1
00:00:12,721 --> 00:00:15,223
[Charlie] Right. This is the shape
of the business you work for.
2
00:00:15,223 --> 00:00:18,226
It is a failed, ******-up business.
3
00:00:18,226 --> 00:00:20,311
[dramatic music playing]
4
00:00:23,356 --> 00:00:25,191
Unless you guys understand that,
5
00:00:25,191 --> 00:00:27,110
you'll never ******* make it
in this world.
6
00:00:27,110 --> 00:00:28,445
This was ******.
7
00:00:28,445 --> 00:00:31,281
{\an8}[commentator] And it is over
as far as Sunderland are concerned.
8
00:00:31,281 --> 00:00:33,700
{\an8}After ten consecutive seasons
in the Premier League,
9
00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:36,202
they have been relegated.
10
00:00:36,202 --> 00:00:37,912
[Alex] It's a new chapter for the club.
11
00:00:37,912 --> 00:00:41,833
If we approach it with the right manner,
promotion. Automatic. Win the league.
12
00:00:41,833 --> 00:00:43,251
[commentator 1]
Makes a mistake under pressure.
13
00:00:43,251 --> 00:00:44,335
[commentator 2] And they've scored.
14
00:00:44,335 --> 00:00:47,255
- [Charlie] A myriad number of problems.
- [commentator] Where's it gonna drop?
15
00:00:47,255 --> 00:00:49,966
Too many people at the club
that don't give a ****.
16
00:00:49,966 --> 00:00:53,178
[Alex] He's a fortunate boy
to still be playing at the football club.
17
00:00:53,178 --> 00:00:55,555
- [commentator 2] He scores!
- [commentator 3] Scored again.
18
00:00:55,555 --> 00:00:57,140
Absolutely pathetic. We're sick of it.
19
00:00:57,140 --> 00:00:58,308
So you piss off.
20
00:00:58,308 --> 00:01:00,894
[Charlie] It's a lot of pressure.
No other way to describe it.
21
00:01:00,894 --> 00:01:02,395
You can **** off with your phone!
22
00:01:02,395 --> 00:01:04,856
[Charlie] This is the most intense crowd
in the whole country.
23
00:01:05,648 --> 00:01:07,025
It's terrifying.
24
00:01:07,025 --> 00:01:10,528
[Peter] Sunderland is
a massive, massive footballing city.
25
00:01:10,528 --> 00:01:14,032
We're not talking about
Watford or Cambridge.
26
00:01:14,032 --> 00:01:15,992
We're talking about a working-class city,
27
00:01:15,992 --> 00:01:19,037
and the main talking point
is Sunderland Football Club.
28
00:01:19,037 --> 00:01:21,039
[music fades and continues]
29
00:01:21,039 --> 00:01:23,333
[commentator] Hammers it
into the bottom corner.
30
00:01:23,333 --> 00:01:26,044
[commentator 2] Unhappiness abounds.
31
00:01:26,628 --> 00:01:29,464
[Charlie] This club went
almost exactly 12 months
32
00:01:29,464 --> 00:01:31,174
without winning a single game here.
33
00:01:31,174 --> 00:01:32,550
- [sighing]
- [man] No.
34
00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:33,843
Grayson out! Grayson out!
35
00:01:33,843 --> 00:01:36,846
Sunderland AFC has this evening parted
company with manager Simon Grayson.
36
00:01:36,846 --> 00:01:39,516
I think Chris will be a major milestone
37
00:01:39,516 --> 00:01:42,018
in the history of Sunderland Football Club
for years to come.
38
00:01:42,018 --> 00:01:45,688
All of my friends, especially the ladies,
are absolutely delighted.
39
00:01:45,688 --> 00:01:50,276
[Charlie] A fragmented, disillusioned,
disunited team.
40
00:01:50,276 --> 00:01:52,987
- Just constant turmoil.
- [dramatic music continues]
41
00:01:53,571 --> 00:01:56,241
{\an8}[reporter] Misery at the Stadium of Light
as Sunderland were relegated
42
00:01:56,241 --> 00:01:57,951
{\an8}for the second straight season.
43
00:01:57,951 --> 00:01:59,661
- [fan] Well done!
