Fan Letters: Will loan success Elliot Embleton return to Sunderland as a first-team regular?

Dear Roker Report,

We should be celebrating this weekend, but instead, we’re twiddling our thumbs and watching other clubs like Blackpool overtaking us.

This is a club who two years ago were on the brink.

No hope, no direction.

But then their ownership changed and the fans and the club aligned.

Why can’t this happen at SAFC?

Our fans need to think along the same lines as the owner and sporting director.

Get with the plan.

John Stone

Ed’s Note [Martin]: The club are doing a decent job at the minute on making sure ‘the plan’ is talked about and communicated well, and I agree, we all need to ‘get with it’! It’s something that we’ve all wanted for however many years, isn’t it – some direction, a bit of planning and foresight, so I’m happy to trust the process for now and see where it gets us. Anyway, what’s the alternative?

Photo by Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

It was tough watching Embleton play in a winning side at Wembley.

Poor lad must be wondering wtf he is coming back to SAFC for.

He won’t be appreciated here.

I’d leave if I was him. The club need to build the midfield around him!

Graeme Oxenham

Ed’s Note [Martin]: It was a strange one, wasn’t it Graham? But the truth is, his loan spell has worked better than anyone probably thought it would. He’s proven he can do something every other Sunderland player has failed to do three times now – win promotion from League One. He’s proven he can do it at League One level, and that was ultimately the whole point of him going out. If he’d stayed he likely wouldn’t have gotten much football here, rightly or wrongly. The interesting thing is what happens next. As far as I’m concerned, he needs to be in the starting line up for the first 15 or so games without question, and then see where we get to – we’ve got to start giving younger players the chance.

Photo by Zac Goodwin/PA Images via Getty Images

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Dear Roker Report,

I’m Andrew a lifelong Newcastle United supporter but I am a football fan and take a big interest in our northeast teams.

After reading some of the comments surrounding SAFC and next season’s plans what I would say is this: most teams are going to struggle financially, SAFC are no different.

Big money transfers will be few and far between, and in my opinion, this is great news for Sunderland supporters.

I believe young talent will be given the opportunity to shine and it’s about time, give some of these lads a chance. Yes if it doesn’t work then you know the team needs strengthening, but you never know unless you try kind regards

Andrew Baker

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Thanks for the email Andrew – Sunderland will be in a much stronger financial position than many next season given the ownership, however I agree with you we need to give the younger players a chance – a chance to succeed, a chance to fail. Whichever way it goes, at least we’ll know. P.S. FTM

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Dear Roker Report,

I emailed my worries on the takeover with Donald still involved – he has not got the funds to match KLD’s ambitions so I think we will see him dragging any potential bids for good players that demand a fee, and we will be left scraping the out of contract market as last season. Hope I am wrong and we try and BUY some quality.

Anon

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Donald owns a stake in the business, he’s not on the board, he’s not making decisions – KLD and Sartori have the huge percentage of control. Donald isn’t going to have any input into anything that happens transfer wise. I’m not bothered about spending money, however – we’ve got to get the right players in. As we’ve seen many times before paying money is no barometer of transfer success.