Fan Letters: Should Sunderland bring back a version of the old ship badge?!

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Dear Roker Report,

Firstly, keep up the good work but let’s face it our beloved football club doesn’t leave you short of material, does it? Life would be boring supporting someone like City, getting bored of winning all the time.

Away from the pitch I have been impressed with the very early recruitment and changes to infrastructure. Long overdue and a huge positive.

One thing that always stimulates some debate is the club badge, the “old” ship badge being spotted recently on KLD’s lapel (and I have followed the Lads long enough to have worn it watching the G Force).

Rather than a total rebrand argument, I wondered if there was any appetite for the home kit to have the current badge and an away kit to carry the Ship badge? (Blue shirt, white shorts etc ;) I don’t know if this would cause a legal issue (happy for someone with knowledge to step in) but I think it would be a big seller and mass appeal.

Any chance do you think for next season?

Haway the lads! Keep the Faith,

Iain Thompson

Ed’s Note [Chris]: I loved the old badge as well Iain, but for me, that’s what it is now, the old badge - and it gives the retro tops a bit more to them. I don’t mind the current one and think there are probably bigger things on the new owner's plate, but if we did make a change, I’d prefer us to look forward rather than back.

Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

It’s now, that we will see the real intent of our new owner. We’ve heard “the talk”, as we did from SD when he took over and we soon learnt that his words were hollow. We need a leader at the very top of our club to take action now and win back the faith of the fans.

All we have had is talk, telling us what we want to hear. We need a real plan, with proper structure and a time frame. All we’ve heard is that £60 million will be available IF we get promoted. What about a a plan to get there?

Remember that SD and his merry men are still on the scene and that has to be a worry. A massive clear out is needed whether we go up or not and real money invested on good players. We need to hear this from our new owner and it be followed up with action

Sam Lucas

Ed’s Note [Chris]: As we’ve seen with the recent arrivals in key positions, all the key players are being lined up to implement a new plan moving forward. With COVID and the timing of the takeover this year it’s been obviously difficult to make their mark. Hopefully, we’ll see the beginning of that in the summer whatever the outcome of this season.

Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Unless a miracle is achieved, it looks like we will spend another season in this division. Teams now know how to stop us playing and we don’t know how to reply!

LJ never picks one player who used to score important goals - Chris Maguire, who I am adamant would be the missing link in our line up. LJ’s stubbornness in not selecting Maguire will cost us the promotion as he selects less influential players such as O’Brien, Scowen and Winchester ahead of fantastic player like Maguire.

This pathetic decision from LJ cost us promotion as our present line up look tired and jaded whereas other teams have found form and can score goals. I hope this message can be forwarded to LJ as this is an SOS before it’s too late!

Harish Shah

Ed’s Note [Chris]: Chris Maguire has had a strange season, even stretching back under the management of Phil Parkinson. It’s clear something isn’t quite right when you see how we’ve lacked ideas going forward recently.

I’m not completely sold that he is the one to suddenly change our fortunes but I’m surprised he hasn’t been hadn’t an opportunity. I also wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up being the hero at Wembley should we get there.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

Every game we have played in this league in the last three seasons, all opponents goalkeepers seems to make a couple of miracle saves against us.

Even Lee Camp somehow will stop us from scoring if he plays against us. When you watch them in other games they are dropping balls and gifting goals all over the place. Like I have said before our SOL inspires our opponents.

I compare us with Hamburg in the Bundesliga 2.

Well supported and got relegated from the Bundesliga like us from the Premier League and they can’t achieve promotion. They have been in the top 2 or 3 in the last three seasons and they bottle it every season. It looks like that they are going to miss out again this season.

Hope not. Very familiar to us.

Anthony DeGiovanni

Ed’s Note [Chris]: Yes, we’ve had a few have absolute blinders against us this season, and at times it’s because we do put most sides under a bit of pressure and makes chances. Against Blackpool we had a number of good/half chances that forced the keeper into action, and if they’re in form they end up the hero against us. Still wouldn’t mind facing Lee Camp every week - we would have romped the title.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

What has gone wrong?

We can’t even draw a game now!

No pride in performance.

Don’t deserve our support.

Automatic promotion was the target.

A disgrace to the Stadium of Light, one of the best stadiums in the country.

D Reavley

Ed’s Note [Chris]: For me the target is promotion, in whatever form. Automatic promotion was my first choice but I’ll take the play-offs, and considering how we’ve been managed on and off the pitch for large parts of this season and last, it’s a miracle we’re still in with a shout.

If we make it to the play-off final there are only four weeks left of this season - after that point we can then begin to assess what happens moving forward depending on what league we’re in next year. Until then, I’m hoping we’ll give them all the support we can to achieve our target this season.

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Dear Roker Report,

Where is the youth pace and enthusiasm in our Sunderland team? It’s non existent.

In the first team anyway, who on earth brings a promising young centre half into a squad warming up on the pitch before a game but hasn’t even put him on the bench as a sub? Lee Johnson without a fit centre-half of course.

No faith in your own judgement Lee. What are you playing at putting absolutely everything onto the shoulders of one player. You know how great a player he is of course you played against him of course hang on that would be 10+ years ago, this is 2021.

I was there 5th May 1973, hey great idea bring back Jimmy Montgomery. Seriously Lee, I can only hope you manage to turn things around in next couple of games because at the moment your MANAGEING YOUR WAY OUT OF A JOB!

Is it too late to get back in touch with the Cowleys!!!!

Ray Otterburn

Ed’s Note [Chris]: We’re on a bad run Ray can’t deny that, but we managed to get back into contention and we’ve still got a chance to go up. Lee Johnson will know better than anyone how vital it is to find our way again and hopefully end with a second success of the season at Wembley. Let’s get behind the lads in what could still be a huge four weeks for the club.

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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