- Well done, mates.
44
00:01:59,661 --> 00:02:01,621
Well done on destroying the club.
45
00:02:01,621 --> 00:02:02,664
[man yelling]
46
00:02:03,414 --> 00:02:04,833
- Mate, hold on. Whoa.
- [clamoring]
47
00:02:05,708 --> 00:02:07,669
Just another sickening blow,
innit, really?
48
00:02:07,669 --> 00:02:11,172
Do you not think the fans have some right
to know what's going on with the club?
49
00:02:11,172 --> 00:02:14,425
[reporter 2] Who are these new owners,
Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven?
50
00:02:14,425 --> 00:02:16,803
You'll see us.
I'll take charge of the football club.
51
00:02:16,803 --> 00:02:18,888
That piss-take party stops now.
52
00:02:18,888 --> 00:02:20,140
[music continues]
53
00:02:20,140 --> 00:02:23,184
[Peter] The spiral just went
down and down and down, you know?
54
00:02:23,184 --> 00:02:25,979
We need to get a plan, and we got to get
a plan quickly, haven't we?
55
00:02:25,979 --> 00:02:28,189
Deal after deal after deal after deal,
56
00:02:28,189 --> 00:02:30,066
where Sunderland have been
absolutely shafted.
57
00:02:30,066 --> 00:02:32,944
- This football club is gonna kill me.
- [music continues]
58
00:02:32,944 --> 00:02:35,029
[Charlie] A bit of turmoil
and a bit of turbulence.
59
00:02:35,029 --> 00:02:37,866
Out of the rubble starts to come change.
60
00:02:37,866 --> 00:02:40,577
Come on, lads! Come on!
61
00:02:41,828 --> 00:02:42,829
Oh!
62
00:02:42,829 --> 00:02:44,038
Come on, lads.
63
00:02:44,038 --> 00:02:45,456
Concentration.
64
00:02:48,334 --> 00:02:51,588
[commentator] Morgan has given
Sunderland the lead!
65
00:02:51,588 --> 00:02:53,548
[fans cheering]
66
00:02:53,548 --> 00:02:54,924
Drops then...
67
00:02:55,508 --> 00:02:58,720
- Goal!
- [fans cheering]
68
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,931
[commentator 2] Chris Maguire
in the 62nd minute!
69
00:03:02,473 --> 00:03:04,475
Sunderland are through to Wembley.
70
00:03:05,101 --> 00:03:08,021
- I really do think I've got me club back.
- [dramatic music continues]
71
00:03:08,605 --> 00:03:10,857
[Charlie] Sunderland is emotionally tough.
72
00:03:11,774 --> 00:03:15,486
[commentator 2] Win this game,
and Sunderland get promoted.
73
00:03:15,486 --> 00:03:19,407
[Charlie] When it's good,
you are absolutely invincible.
74
00:03:20,158 --> 00:03:20,992
[music fades]
75
00:03:21,576 --> 00:03:23,161
But when it's bad...
76
00:03:24,913 --> 00:03:28,416
it is a place of despair.
77
00:03:29,167 --> 00:03:31,377
[dramatic whoosh]
78
00:03:31,377 --> 00:03:32,962
[commentator 2] Oh no!
79
00:03:32,962 --> 00:03:34,672
Charlton have scored.
80
00:03:36,174 --> 00:03:37,926
There's no way back for Sunderland.
81
00:03:37,926 --> 00:03:41,179
It means a second season in League One.
82
00:03:43,139 --> 00:03:44,974
Why is it never us celebrating?
83
00:03:46,017 --> 00:03:47,310
Why is it never us?
