Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Sunderland intend to continue to utilise the loan market as a major part of their recruitment strategy this summer. Hopefully they’ll also learn from experience and purchase a forward…
DEVELOPMENT
“I've been doing that for a few years to be honest. I was at Blackburn for five and a half years and it was not just Harvey Elliott, we took Tosin Adarabioyo from Man City and Taylor Harwood Bellis too. We had a few and I feel those huge clubs in the North West trusted me to look after their players and mature them into potential first teamers for them. If at Sunderland, we can do that and there are players at those clubs and they think it is the right thing to go out on loan, then we will be more than happy to welcome them to the club and give them the game time to help them and our own young players. I think I got this job on the back of Blackburn being the youngest team in the division for the past two years and there were a lot of good young players at this club."
TRACK RECORD
"I don’t think I got the job because I live 30 miles down the road. I am sure that is not the case. I got it because I have a track record of working with young players, encouraging them, giving them game-time, letting them flourish. They had a lot of good ones when I got here and on the day I arrived, they just recruited a few more young players. So the fit was there and I really enjoy working with them. We have had some difficult times with the injury situation disrupting what we tried to do, but they have all come on board when we had to find a way to score goals.”
FIND A WAY
"At weekend, we had to find a way to stop a big West Brom team scoring from set plays. You have to find a way. Our job as coaches is to give them the idea, show them maybe 'the dark arts' of football because a five-foot seven player is not going to beat a six footer when the ball comes in the box. But he needs to know what he has to do, seconds before the ball comes in, how to use his body, find a way.
A JOY TO WORK WITH
"We have been doing that well and I have enjoyed teaching them along with the coaching staff who have been amazing and take immense credit. The players have been a joy to work with. After five and a half years at one club, I have been re-energised here. It works both ways with youthful players. I try to bring new ideas to them and their drive, commitment and enthusiasm has re-energised an old guy who had been working five a half years at one club. Working with them, they are as good as I’ve had. It has been a joy and enjoyable season and hopefully we can finish strong.”
