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Where do you stand on this, then? Obviously we need to hear the full details on what has happened, but how do you feel about Aiden McGeady being left out of the squad? https://t.co/dS1gJFjuhS
— Roker Report (@RokerReport) December 12, 2019
Gav says...
What do we know up to now?
Well... something has happened, a large enough issue to have made the manager remove arguably the best player in his squad from the environment and put him up for sale.
I need to take my own personal opinions of Parkinson out of the equation here, really. Problem players are not welcome at my club, regardless of who they are or who the manager is. It’s no secret that McGeady was a big fan of Jack Ross, so I’m not surprised then that Phil Parkinson hasn’t been able to get anything from him. The writing was on the wall when he sat out the entirety of Saturday’s game on the bench whilst the team on the pitch were terrible creatively and lost to a Gillingham side we’d expect to beat ordinarily.
It’ll be sad if we’ve seen Aiden McGeady play his last game for the club, but rumours of a divide in the dressing room have been rumbling on for months now and if this is an attempt to finally address it and sort out the issues we’re seeing on the pitch and on the training ground daily, then so be it.
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Jake Hannah says...
While we do not know every detail of what has gone on to cause the situation, it is clear that Phil Parkinson is ensuring that it does not escalate beyond what it already has.
If that means a clearly talented player being shown the door, then so be it.
There is a lot of talk around football clubs - with Sunderland being very much in focus - about ‘rotten cores’. Ask any team promoted out of this division, or even any other, and they’ll tell you the players were all working cohesively to achieve the best results possible.
To make sure we are in a position to work towards that target either this season or next, there needs to be a scenario as mentioned above where we have the right players coming through the door every day with the ambition to succeed here, and while I’m not blaming McGeady or advocating Parkinson’s role in this particular instance, it’s obvious that the balance and dynamics of the squad as a whole need to be addressed.
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Graham Falk says...
I think it’s a huge issue. Without knowing the finer details as we speak, I think it’s quite obvious that Aiden is someone that is a bit of a moody player - but he’s also a winner and someone with genuine class at this level, and probably above.
It’s really concerning. Since last season we’ve lost literally every one of our best players by January, and we keep getting told that doing so was in the interests of the club, but how?
I understood the 100 points claim when it was said. We were so close last year, and we only needed a little improvement in the squad, yet it’s weaker than ever, and removing Aiden is a crazy decision.
If he’s a difficult character, then manage him better Parkinson. Do your job.
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Tom Albrighton says...
To me it signifies the descent into absolute chaos at the club.
Whilst Aiden McGeady won’t be sorely missed, it does highlight the absolute disharmony at the club from top to bottom. Without knowing the finer details, there is little coincidence with his decline, the team’s decline and Parkinson’s appointment.
The main concern, is of course, the replacement of McGeady and whilst the club finds itself in crisis mode yet again, it’s hard to feel confident that either Parkinson or his scouting team will find a suitable replacement going forward.
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