84
00:03:55,193 --> 00:04:00,198
♪ On the river
Where they used to build the boats ♪
85
00:04:02,158 --> 00:04:06,955
♪ By the harbour wall
The place you loved the most ♪
86
00:04:08,831 --> 00:04:11,876
♪ I can see you there alone ♪
87
00:04:11,876 --> 00:04:13,962
♪ But oh, you know ♪
88
00:04:15,463 --> 00:04:16,839
♪ I'll be there ♪
89
00:04:19,425 --> 00:04:20,677
{\an8}♪ Soon ♪
90
00:04:22,553 --> 00:04:27,350
{\an8}♪ All your life
You worked your fingers to the bone ♪
91
00:04:29,477 --> 00:04:34,023
{\an8}♪ You worked hard
For every little thing you owned ♪
92
00:04:36,234 --> 00:04:39,112
{\an8}♪ That you gave away for years ♪
93
00:04:39,112 --> 00:04:41,322
♪ As if you'd known ♪
94
00:04:43,032 --> 00:04:47,161
♪ They were calling out ♪
95
00:04:49,497 --> 00:04:52,166
♪ But if you could see me now ♪
96
00:04:56,504 --> 00:04:59,716
♪ And if you could see me now ♪
97
00:05:02,176 --> 00:05:04,846
♪ I hope that I'm making you proud ♪
98
00:05:07,348 --> 00:05:13,563
♪ I hope that I'm making you proud ♪
99
00:05:17,275 --> 00:05:18,735
♪ Proud ♪
100
00:05:19,235 --> 00:05:20,069
{\an8}[song fades]
101
00:05:22,697 --> 00:05:24,699
[sad music playing]
102
00:05:31,956 --> 00:05:35,668
[Peter] Honestly thought
we'd get promoted straight back.
103
00:05:37,670 --> 00:05:39,255
And it just didn't happen.
104
00:05:40,923 --> 00:05:45,136
{\an8}Sunderland Football Club, it's...
it's like a roller-coaster, man.
105
00:05:45,678 --> 00:05:47,805
You're up, you're down,
you're down, you're up.
106
00:05:48,306 --> 00:05:51,392
Of course,
Methven and Donald sold the club.
107
00:05:51,392 --> 00:05:52,477
[music continues]
108
00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:55,646
Dreyfus took over the club,
and he's a multi-billionaire.
109
00:05:55,646 --> 00:05:58,316
One of the richest men
in Europe's took over the club.
110
00:05:58,316 --> 00:05:59,859
It's all going tickety-boo here.
111
00:06:00,485 --> 00:06:02,653
But he's only 23,
112
00:06:03,905 --> 00:06:06,032
so nobody knows what's going to happen.
113
00:06:08,951 --> 00:06:11,079
Oi, do you reckon we'll get
Luis Suárez from Nacional?
114
00:06:11,079 --> 00:06:11,996
[laughs]
115
00:06:11,996 --> 00:06:13,581
- Speak to him about it.
- I am.
116
00:06:14,082 --> 00:06:16,542
[Kyril] So I know Juan Sartori
since a few years.
117
00:06:17,418 --> 00:06:19,754
[laughing] They want Haaland, Mbappé,
and Jude Bellingham,
118
00:06:19,754 --> 00:06:21,881
so get the check ready.
119
00:06:22,465 --> 00:06:24,634
{\an8}We met in the Maldives,
120
00:06:24,634 --> 00:06:28,346
{\an8}on a tiny island,
where the staff used to play football.
121
00:06:28,346 --> 00:06:31,891
And I decided to join in,
and he decided to join in, so...
122
00:06:31,891 --> 00:06:34,435
And then we just kept seeing each other
123
00:06:34,435 --> 00:06:36,979
to play football
in different parts of the world.
124
00:06:36,979 --> 00:06:39,399
So basically,
I phoned him up just out of curiosity
125
00:06:39,399 --> 00:06:41,275
to see how... how things are going.
126
00:06:41,275 --> 00:06:43,569
He mentioned to me that the club's on sale
127
00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:47,907
and if I'm... if I'm... if I'm interested,
to take a closer look at it.
128
00:06:47,907 --> 00:06:52,537
That's when I really saw the size and the...
and the magnitude of the football club
129
00:06:52,537 --> 00:06:55,164
and... and the huge potential it has.
130
00:06:55,164 --> 00:06:56,124
[calm music playing]
131
00:06:56,124 --> 00:06:59,168
[reporter] If you associate age
with wisdom, then it's natural to wonder
132
00:06:59,168 --> 00:07:01,170
how the youngest chairman
in English football
133
00:07:01,170 --> 00:07:02,463
will get on at Sunderland.
