Why did they give an entire episode to the Checkatrade but then squeeze in the end of the season and the playoffs into one? Seems an odd match to focus on so much.
My thoughts are the train was coming off the tracks for Sunderland at that stage, and the club were less happy to have cameras dotted around everywhere capturing all the amateur moments.
Around the time of the checkatrade final, I think Sunderland were only a couple of points of automatic promotion with games in hand, they then continued with drawing/losing a bunch of games. Mood had clearly changed in the club.
The fact that 5 episodes focused mostly on Donald and Methven, yet after the play off final, you hardly got any decent footage and interview time with them. Methven in particular, I imagine, threw his toys out the pram and was not in a professional capacity to be seen on camera (that’s just my opinion after seeing how he reacted with on the spot pressure throughout the series, namely the public swearing of the comms manager at half time).
Jesus, I must be one of the only ones who couldn't give a flying about Sunderland fans emotions or feelings.
Honestly spared no thought for them on the day, the days after or even watching Netflix doc.
Wouldn't wish any harm on them obviously but we've had enough dissapointment ourselves to let another teams feelings get in my head
Is what it is.
I felt some sympathy for the ones that were shown as they came across very genuine and decent. Didn't really have anything to do with them playing us in the final, could've been against anyone and I'd have felt the same.
Why did they give an entire episode to the Checkatrade but then squeeze in the end of the season and the playoffs into one? Seems an odd match to focus on so much.
My thoughts are the train was coming off the tracks for Sunderland at that stage, and the club were less happy to have cameras dotted around everywhere capturing all the amateur moments.
Around the time of the checkatrade final, I think Sunderland were only a couple of points of automatic promotion with games in hand, they then continued with drawing/losing a bunch of games. Mood had clearly changed in the club.
The fact that 5 episodes focused mostly on Donald and Methven, yet after the play off final, you hardly got any decent footage and interview time with them. Methven in particular, I imagine, threw his toys out the pram and was not in a professional capacity to be seen on camera (that’s just my opinion after seeing how he reacted with on the spot pressure throughout the series, namely the public swearing of the comms manager at half time).
Good points. Would argue that Donald definitley felt uncomfortable with the camera's being on him towards the end of the series. Considering that first that film of his wife convincing him to step down, showed little of him and his reactions to what his wife was suggesting.
Maybe he wanted out then, but knew he couldn't say that on camera knowing that it would most likely leak out in someway.
Also at the end when he speaking to that fan when coming out of Wembley, he knows its on camera and was always looking to move away as quickly as possible and didn't seem happy to discuss anything with anyone.
Not convinced Methven is the same. Part of me thinks he is enjoying the bad reaction he is getting on social media, as it fuels his reputation that he thrives on whether bad or good
Methven was on talksport this morning just before midday talking about this. Ionly caught the tail end and tbf he acknowledged that he has some Brent traits.
Methven was on talksport this morning just before midday talking about this. Ionly caught the tail end and tbf he acknowledged that he has some Brent traits.
Methven was on talksport this morning just before midday talking about this. Ionly caught the tail end and tbf he acknowledged that he has some Brent traits.
He'll have his own show on there within a year.
Within a week, more like, they've got airtime to fill...
Methven was on talksport this morning just before midday talking about this. Ionly caught the tail end and tbf he acknowledged that he has some Brent traits.
Which shows that he thrives on bad reputation. When going on talksport, with how people now see him, you either acknowledge that you made mistakes or you defend your actions, regardless of how bad they were. In agreeing you have traits of Brent, of which started from people on social media, suggests that he loves the fact that people have given him this comparison as it increases his ego.
Just finished it, thought the first series was better (apart from the end).
My favourite bit until the last episode was Donald losing the plot on transfer deadline day and going from £1.25M to £3M rising to £4M on Will Grigg in a matter of minutes. Bet Wigan couldn’t accept that one fast enough!
I’m kind of confused by the Maja situation, how did he sign for Bordeaux without them knowing? He was still under contract with Sunderland at the time, did I miss the bit where they actually accepted an offer for him?
