hinge on moments of fortune but not leagues.
Fifth in League One was the club’s lowest league finish. Having finished two places and three points higher, Charlton were the most deserving of promotion from the four sides going into play-offs, and earned the right again in them – if only just.
For Sunderland, scrabbling about at that level only two years after dropping out of the Premier League is humiliating. They drew average 32,156 gates in the regular season – bigger than more than half of the top-flight. Their away support was even more impressive.
But reputations count for little in football, and very little in League One. When Leeds United found themselves there, seven seasons after a European Cup semi-final, it took them three years to scramble out. Nottingham Forest – two-times winners of Old Big Ears under Old Big Head – also needed three.
Leeds were fifth in their first season, Forest seventh.
“Ultimately Sunderland fans need to get realistic about that,” Methven said when it was put to him that their club should not be in League One. “Charlton have been in the Premier League for much of the last 20, 30 years and they had 40,000 fans to our 34,000. On sheer size of club it’s hard to say that Charlton should be the ones who stay down.” 😳
Between 1998 and 2007, the Addicks spent all but one season outside England’s top division but despite Sunday’s numbers, there is no argument to say they have a bigger fanbase. Held back by disillusion with the owners, their average league gate was less than half Sunderland’s last season, their Wembley turnout easily explained by geography and economics. Black Cats fans had already made the much longer journey eight weeks earlier.
Bigger game though it was, it was asking a lot to replicate the numbers who turned out in force at the Football League Trophy final . It was as though they had partied out.
More tellingly, the play-offs had a booby-prize feel for Sunderland’s supporters. Manager Jack Ross commented how it felt like his was the only club across the three divisions not excited about being involved. The focus all season had been automatic promotion, whereas Charlton spent most of the race off the pace, fifth when the final round of regular-season matches kicked off.
Sunderland’s lowest league crowd last season came in their play-off home semi-final. When Charlton went behind, their supporters recognised the need to lift the players, and once Ben Purrington equalised ten minutes before the break, they just carried on.
“I thought the Charlton fans were very loud, very vocal,” commented Methven. “I thought our fans were quiet. 😡
“Fans, players and management have to take responsibility. It was like the club didn’t quite believe enough to make it happen. We all need to take a look at ourselves and understand what we need to do to sort this out and get better because it’s a terrific disappointment.”
There was no sparing those on the field, either.
“Ultimately it was a tight game and we weren’t good enough,” said Methven. “If you’re going to get promoted from divisions you’ve got to be better than other teams and (on Sunday) I didn’t think we were better than them. They weren’t much better than us but that’s not good enough.”
There can be no hiding from the board’s part in this failure too.
January 31 was a telling point in the story. Ross went into transfer deadline day wanting one striker, and was not prepared to pay the League One record fee Wigan Athletic were asking for Will Grigg.
Chairman Stewart Donald not only paid that – £3m potentially rising to £4m – but loaned Kazaiah Sterling from Tottenham Hotspur too. Sterling played only 169 minutes of football, all from the bench. Grigg scored five goals in 22 appearances.
With five signings in all, the January transfer window was supposed to be the kick that took Sunderland over the line, but even with games in hand on everyone, theirs was only the fourth best record from that point on.
“I don’t think Jack or the board would say anything other than the failure to achieve promotion is a failure,” Methven admitted. “There’s no other way around to put it.
“All you can do from that is either wallow in it and let it kill you or else you can dust yourselves down, (and) work out how to succeed.
“The most important thing for this football club is that over the next month to two months is that we react to this disappointment and failure in the right way.”
Noisy or quiet, realistic or not, the fans can only do so much. Methven has outlined some of the problems, now he has his part to play in putting things right.
What now for Sunderland?