134
00:07:02,463 --> 00:07:05,383
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus
is in his early twenties,
135
00:07:05,383 --> 00:07:08,302
but he's the new boss in the boardroom
at the Stadium of Light.
136
00:07:08,302 --> 00:07:10,555
[Simon Jordan] Sunderland being out
of the Premier League
137
00:07:10,555 --> 00:07:12,140
now for six or seven years
138
00:07:12,140 --> 00:07:14,100
{\an8}and dropping into League One
139
00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,894
{\an8}is not a testament of a club doing well.
140
00:07:17,645 --> 00:07:19,105
With a young man running it,
141
00:07:19,105 --> 00:07:22,608
that will need to be given some proper
guidance and real-world experience
142
00:07:22,608 --> 00:07:24,777
about how the world looks
in English football.
143
00:07:24,777 --> 00:07:27,363
He may have a big bag
of Daddy's money behind him,
144
00:07:27,363 --> 00:07:28,739
but he also needs someone
145
00:07:28,739 --> 00:07:30,533
with football nouse
to give him some guidance
146
00:07:30,533 --> 00:07:33,578
and to be ensuring that the decisions
he makes are the right ones.
147
00:07:33,578 --> 00:07:35,663
[dramatic music playing]
148
00:07:42,211 --> 00:07:43,337
{\an8}[action music playing]
149
00:07:47,008 --> 00:07:49,802
[pundit] At University of Bolton Stadium,
Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett.
150
00:07:49,802 --> 00:07:51,846
- Good afternoon, gentlemen.
- [Nick] Good afternoon.
151
00:07:52,346 --> 00:07:53,973
[Gary] It's the midway point
of the season,
152
00:07:53,973 --> 00:07:56,267
and every game is now critical.
153
00:07:56,267 --> 00:07:59,770
Only the top two clubs in the league
will gain automatic promotion.
154
00:08:00,479 --> 00:08:02,440
Sunderland are just holding on
to 2nd place.
155
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,486
And with Bolton in 15th,
a win today is not only expected,
156
00:08:06,486 --> 00:08:09,697
but it's essential if they're gonna
keep up their push for promotion.
157
00:08:09,697 --> 00:08:10,865
[fans cheering]
158
00:08:10,865 --> 00:08:13,868
[Nick] Great atmosphere. And you've gotta
commend the Sunderland fans.
159
00:08:13,868 --> 00:08:16,370
They have filled up the South Stand,
pretty much.
160
00:08:16,370 --> 00:08:19,081
[chanting] ♪ Sunderland! Sun... ♪
161
00:08:19,081 --> 00:08:23,377
And Sunderland, of course,
will be in yellow and blue.
162
00:08:23,377 --> 00:08:27,089
[Gary] Lee Johnson's got options,
got creative players there,
163
00:08:27,089 --> 00:08:30,468
but the foundations have got to be there
164
00:08:30,468 --> 00:08:32,386
in regards of defending.
165
00:08:33,095 --> 00:08:35,765
[Nick] Long and direct
from a Bolton perspective.
166
00:08:35,765 --> 00:08:38,226
There's Charles!
Oh, it's gone all the way in!
167
00:08:38,226 --> 00:08:39,227
[fan] Oh!
168
00:08:39,227 --> 00:08:41,687
It's a calamitous start for Sunderland.
169
00:08:46,150 --> 00:08:47,109
Two-nil.
170
00:08:48,778 --> 00:08:50,196
And they've got a third!
171
00:08:52,156 --> 00:08:53,616
Too easy for Bolton.
172
00:08:54,951 --> 00:08:56,410
That's a-- Oh, it's an own goal!
173
00:08:56,410 --> 00:08:57,995
[fans cheering]
174
00:08:59,121 --> 00:09:01,999
Fucking hell! What's going on?
175
00:09:01,999 --> 00:09:05,461
[chanting] ♪ Sunderland get battered
Everywhere they go...♪
176
00:09:05,461 --> 00:09:07,713
Sunderland fans,
they're already streaming for the exit.
177
00:09:07,713 --> 00:09:08,756
Bollocks.
178
00:09:09,715 --> 00:09:11,050
[action music continues]
179
00:09:13,177 --> 00:09:14,428
[Nick] Oh, it's six!