What I thought happened was that the club found out from the media that Maja had refused a contract extension and were understandably a bit peeved that they heard the news from Sky rather than from the player or his agent. When you have six months or less on your contract you are free to talk
to other clubs, his agent deliberately ran the clock down in the run-up the transfer
window opening and was then free to start negotiating.
Right, you can talk to other clubs with six months left on your deal, you can’t bloody sign for them without your current club accepting an offer. They seemed to make out that they woke up one day and Maja had signed for Bordeaux without them knowing - that can’t possibly be true.
Agree with you there. It was an important part of the documentary and they simply didn't provide all the facts. Actually looked deliberately muddled. Credit has to be given to Wigan regarding the negotiating for Grigg, they held their nerve and got a fantastic deal for themselves.
Just finished it, thought the first series was better (apart from the end).
My favourite bit until the last episode was Donald losing the plot on transfer deadline day and going from £1.25M to £3M rising to £4M on Will Grigg in a matter of minutes. Bet Wigan couldn’t accept that one fast enough!
I’m kind of confused by the Maja situation, how did he sign for Bordeaux without them knowing? He was still under contract with Sunderland at the time, did I miss the bit where they actually accepted an offer for him?
What I thought happened was that the club found out from the media that Maja had refused a contract extension and were understandably a bit peeved that they heard the news from Sky rather than from the player or his agent. When you have six months or less on your contract you are free to talk
to other clubs, his agent deliberately ran the clock down in the run-up the transfer
window opening and was then free to start negotiating.
Right, you can talk to other clubs with six months left on your deal, you can’t bloody sign for them without your current club accepting an offer. They seemed to make out that they woke up one day and Maja had signed for Bordeaux without them knowing - that can’t possibly be true.
Agree with you there. It was an important part of the documentary and they simply didn't provide all the facts. Actually looked deliberately muddled. Credit has to be given to Wigan regarding the negotiating for Grigg, they held their nerve and got a fantastic deal for themselves.
I hope they paid a massive commission to the guy who came up with the “Will Grigg’s on fire...” song. About 98% of his transfer fee is because of that bloody song.
Just finished it, thought the first series was better (apart from the end).
My favourite bit until the last episode was Donald losing the plot on transfer deadline day and going from £1.25M to £3M rising to £4M on Will Grigg in a matter of minutes. Bet Wigan couldn’t accept that one fast enough!
I’m kind of confused by the Maja situation, how did he sign for Bordeaux without them knowing? He was still under contract with Sunderland at the time, did I miss the bit where they actually accepted an offer for him?
What I thought happened was that the club found out from the media that Maja had refused a contract extension and were understandably a bit peeved that they heard the news from Sky rather than from the player or his agent. When you have six months or less on your contract you are free to talk
to other clubs, his agent deliberately ran the clock down in the run-up the transfer
window opening and was then free to start negotiating.
Right, you can talk to other clubs with six months left on your deal, you can’t bloody sign for them without your current club accepting an offer. They seemed to make out that they woke up one day and Maja had signed for Bordeaux without them knowing - that can’t possibly be true.
Agree with you there. It was an important part of the documentary and they simply didn't provide all the facts. Actually looked deliberately muddled. Credit has to be given to Wigan regarding the negotiating for Grigg, they held their nerve and got a fantastic deal for themselves.
I hope they paid a massive commission to the guy who came up with the “Will Grigg’s on fire...” song. About 98% of his transfer fee is because of that bloody song.
Just tried E2. Very pleased no Charlton defeat in this episode but otherwise very dull. The first series focused on the relationship with the fans but this is just a puff piece for the new owners.
This second season was the equivalent of Fury v Wilder 3. A contractual obligation that nobody wanted. Ross insisted on no dressing room access and clearly only participated himself to the minimum amount possible under duress. Player access was minimal and limited essentially to the photogenic and articulate young O’Nions who was a safe option unlike the assorted nutters/disaffected (McGeady, Gibson, Rodwell and, with apologies, Williams) of the first series. Without the checkatrade and playoff stories there would have been little to fill out the otherwise scant six episodes. By limiting it to six the whole thing felt rushed and superficial. The only things that made this watchable was Methven and his Brent-like performance with an honourable mention to Mrs Donald who's altered appearance certainly showed that Grigg was not the first example of her hubby’s millions being unfortunately spunked. Mutton and lamb or some such phraseology springs to mind. Nice fans. Even their stories were not properly developed.
