SUNDERLAND chief executive Martin Bain delivered a wide-ranging interview yesterday in which he outlined the extent of Sunderland’s current financial plight, discussed Ellis Short’s future plans for the club and chatted about David Moyes’ position as manager.
These are his thoughts on some of the key issues currently affecting Sunderland, and on how he envisages the club being able to move on in the future.
BAIN ON FINANCES AND JANUARY:
“We’re still running at a loss. We still have a debt position which is manageable because Ellis funds many aspects of that, but in terms of going forward, I have my forecasts and it will be a difficult turnaround in a short space of time.
“We have an owner who is completely committed to the club, we have an owner who is currently funding shortfalls, and we have an owner that actually is not averse to getting the right strategy going forward to develop his club further.
“What he is saying, and what I am saying, is that in terms of this transfer window in January, we have reached a point where there has to be a time where you don’t have that short-term hit to plug the holes in the dam.”
BAIN ON ELLIS SHORT’S DESIRE TO SELL:
“If there is a buoyant housing market and someone comes up you garden path saying they are interested in buying your house, then you’re going to have a chat with them to see what they are going to say.
“You’re not going to lead them straight back down the path, and that is the position at the moment – we would listen to offers. I believe Ellis has the interests of the club at heart, and he wouldn’t turn away anything that is beneficial to Sunderland Football Club.
“I’m confident he will continue to fund the club. He has looked at myself and David and said, ‘I’ve made one or two mistakes and learnt from them. I’m going to step back a little bit and allow those day-to-day decisions and let people get on with it’.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t phone him up about major decision or I don’t talk to him. But what I don’t have is that daily engagement.”
BAIN ON SELLING PLAYERS IN JANUARY:
“We don’t want to get into selling assets in the January transfer window. We don’t want to be forcing David into a corner, just because of the situation that we have.
“It’s not a route we envisage going down. But I’m long enough in the tooth to know that a transfer window can never be prescriptive. And you never know quite where you are at – you might start out and finish up very differently.”
BAIN ON DAVID MOYES:
“We have a manager in David Moyes who has an abundance of experience. I’m really pleased that being in the situation we’re in at the moment, with the rebuilding of the club, the parameters we’re working in, and maybe being at a club that needs a rebuilding of belief again, is that we’ve got that manager. We’re very fortunate to have that experience.
“What’s impressed me about David is his collaborative approach within the football club. David has recognised this is a club with a programme of rebuilding, and he’s prepared to devote time over many aspects of the football side of the club.
“That is invaluable to me because it then allows me to make informed decisions about which way we want to go strategically. Fundamentally, that approach to life has really impressed me with David.”
BAIN ON THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST:
“There’s so much money involved in football that you really need policies and procedures, and there’s not a lot of that here at Sunderland. I would rather, with David, set out a stall that says, ‘Okay, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot a bit here, but fundamentally to protect this institution, what policies need to be in place?’
“Does there need to be a monetary threshold when we’re trying to buy a player, or an age limitation of where we would buy? That would protect the football club going forward.”
BAIN ON HIS OWN POSITION:
“Have I ever been alarmed? No. I came into the job knowing that there was a difficult challenge in front of me, and in a perverse sort of way, I’ve enjoyed that challenge. I’ve enjoyed having it on the nose since the day I got here.
“Equally, I’ve enjoyed the fact that I have in many ways been allowed to take my time to get the strategy side of things right. From that perspective, I’ve enjoyed it. Alarmed is not the right word.
“I really do believe that in life, you have a bond, a relationship, and you don’t want to let one another down. I think I’ve got that with David and, to the other side of it, I wouldn’t want to walk out on David. I don’t think it’s in David’s character either.
“The longer you’re at a place, in a job, the longer you have a bond with the people around you and the more you’re committed. And you commit other people as well.”
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