180
00:09:15,012 --> 00:09:15,930
[whistle blowing]
181
00:09:16,514 --> 00:09:18,307
It's Bolton 6, Sunderland nil.
182
00:09:18,933 --> 00:09:20,601
Their biggest defeat in eight years,
183
00:09:20,601 --> 00:09:25,022
and their biggest defeat
at the third level of English football.
184
00:09:25,022 --> 00:09:29,443
Disastrous day for Sunderland
and for Lee Johnson.
185
00:09:29,443 --> 00:09:30,528
[music stops]
186
00:09:32,780 --> 00:09:37,368
{\an8}Well, I have to obviously start
by making a humble apology. Erm...
187
00:09:38,411 --> 00:09:39,495
I'm so upset.
188
00:09:39,996 --> 00:09:43,165
It's the worst game of my career,
that's for sure.
189
00:09:43,165 --> 00:09:46,669
And, uh,
I don't feel like people deserve it.
190
00:09:46,669 --> 00:09:49,589
I don't feel like
the fans deserve it, of course.
191
00:09:50,256 --> 00:09:54,302
Uh, I feel for the staff, you know,
that work every minute of every day,
192
00:09:54,302 --> 00:09:59,849
and how hard they work at the AOL
to provide for the players and myself.
193
00:10:00,808 --> 00:10:02,685
And we've really let them down today.
194
00:10:08,107 --> 00:10:09,650
[somber piano playing]
195
00:10:13,696 --> 00:10:16,365
[podcaster] Welcome along
to the Wise Men Say podcast.
196
00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,328
Still drowning my sorrows from yesterday.
197
00:10:22,330 --> 00:10:24,498
Did we wanna see somebody after that game
198
00:10:24,498 --> 00:10:26,709
look like they were
about to burst into tears?
199
00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:29,337
[man] Just unforgivable, really.
200
00:10:30,546 --> 00:10:32,089
Six-nil, couldn't believe it.
201
00:10:33,090 --> 00:10:34,383
{\an8}[woman 1] Players-- At one point,
202
00:10:34,383 --> 00:10:37,011
{\an8}the players just didn't even look
as though they wanted to play.
203
00:10:37,011 --> 00:10:39,847
{\an8}- It was just weird, wasn't it?
- Yeah, it was this weird day.
204
00:10:39,847 --> 00:10:41,932
[somber music continues]
205
00:10:44,727 --> 00:10:48,481
[woman 2] As usual, it's like a total
emotional roller-coaster.
206
00:10:48,481 --> 00:10:50,608
'Cause at Christmas,
you're sitting second.
207
00:10:50,608 --> 00:10:56,030
{\an8}So you're thinking there's every chance
we're going to go up automatically,
208
00:10:56,030 --> 00:10:58,616
{\an8}then... then we fall off a blinking cliff.
209
00:11:00,076 --> 00:11:01,452
It's just unbelievable.
210
00:11:01,452 --> 00:11:02,536
[music fades]
211
00:11:04,497 --> 00:11:06,499
[tense music playing]
212
00:11:08,376 --> 00:11:09,377
[Kyril] How are you?
213
00:11:11,379 --> 00:11:13,214
- Kyril, lad, all right?
- [Kyril] How are you?
214
00:11:14,382 --> 00:11:16,133
I was extremely worried.
215
00:11:17,343 --> 00:11:19,762
And really, there was
a lot of pressure mounting.
216
00:11:21,514 --> 00:11:22,598
The match performance
217
00:11:22,598 --> 00:11:25,393
did not give me the comfort
that we were gonna get promoted.
218
00:11:25,393 --> 00:11:27,478
[tense music continues]
219
00:11:28,437 --> 00:11:31,982
{\an8}You should not lose by those scores
with a team like we had.
220
00:11:32,483 --> 00:11:33,359
{\an8}Something is wrong,
221
00:11:33,359 --> 00:11:36,570
{\an8}and sometimes it's a message
to the people who make those decisions.
222
00:11:38,906 --> 00:11:41,450
But it's not now.
It's been three, four, five matches
223
00:11:41,450 --> 00:11:43,411
insisting on something that doesn't work.
