Results tagged “El-Hadji Diouf” from SAFC Banter - Join the debate with Sunderland fans, staff writers and club legends
Ricky Sbragia insists it was vital he won a secretive dressing room power struggle if he was to have any hope of succeeding as Sunderland manager.
Sbragia took his first manager's job with a reputation as one of football's nice guys, but has shown a tough side as he tore into former players El-Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda for instigating a whispering campaign designed to undermine his authority following the departure of Roy Keane.
WHEN Roy Keane resigned as manager of Sunderland, he left a club that he himself had made fashionable once more, a club that was given great attention by the media, a club in a state of hyperactivity and restlessness. With Keane came the media circus, which was no bad thing when raising the profile of a once mighty club.
Keane had done a tremendous job at in the North East, raising the club from the doldrums of the Championship to establishing them as a Premier League side once more, attracting some high profile players in the process.
DJIBRIL Cissé insists that Pascal Chimbonda is not a disruptive influence in the Sunderland dressing room, claiming the defender's heated confrontation with team-mate Nyron Nosworthy after the Tees-Wear derby is a sign of how much he cares.
The full-back went head to head with defensive colleague Nosworthy after the final whistle of the weekend draw after clashing over a misplaced pass and the situation was only defused by El-Hadji Diouf's timely intervention.
SUNDERLAND have rejected an offer from Blackburn Rovers for El-Hadji Diouf as manager Ricky Sbragia has refused to sanction the sale of the Senegal international.
Diouf has struggled to live up to expectations at the Stadium of Light following his £2.5m summer move from Bolton Wanderers and it was initially thought he would be allowed to leave during the transfer window as the Wearsiders look to trim the size of their squad.
That prompted a tentative bid from Rovers manager Sam Allardyce - who worked with the striker at the Reebok Stadium - but it has been rejected by Sbragia who is adamant the 27-year-old remains an important part of his plans.
RICKY SBRAGIA admits that Sunderland would listen to offers for El-Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda in the transfer window.
The Black Cats boss insists the pair are part of his squad and he would be happy for them to stay, but admits that if anyone came in with an acceptable offer for either then he would have to consider it.
Frontman Diouf and right-back Chimbonda were both signed by Roy Keane over the summer but, after starting the season as part of the first-choice XI, they faded out of contention while Keane was still manager and have not forced their way back into the side since Sbragia took over five games ago.
SUNDERLAND are facing a battle to keep hold of marquee summer signing El-Hadji Diouf after Sam Allardyce identified him as one of his priority transfer targets during the January transfer window.
Diouf's name was near the top of the list presented to Blackburn chairman John Williams by Allardyce upon taking the job and with the midfielder unhappy that he has struggled to get into the Sunderland team since signing in the summer, Rovers believe he can be persuaded to leave.
The bottom fell out of North East football over the weekend, like your guts after 12 pints of lager, two cheeky Vimtos and a dodgy back street curry. There was a tonic to our ills, though, and it came in the unlikely form of Blyth Spartans.
As Newcastle and Sunderland both fell back into the bottom three with frustrating defeats to Fulham and Portsmouth, the part-timers from Blyth were writing a new chapter in the club's FA Cup history with a sensational 3-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.
William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew is a comedy - well it's vaguely amusing which is apparently enough when good old Will is concerned - but Blyth's version was a classic FA Cup tale, full of action, drama and, of course, romance. This was a giant killing Jack himself would have been proud of.
EL-HADJI Diouf has promised Sunderland supporters that his form will improve drastically in the coming weeks - after admitting that his international obligations to Senegal have hit his attempts to make a flying start to life at the Stadium of Light.
Diouf's contributions have tailed off after an impressive first few games for the Black Cats, and the summer signing has had to make do with a place among the substitutes for Sunderland's last two games against Arsenal and Fulham.
It is a role he has been unaccustomed to in recent seasons as a mainstay of a Bolton team that established itself in the top half of the Premier League under Sam Allardyce, but far from being unhappy Diouf believes resting him was excellent management on Roy Keane's part.
KENWYNE Jones remains on target for an early October comeback and Caribbean compatriot Carlos Edwards has revealed the striker's mood is "positive" as he nears his return.
The Trinidad & Tobago forward is edging closer to a return to full contact training as he recovers from the knee ligament injury suffered in a collision with England goalkeeper David James back in May.
It is positive news for Black Cats manager Roy Keane, who still hopes to have Jones back in contention for the trip to Fulham on October 18. While the addition of Djibril Cissé, El-Hadji Diouf and David Healy has added Premier League know-how to Keane's attack, Sunderland would certainly benefit from the aerial threat and physical presence offered by Jones.
