With no track record in English football, it reminds me of Fulham's ill-fated move for Felix Magath last season. Magath was also labelled a firefighter and came with the reputation of a man that had never been relegated.
On the us side, I read that Advocaat has a reputation of discipline and that's something that this current group of Sunderland players sorely need. This set of players have seen off several managwrs over the last few years and have a reputation for drinking, late nights, poor training and a negative collective response to authority.
As a fan, this is the first time in my life where I'm not fearful of relegation for my team. I think that a drop into the Championship will see us shake off the players who don't care about the club and the fans. There appears to be a core of players that take their paycheck and offer the bare minimum in terms of effort and commitment. Poyet spoke about the times where the team and the fans fed off each other and inspired each other. This was evident in the cup run and the escape act last season but was lacking for almost all of this.
Hearing of players drinking into the night, poor training, being banned from pubs because of the trouble they cause, damaging propert, posing in front of new cars as the team go into freefall and attested over sexual contact with a minor only serve to infuriate the loyal following that expert wholehearted commitment and will be following the club years after these players have moved away.
After the Advocaat reign, whether we survive relegation or not, I'd look at taking Kevin Phillips from his coaching role at Leicester City. His standing with the fans and his obvious passion for the club will sit perfectly with the fans that have had to ensure the madness of Di Canio and the direct criticism from Poyet. For me, he always showed a good understanding of the game and would be a great fit.
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