224
00:11:43,411 --> 00:11:45,454
We've been seeing this coming slowly.
225
00:11:47,289 --> 00:11:48,708
So I said to myself,
226
00:11:48,708 --> 00:11:51,794
"We're not gonna make it.
We need to try and change things."
227
00:11:54,630 --> 00:11:56,507
Now to major news from League One.
228
00:11:56,507 --> 00:11:58,968
Sunderland have sacked
Lee Johnson as head coach
229
00:11:58,968 --> 00:12:01,220
following their six-nil thrashing
at Bolton.
230
00:12:01,220 --> 00:12:02,430
[gloomy music playing]
231
00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,017
[male pundit] The manager has lost
his job.
232
00:12:07,017 --> 00:12:10,563
[male pundit 2] Give me a percentage of
how surprised you actually are with this.
233
00:12:10,563 --> 00:12:13,232
[podcaster 2] We've dropped six points
from the winning position.
234
00:12:14,233 --> 00:12:16,444
[podcaster] These are the things
the owners have looked at
235
00:12:16,444 --> 00:12:18,028
when they've made this decision.
236
00:12:18,028 --> 00:12:20,781
[podcaster 2] They will almost certainly
have somebody lined up,
237
00:12:20,781 --> 00:12:22,324
given the way it's been done.
238
00:12:23,367 --> 00:12:26,746
Nobody knows where it went wrong
with Lee Johnson. It just...
239
00:12:27,246 --> 00:12:28,664
It happened that quick.
240
00:12:29,165 --> 00:12:32,126
It was like, oosh, doosh... Gone.
241
00:12:32,126 --> 00:12:33,127
[music fades]
242
00:12:33,627 --> 00:12:35,463
[players talking indistinctly]
243
00:12:35,463 --> 00:12:38,924
- [coach 1] Five, six, seven, eight...
- [coach 2] Three, four, five...
244
00:12:39,425 --> 00:12:42,303
[Alex] Lee Johnson gave me everything,
really, as a new platform
245
00:12:42,303 --> 00:12:45,139
{\an8}to start my football career again,
especially at my age,
246
00:12:45,139 --> 00:12:48,142
{\an8}And I've got nothing but good things
to say about him.
247
00:12:48,142 --> 00:12:49,560
[coach] Five, six...
248
00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:51,645
[Alex] And personally, I thought, "Ooh."
249
00:12:52,146 --> 00:12:55,941
"I don't know if... I don't know
if they've made the right decision here."
250
00:12:55,941 --> 00:12:59,653
That's what I thought. Especially
with being, what, third in the league.
251
00:12:59,653 --> 00:13:03,115
I know we lost six-nil to Bolton,
but football can change very quickly.
252
00:13:03,115 --> 00:13:04,867
We can start winning games again.
253
00:13:04,867 --> 00:13:09,955
And I just-- I'm very, very unsure
on-- on the decision they've made.
254
00:13:09,955 --> 00:13:10,998
But...
255
00:13:13,042 --> 00:13:14,418
[suspenseful music playing]
256
00:13:14,418 --> 00:13:16,545
[reporter] Well, it's been
a roller-coaster seven days
257
00:13:16,545 --> 00:13:19,673
at the Stadium of Light
since last weekend's catastrophe.
258
00:13:20,925 --> 00:13:24,178
[pundit] They've got rid of Lee Johnson.
and they're sitting in third place.
259
00:13:24,178 --> 00:13:26,222
But when that decision was made,
260
00:13:26,222 --> 00:13:29,767
I thought, wrongly,
that they had somebody lined up.
261
00:13:30,267 --> 00:13:33,187
That's-- That's the only way
I could see that making sense.
262
00:13:33,687 --> 00:13:34,688
[music continues]
263
00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:38,734
[fan] We've got to get out this year.
264
00:13:38,734 --> 00:13:41,654
Any sort of consistency
gets you up this division though.
265
00:13:41,654 --> 00:13:42,988
{\an8}[fan] Aye, exactly.
266
00:13:42,988 --> 00:13:45,824
{\an8}The majority of Sunderland fans thought
we were too big for this league.
267
00:13:45,824 --> 00:13:47,409
{\an8}- We are.