WHAT a bizarre transfer deadline day!!
And I'm not talking about Man City's shennanigans either. When George McCartney left the club two years ago, I, along with most fans, thought that was it for good.
His departure to an extent signalled the end of an (albeit short) era. Ringo was a key player in McCarthy's promotion team and FA Cup semi-final and play-off losing side the year before.
But when he left, it was clear those days were over and we had to go back to basics. Quinn took over and found himself in the dugout too and, as it turns out, his own transfer dealings left a lot to be desired.
EL-HADJI DIOUF insists Sunderland must keep the faith - despite yesterday's crushing defeat against Manchester City.
The Black Cats were stunned when Stephen Ireland gave City the lead in first-half injury-time.
When Shaun Wright-Phillips added a second just five minutes after the interval, Sunderland fell apart - and it was no surprise when Wright-Phillips netted another before the hour.
HOWEVER impressive their transfer business has been this summer, Roy Keane knows that Sunderland's ascent to the Premier League's 'next level' has barely passed base camp.
Signing established top-flight talent with a liberal sprinkling of international caps represented an important breakthrough for Sunderland, a crucial statement of intent from a club that just 12 months ago struggled to convince David Nugent they were a credible Premier League force.
ROY KEANE points to Sunderland's victory at Spurs as proof his policy of signing 'streetwise' players is already paying dividends.
The Sunderland boss made a calculated decision to bring in players with Premier League experience this summer after admitting his players were 'naive' at times last season.
And he got his reward at the weekend as one of those new boys, Djibril Cisse, came off the bench and scored on his debut to sink Spurs at White Hart Lane and earn the Black Cats their first win of the season.
DARYL MURPHY insists Sunderland's summer buys have forced the rest of the squad to raise its game.
The Black Cats' four new boys - El-Hadji Diouf, Steed Malbranque, Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio - all made their debuts against Liverpool at the weekend, when only a late Fernando Torres strike denied Sunderland a deserved point.
And Murphy says the injection of new blood has had a major effect on Wearside.
IRONICALLY, it was one of Roy Keane's mantras that undid us on Saturday.
Throughout pre-season, he has told us his dealings in the transfer market were going to be "quality rather than quantity".
And he's right. This time last year, we had picked up the likes of Chopra, McShane, Higginbotham, Etuhu and so on - hardly names who set the world alight and who could be fairly described as better-than-average Championship plyers who may be able to make the jump.
This time, we have seen Chimbonda, Tainio, Malbranque and Diouf added to the ranks, all players with not just Premiership, but European and international experience.
EL-HADJI DIOUF has been one of the Premier League's least favourite pantomime villains for six years, but the Black Cats' new king of bling is not all he seems.
Ask a football fan to describe El-Hadji Diouf's character and it is fair to assume most of the words they come up with will be less than complimentary. For all his unquestioned abilities on the ball, the 27-year-old's greatest skill is his ability to rub up opposition supporters the wrong way. Speak to him, though, and it underlines why you should not judge a book by its bling-encrusted cover.
AS the Football Association prepares to put its new "Respect" agenda to its first major test, Dean Whitehead has admitted it will be his job as Sunderland captain to keep one of the biggest threats to it in line.
Last week the FA launched its new campaign to clean up the game's image by encouraging players, managers and supporters to show a better attitude to referees and each other.
We were a little ropey from our first day on the Guiness the day before, but the sight of a giant Sunderland flag hanging from the bar's front lifted spirits.
They were lifted further when the first words we heard on the pub's stereo system were "wise men say, only fools rush in," which we took to be an omen of a great day and even, as the euphoria kicked in, a great season ahead.
QUALITY, not quantity sums up Roy Keane's transfer policy this summer and adding experienced players such as El-Hadji Diouf, Teemu Tainio, Pascal Chimbonda and Steed Malbranque should ensure that there will be no repeat of last season's relegation battle.
Kenwyne Jones' long-term knee injury is a major blow to the Black Cats as the striker was so influential for them last season.
But if Keane can bring in another top class frontman, a specialised left-back such as Nicky Shorey and another centre-back -- preferably Jonny Evans -- they should join the mid-table crowd.
My prediction: 11th
What's your prediction? Click on comments to share your thoughts...
EL-HADJI DIOUF believes Sunderland should set their sights high this season - and aim for Europe.
The Black Cats' new boy could make his debut, along with fellow new arrival Pascal Chimbonda, in tonight's friendly against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
When the real action gets under way next month, however, the Senegal international reckons there is no reason why Sunderland should not follow the lead of his former club Bolton, who qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premiership in 2005.
