Fan Letters: The Grayson sacking fallout; Everyone thinks that his sacking was the right idea

Dear Roker Report,

Thank f**k for that! Give it to O’Shea until the end of the season!

On a serious note, Grayson should have went after the Ipswich game.

He was 100% out of his depth.

God knows who could come in and motivate these useless b*stards.

Jake Johnson

Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I’ve been watching the lads for 35 years and when my lads told me that Grayson had been sacked, I just said ‘oh’, and carried on reading a magazine.

That’s the apathy that’s descended on both me and my club, the club I’d go to the ends of the Earth for. Now, I don’t think I give a shit. I don’t care who’s the next manager because he has a hopeless task ahead of him.

Sunderland, eh?

Paul Lowe

Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Personally I think Roy Keane should be our next manager.

I know that he has a cushty number with his current job but something has always suggested to me that he has unfinished business with Sunderland. I know that he has his issues with Ellis Short, but I think that he is a slightly different man to the one that left us all of those years ago.

And, he’s a better manager now. I just think that he's the only one that can bring fight back to a team that is definitely lacking it.

Elliot Pearson

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with the sacking of Simon Grayson, but I don't disagree either. I think there is a point where the board have to put a stop to the s*it performances, s*it tactics and just all round s*ite and the only place that they can look is to the dugout.

However, looking from a managers point of view, what manager is going to want to come to Sunderland? Knowing that the owner wants out - so his future isn't certain - and with a budget as low as ours, it can't be too appealing. Do we have the money to bring in a decent manager, or at least a mediocre championship manager?

I don't know what I would have done. What about you guys?

The Mackem Lad

Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

On Saturday I booed. I can't believe that I’ve admitted it, but there it is.

My first Sunderland match was at Roker Park in the old first division on the 21st March in 1991. We got thumped 3-1 by Aston Villa. I've been a faithful fan ever since. My brother went on to be a Mag. This Saturday I took my six year old son to his first match. He wasn't really keen on going, or particularly interested, but living in Nottinghamshire, this was the first time that I'd been in the north east when the lads were playing at home for ages, so yes, it was going up happen. He got a foam pointy finger and we ate hotdogs and burgers in the wind.

After five minutes he asked why no one had scored and when thousands started leaving after we succumbed to the goal that would seal defeat, he also was keen to join the masses and leave early. Yet I made him stay. We would suffer this. Together.

And I booed when the whistle went. I surprised even myself as I didn't expect that I would. There is something about the misery of supporting this club that catches you at the core as you wait for the tiny moments of joy which come once in a blue moon. This should have been a day of excitement at baptising my son into the Sunderland faithful yet there was nothing for him to point his foam hand at in this graveyard of stadia. While I get to few matches, I've always felt that pang of excitement when entering the ground, the hopefulness at kick off, the belief that something would come good, even at the end. Yet on Saturday I had primed the boy for defeat, and primed myself. There was no excitement, no wonder and just a question from the boy as to why it looked like they're was no one there.

So Grayson’s gone. I've always felt the importance of supporting the manager, yet when, like his predecessor, you hear the manager playing down the club rather than bigging it up, you know things aren't going to end well and so you might as well cut your losses. So with this sacking it's hoped the losses will be cut, that somehow the defence can be shored up and that this team can progress.

Let's hope that whoever comes next, there will be passion, skill and organisation, as I believe these players have the ability to bring us to safety.

And here's hoping my son catches the bug, because those rare moments of exhilarating football joy are worth the perseverance...and worth the wait.

Daniel Moore