Fan Letters: “Replacing Maja with a proven scorer is vital to Sunderland’s promotion chances!”

Dear Roker Report,

Stewart Donald and SAFC are entering the most crucial three days of the new regime to date. All the good work to date will be for nothing if SD gets it wrong now. We’ve just lost our top scorer, GOALS WIN YOU GAMES. We need to replace Maja with a centre forward WHO IS PLAYING REGULARLY for his current team and has a goals record THIS SEASON, similar to Maja. We simply can’t gamble that someone who has done okay in the past but is injured, not getting games at his current club or not scoring regularly but might come good.

We aren’t rehab for failing strikers. We need to kick on. A couple of loanees or free agents won’t do it. Personally I would go for Tom Eaves from Gillingham and Ladapo from Plymouth. Almost 30 goals between them this season, they would give us totally different options AND THEIR CLUBS WOULD PROBABLY SELL. IF we end up with a couple of loanees, injured strikers or low scorers signing on Thursday (because that’s the best available, we did our best) Then the jury will unanimously vote, your best is NOT GOOD ENOUGH). LIVING IN HOPE.

Tom

Ed’s Note [JN]: Can’t disagree with wanting to go for Eaves, he impressed against us earlier in the season and has proven himself time, and time again at this level. Though clearly Grigg is the club’s number one target, and his goal scoring record in League One is second-to-none, having scored 44 goal in 83 games for Wigan, 20 in 40 for MK Dons recently, with 96 goals and 23 assists in 260 games overall (for Walsall and Brentford too).

His injury has been massively blown out of proportion, in reality he merely rolled his ankle and will miss roughly two weeks overall.

Ladapo has impressed for Plymouth too, but this is the only season in his career in which he has scored at least double figures, with just 18 goals scored in League One to date.

Either way, we are desperate for a proven scorer, whoever that may be.

Gillingham FC

Dear Roker Report,

I have read a lot of letters and posts recently from our fans worried about what’s going to happen this season. Currently we are 6 points off the top with 2 games in hand and in the semis of the Checkatrade trophy.

Not bad when you think of the last few seasons.

It’s now a pleasure and an enjoyable experience going to the match, let’s not forget how bad it has been.

At the same time let’s appreciate what the new owners, recruitment team, management team, players and yes us fans have done over the last 7 months, it’s remarkable when you think of it.

The effort our new owners have put in to turn what was a total shambles of a club onto one we can be proud of again has been unbelievable.

We can all be guilty of having very short memories.

The current owners are not billionaires but are working at getting the club sustainable, whilst removing the piss take culture.

The stadium looks amazing and the owners are open honest and passionate. I for one wouldn’t swap them at the minute.

Now getting back to the league, nearly every team has a blip during the season, Luton’s was at the beginning, Portsmouth’s appears to be happening now after they lost their on loan midfielder and lost their last 2 league games. Both have had good winning runs during the season where as we have been steady away.

I think ours is coming, Jack Ross hasn’t been able to work out the issues with the team on the training pitch due to the number of games we have had, he now has time.

I think we will make the signings we need before the deadline but we can’t go throwing money at it, that’s what got us into the mess we were in.

My only ask would be for Jack Ross to go 3 at the back to help us play 2 up front.

As most teams play 1 up top I don’t see an issue and it will also allow us to play 2 up front which will keep the opposition busy.

We have the quality of players to do this, let’s go go for it.

But my message to all is keep the faith, things aren’t as black as some are painting, a few tweaks a couple of good signings and I think we will go up comfortably.

In the next 7 games we have 5 at home, lets back the lads at the match, be the twelfth man and scare the sh*te out of the opposition and give the lads the confidence to get a run going.

Keep The Faith

Paul

Ed’s Note [JN]: Not much argument from my corner here, Paul. Though I am not sure who will play LWB in this proposed three-at-the-back with Oviedo’s departure seemingly imminent. Reece James is a very solid League One left-back, but I’m not so sure he has the attacking ability to step-up in that role.

The current club hierarchy and backroom staff deserve immense credit for turning around the flailing oil tanker which has barrelled down two leagues in as many seasons, but the next few days truly will determine their current success right now. It is simply vital that they get it right.

The only way out for the club regarding Maja was if he was to sign a new deal, which quite plainly was never going to happen. Aside from that, they were very much stuck between a rock and a hard place, yet other issues could have been solved much earlier in the window had be bidded higher for Grigg sooner, before he suffered the injury and before Maja left, forcing Wigan to see us in, what is essentially, a desperate situation.