Nelson's replacement?

[greatunclekip]

Oh come on its a great move for him. They are excellent payers, look at their stadium, ambitious, and afaik pay their players on time. Theyll be favourites this time, centre back is an area that let them down last year.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Leaving aside signing-on fees and wages I think, despite the mackems clear ambition (being desperate in both senses for promotion), that this would be a step backwards for Nelson. He needs to play in the First Division now to progress his career (and if I was in his place, for self-respect).

 

[LeftSideBoy]

Oh come on its a great move for him. They are excellent payers, look at their stadium, ambitious, and afaik pay their players on time. Theyll be favourites this time, centre back is an area that let them down last year.

I would love to agree with this post but I just cannot. Aside from their stadium and their 'money', they really do not have anything that we cannot offer as a football club. In regards to being ambitious, so they should be! They have absolutely tanked as football club and if they didn't have ambitions above their current status, they'd be out of the league completely, within 5 years!

Oxford are a team on the up in many respects (we hope) and Sunderland have spent the last 5 years on a pretty savage decline and after the failings of this season, I don't see that stopping if they fail again, next season...

Stay with Oxford, become a club legend and help us reach the highest league position the club has achieved in 20 years!

This move would make no footballing sense to me.

 

[RCYellowRC]

They've been chasing him all season no surprise. As long as Donald's owner there he'll always be after our players. So let's hope he goes soon.

 

[Yellow River]

Purely from a football perspective I’d be surprised and disappointed if Nelson signed for a Division 3 rival. He’s better than that.

My guess is that he has the potential to earn 3 or 4 times as much in the Championship than Oxford can afford to offer him. I’m sure there would be more than one Championship club willing to do that. So if Sunderland are about to sign him then you can see the level of wages plus signing on fees they’re willing to pay.

 

[horseman]

1 or 2 getting a tad carried away here, stay with a side that has struggled the past 2 seasons flirting with relegation or earn a shed load more money with a far bigger club who most would agree should go up this time.
have many forgotten already that we were turned down by quite a few targets last time round and given a choice this time it's sad to say there are bigger attractions in this league.
wouldn't be surprised if Baptiste is on the radar of 1 or 2 of them

 

[Big Ronaldo]

When it gets a cold look, I find it surprising that he could be tempted by Sunderland.
There is no Guarantee that they will be promoted next season and that will be another year wasted of a career already being shadowed by serious injury.
He may have decided that he should take the money offered up but I feel that he is good enough to play Championship football and if it were me, I would hold out for a championship club.

 

[Bacon]

some of you need to take off the rose tinted specs I think. Sunderland are a massive club for this level and like it or not, players will choose them over us without a shadow of a doubt

 

[Paul Cannell]

One may wonder how long they'll remain 'massive' at this level.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

some of you need to take off the rose tinted specs I think. Sunderland are a massive club for this level and like it or not, players will choose them over us without a shadow of a doubt

They are , but as you say it's the same level however big a Club..I would have thought he needs a Division higher to match his ambition

 

[Scotchegg]

When people talk of rose tinted glasses, we maybe also need to look at how highly rated Nelson is amongst high clubs. Undoubtedly after his first season he was attracting attention from the Championship. But after missing nearly a full season with injury, he has been good but not consistently outstanding this year.

A few months ago, I heard that 4 clubs were interested. Sunderland, Portsmouth, Wigan and Birmingham. 2 remain in league one and the other 2 have been at the bottom end of the Championship all season.

Maybe it became obviously that a big Championship move was unlikely to happen and therefore Sunderland became the best of a bad bunch.

Financially he'll likely earn 3 or 4 times what he did here and pocket a signing on fee. But sadly, it's little more than a sideways move football wise and with a bit of luck he will look back in frustration as we storm the league next season leaving Sunderland in our wake!!

 

[Foley]

some of you need to take off the rose tinted specs I think. Sunderland are a massive club for this level and like it or not, players will choose them over us without a shadow of a doubt

Most are suggesting that he would be better in the Championship and should be playing in that league.
I cant believe that he cant get a Championship club? Which does question his ambition.

 

[Didcotox]

One would hope he is aiming higher than Sunderland. I think they are still a bit of a basket case of a club. He is Championship standard and would imagine he has offers from Champ teams. Donald does have a habit of signing ex Oxford players. How many did he sign for Eastleigh?

 

[Tomox]

If it's a straight choice between us and Sunderland then let's face it, he's choosing them everytime.

 

[Foley]

If it's a straight choice between us and Sunderland then let's face it, he's choosing them everytime.

But it shouldn't be a straight choice between 2 League 1 clubs
Are you suggesting that he isnt good enough for the Championship?
He said he was leaving as he wanted to play in the Championship. Stoke were rumoured to be interested.
Maybe he needs a new agent if he can only get a L1 club.

 

[holdsteady]

At a championship club he is a gamble I suppose, so while he will get a big pay rise it will probably be to about 10k a week, Sunderland can probably top that by 5k a week and then give him a big signing on fee.

 

[Foley]

At a championship club he is a gamble I suppose, so while he will get a big pay rise it will probably be to about 10k a week, Sunderland can probably top that by 5k a week and then give him a big signing on fee.

Well if Nelson is a 'gamble' I am surprised that any player moves up from L1.
There is no transfer fee for him so Nelson is far from a gamble based on the money in the Championship.
Nelson made very clear that he wanted to play in the Championship. I am very surprised that he could end up at. L1 club.

 

[Mystery Yellow]

Most are suggesting that he would be better in the Championship and should be playing in that league.
I cant believe that he cant get a Championship club? Which does question his ambition.

would a say a club like Luton (for example) would be more of an attraction/ambitious move just because they are in the championship?

As for everyone going on about Sunderland being crap last season (I wouldn’t disagree with that) but with the likelihood of new investment coming in & possibilities of a new manager with a new team with good recruitment they could quiet easily get promoted & then compete in the top 6 in the championship with the right investment

 

[Mystery Yellow]

One would hope he is aiming higher than Sunderland. I think they are still a bit of a basket case of a club. He is Championship standard and would imagine he has offers from Champ teams. Donald does have a habit of signing ex Oxford players. How many did he sign for Eastleigh?

Quite a lot plus wasted over £10m & couldn’t get them in the EFL

 

[Grumpy Git]

would a say a club like Luton (for example) would be more of an attraction/ambitious move just because they are in the championship?

As for everyone going on about Sunderland being crap last season (I wouldn’t disagree with that) but with the likelihood of new investment coming in & possibilities of a new manager with a new team with good recruitment they could quiet easily get promoted & then compete in the top 6 in the championship with the right investment

But Sunderland are a League One side. They may get investment, but that doesn’t guarantee promotion. I hope he signs for a Championship side, not a wanna-be championship side who have fkd up before.