Just tried E2. Very pleased no Charlton defeat in this episode but otherwise very dull. The first series focused on the relationship with the fans but this is just a puff piece for the new owners.
Might skip to last episode.
There was more drama in S1 too, even relatively small things like the CEO trying to get Rodwell out the door to save the insane wages was interesting.
Watched all episodes, it’s not as good as the first series, even with our inclusion.
That Charlie guy is a complete twat, either he’s on some Charlie himself or he really is a prick. The Irish girl, think after the way he spoke to her pitch side would’ve made anyone walk. No one deserves that. Glad he has been shown to the whole nation who he is and what he’s like. Lots will turn on him now.
Just watched it myself.
Charlie is an arrogant prick, but that speech at the start of episode one, well that was bang on.
It seemed like they had someone clever at that point and slid downhill from there.
Thought it was quite entertaining that they started well with a ton of injuries and got worse as their team got fitter.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the whole series is viewed from the first minute through the lens of failure.
Donald and Charlie set a rod for their own backs the day they arrived with the whole “it’s your club” (sound familiar?) “we will be transparent” and “we will only be here until we are no longer wanted” patter.
If Methven’s claim is true that they have turned the club debt to break even in one season, then actually, that is considerable success, particularly in the context of a football club. But of course, football is no normal business and success is measured on the field. Had they kept Maja to fire them to promotion, then Donald and Charlie would be like demi-gods in the eyes of the fans. The documentary is by no means transparent on this issue and the Mackems should rightly be aggrieved.
The fans agony in both series were tangible for all us real football fans but the first series was a far more enjoyable watch as it gave a greater insight to the footballing side of things. Some players were thoroughly detestable and others like our Johnny were relatably vulnerable.
Other than the teary Jack Baldwin (who in my opinion Ross hung out to dry) in ep 6, series 2 missed a real opportunity to explore the contrast and subsequent burden of big club expectation and lower league player capability.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and the whole series is viewed from the first minute through the lens of failure.
Donald and Charlie set a rod for their own backs the day they arrived with the whole “it’s your club” (sound familiar?) “we will be transparent” and “we will only be here until we are no longer wanted” patter.
If Methven’s claim is true that they have turned the club debt to break even in one season, then actually, that is considerable success, particularly in the context of a football club. But of course, football is no normal business and success is measured on the field. Had they kept Maja to fire them to promotion, then Donald and Charlie would be like demi-gods in the eyes of the fans. The documentary is by no means transparent on this issue and the Mackems should rightly be aggrieved.
The fans agony in both series were tangible for all us real football fans but the first series was a far more enjoyable watch as it gave a greater insight to the footballing side of things. Some players were thoroughly detestable and others like our Johnny were relatably vulnerable.
Other than the teary Jack Baldwin (who in my opinion Ross hung out to dry) in ep 6, series 2 missed a real opportunity to explore the contrast and subsequent burden of big club expectation and lower league player capability.
I have grave doubts that Methven was being truthful when he said that about the club now operating at break-even - there seems no way for them to slash their costs from 45 million PA to anywhere near the 15 million PA revenue they get in League One.
They only had a couple of big earners left at that point (Ovideo, McGeady, Cattermole) so even by losing them they are not going to get close to cutting 30 million in costs out of the business - even if they do get rid of the Cryogenic chamber!
Methinks this may be some 'come hither' talk to entice a new buyer, remembering, of course, that is what these guys desperately want to do so they can cash out at a profit.
Of course, as you say, the real problem is that if you DO slash playing staff costs then that's actually counter-productive because - barring a miracle - you now have even less chance of getting out of the division.
Jesus, I must be one of the only ones who couldn't give a flying about Sunderland fans emotions or feelings.
Honestly spared no thought for them on the day, the days after or even watching Netflix doc.
Wouldn't wish any harm on them obviously but we've had enough dissapointment ourselves to let another teams feelings get in my head
Is what it is.
I dont gush over Sunderland fans. Had plenty of snarky comments from them as me and my gf turned up to Wembley early to collect tickets and had to wade through hordes of them to get the side of Wembley where the Charlton fans were.
