Speakman’s Sunderland Farewell: Our Writers Have Their Say!
How do our writers feel about Sunderland’s sporting director leaving Wearside and the work he has done?
Andy says…
I was shocked, at least at first. This individual was responsible for our club’s turnaround in the last four to five years.
He managed the rebuilding of our struggling League One club, ushering in a new era in which our youth-inspired recruits found a place.
It felt like he’d be here for the foreseeable future, so the club’s decision surprised me, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.
Speakman was excellent at what he accomplished, but the team has moved forward. We are no longer seeking for Premier League youth prospects to nurture.
The club has moved so quickly that we can no longer offer time to “wonder-kids” who have lost their way.
This is a volatile league. Teams must continually adapt and develop, and it appears that Florent Ghisolfi’s arrival in the summer marked the end of the Speakman era — allowing us to target new markets that Speakman is unfamiliar with. Ghisolfi has been backed, and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ ruthlessness is a quality essential in Premier League hierarchies.
Ewan Bowman says…
My initial reaction was that it’s very out of the blue, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense.
After Florent Ghisolfi’s appointment last summer, it did feel like he would take the reins.
The Premier League is ruthless and Speakman did an incredible job the six years at the club, but we’ve moved forward at such a rate that his services were no longer required.
Two promotions, three Wembley wins and his vision alongside Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Stuart Harvey and the rest of the board have transformed the club both on and off the pitch, from academy level through to the first team.
All Sunderland fans can only thank him for helping us in our journey back to the Premier League and wish him the best of luck for the future.
Speakman has been an incredible success at Sunderland, and I’ll be eternally thankful for everything he’s done over the years to propel this club from the depths of League One to where we are now.
Wherever he goes, he’ll have this success on his resume, and I’m sure many Championship and probably Premier League clubs will be salivating at the idea of signing Speakman.
Jonny Hawley says…
Surprised by the timing and unexpected nature of it all? Absolutely. Are you shocked by the decision? Not very much, actually.
Florent Ghisolfi has effectively ‘usurped’ Speakman at the top of the recruitment ladder, as seen by the summer signings and Ghisolfi’s increased control over public-facing pronouncements and the occasional written media interview.
I believe Speakman is a victim of the same phenomenon that has seen Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson, among others, move on – the club has just advanced quicker than he could.
That’s not a criticism since Speakman has done fantastic job at Sunderland, has been a significant driver of the club’s meteoric success over the last five years, and will go with his head held high, hopefully with the praise and respect he deserves from the club and fans.
However, following this season’s rollercoaster, we are now operating in a much larger and more exclusive market than we were at the beginning of June.
Ghisolfi, of course, has the contacts and reputation from his work on the continent to operate in the major European markets, which Speakman lacks because he has not yet been exposed to them.
With January behind us, it may make sense to cut ties now and allow all sides to go forward with clarity, as well as for Speakman to begin planning his next move – I don’t think he’ll be short in fans, to put it mildly!
What this means for the rest of the club’s football activity — running the academy, hiring and firing people, etc. — is unclear right now, but I’m hoping internally they’re on top of everything, which they will be. For once, we can simply trust the club. It’s a lovely sensation!
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