Dont wish any ill on them, but we got double relegated and had plenty of nonsense happen to us since then and no ones falling over themselves to make a high budget docu about it.
Just watched Series 1 Episode 1. Couldn't believe how fired up the fans were for a pre-season friendly and as a consequence how badly they took the defeat. Those fans can be as much a hindrance as a help.
Is that the episode where Darron Gibson gets filmed slagging off teammates for not caring enough when he’s completely off his face in some pub?
The question this thread leaves me pondering is: Should Netflix be programmed to prevent people from watching more than one episode from the same series in any 24 hour period? Otherwise it's not really in the spirit of a series, is it? Can you imagine if people had watched all episodes of the second series of Fawlty Towers, or the seventh series of OF&H, in one go?
It is the way people watch programmes now isn't it? I must admit, I did binge this with my son, but I am not normally a binger like many of the younger generation are. I prefer to watch the channels and moan about the crap they put on! You've been bloody framed again!
The question this thread leaves me pondering is: Should Netflix be programmed to prevent people from watching more than one episode from the same series in any 24 hour period? Otherwise it's not really in the spirit of a series, is it? Can you imagine if people had watched all episodes of the second series of Fawlty Towers, or the seventh series of OF&H, in one go?
Comments
Maybe he wanted out then, but knew he couldn't say that on camera knowing that it would most likely leak out in someway.
Also at the end when he speaking to that fan when coming out of Wembley, he knows its on camera and was always looking to move away as quickly as possible and didn't seem happy to discuss anything with anyone.
Not convinced Methven is the same. Part of me thinks he is enjoying the bad reaction he is getting on social media, as it fuels his reputation that he thrives on whether bad or good
If you ignore what a complete twat Methven is, he is hugely entertaining.
That is the WORST intro of any TV show I have ever seen.
Have watched 4 episodes so far, rationing myself to 1 episode a day (and none yesterday) so looking forward to the day after tomorrow
Agree with you there. It was an important part of the documentary and they simply didn't provide all the facts. Actually looked deliberately muddled.
Credit has to be given to Wigan regarding the negotiating for Grigg, they held their nerve and got a fantastic deal for themselves.
That could easily have been any of us.
Might skip to last episode.
Charlie is an arrogant prick, but that speech at the start of episode one, well that was bang on.
It seemed like they had someone clever at that point and slid downhill from there.
Thought it was quite entertaining that they started well with a ton of injuries and got worse as their team got fitter.
Donald and Charlie set a rod for their own backs the day they arrived with the whole “it’s your club” (sound familiar?) “we will be transparent” and “we will only be here until we are no longer wanted” patter.
If Methven’s claim is true that they have turned the club debt to break even in one season, then actually, that is considerable success, particularly in the context of a football club. But of course, football is no normal business and success is measured on the field. Had they kept Maja to fire them to promotion, then Donald and Charlie would be like demi-gods in the eyes of the fans. The documentary is by no means transparent on this issue and the Mackems should rightly be aggrieved.
The fans agony in both series were tangible for all us real football fans but the first series was a far more enjoyable watch as it gave a greater insight to the footballing side of things. Some players were thoroughly detestable and others like our Johnny were relatably vulnerable.
I have grave doubts that Methven was being truthful when he said that about the club now operating at break-even - there seems no way for them to slash their costs from 45 million PA to anywhere near the 15 million PA revenue they get in League One.
They only had a couple of big earners left at that point (Ovideo, McGeady, Cattermole) so even by losing them they are not going to get close to cutting 30 million in costs out of the business - even if they do get rid of the Cryogenic chamber!
Methinks this may be some 'come hither' talk to entice a new buyer, remembering, of course, that is what these guys desperately want to do so they can cash out at a profit.
Of course, as you say, the real problem is that if you DO slash playing staff costs then that's actually counter-productive because - barring a miracle - you now have even less chance of getting out of the division.
Dont wish any ill on them, but we got double relegated and had plenty of nonsense happen to us since then and no ones falling over themselves to make a high budget docu about it.
Just shows how decent we are as fans not to rub their noses in it on the walk back.