- [fan] There's nay such thing.
268
00:13:47,409 --> 00:13:50,621
{\an8}- This is our lowest point ever in history.
- It is. It is.
269
00:13:50,621 --> 00:13:54,041
{\an8}- [Andy] It can't really get any worse.
- [Dan] Look at the last ten years.
270
00:13:54,041 --> 00:13:56,252
{\an8}We've had about a new manager
every six months?
271
00:13:56,252 --> 00:13:58,879
{\an8}- Aye. Sleeping giant.
- [Andy] Sleeping giant.
272
00:13:58,879 --> 00:14:00,381
Been asleep for a while, haven't we?
273
00:14:00,381 --> 00:14:01,465
[laughing]
274
00:14:01,465 --> 00:14:03,551
- Been hibernating.
- I was gonna say.
275
00:14:03,551 --> 00:14:06,512
- In a coma, ain't we?
- [Dan] We'll see what happens today.
276
00:14:07,012 --> 00:14:08,931
Ha'way, lads!
277
00:14:08,931 --> 00:14:10,015
[dramatic music playing]
278
00:14:10,015 --> 00:14:11,809
[Nick] A lot of talk. 17 games left.
279
00:14:11,809 --> 00:14:14,270
If you're gonna get one
of the two automatic promotion places,
280
00:14:14,270 --> 00:14:17,565
you've got to win the majority,
if not all,
281
00:14:17,565 --> 00:14:19,900
of those 17 matches.
And this is the first of them.
282
00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:23,445
This is a critical game against the team
who are bottom of League One.
283
00:14:23,445 --> 00:14:24,613
[fans cheering]
284
00:14:24,613 --> 00:14:26,490
[commentator] Sunderland are
without a manager,
285
00:14:26,490 --> 00:14:30,035
so today, Mike Dodds is in charge
as caretaker boss.
286
00:14:30,035 --> 00:14:31,579
[fans applauding]
287
00:14:31,579 --> 00:14:32,538
[whistle blowing]
288
00:14:33,497 --> 00:14:34,957
[dramatic music continues]
289
00:14:39,211 --> 00:14:41,005
[fans] Ooh!
290
00:14:47,803 --> 00:14:49,179
Ooh!
291
00:14:49,179 --> 00:14:51,807
[applauding]
292
00:14:55,394 --> 00:14:58,606
[Nick] Winchester plays it over the top
here. Griffiths is in the penalty area.
293
00:14:58,606 --> 00:15:02,651
With his left, scores in the 22nd minute
for Doncaster Rovers.
294
00:15:03,652 --> 00:15:04,528
[music continues]
295
00:15:06,030 --> 00:15:06,947
Down here.
296
00:15:06,947 --> 00:15:09,366
Oh and two-nil, Rowe scores.
297
00:15:10,492 --> 00:15:11,911
[commentator] Unbelievable.
298
00:15:12,411 --> 00:15:14,747
I'm not surprised, Nick.
I'm telling you now.
299
00:15:14,747 --> 00:15:16,624
{\an8}- [whistle blowing]
- Lots of questions.
300
00:15:16,624 --> 00:15:19,460
{\an8}- [somber music playing]
- Not many answers at the moment.
301
00:15:23,505 --> 00:15:27,009
[Nick] It's a bad defeat for Sunderland.
And if they don't go up this season,
302
00:15:27,009 --> 00:15:30,262
it's not just a disaster
for the team and the fans.
303
00:15:30,262 --> 00:15:32,431
The entire city suffers.
304
00:15:32,431 --> 00:15:34,183
[music continues]
305
00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,147
[man] Other than me family and me friends,
306
00:15:40,648 --> 00:15:44,401
{\an8}Sunderland is the only other constant
in me life.
307
00:15:44,401 --> 00:15:47,613
It's been there
since the second I can remember,
308
00:15:47,613 --> 00:15:50,240
and it'll be there 'til the day I die.
309
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,534
[somber music continues]
310
00:15:57,831 --> 00:15:59,041
No matter what happens,
311
00:15:59,541 --> 00:16:02,169
you can't say anything else
but Sunderland is everything.
312
00:16:10,469 --> 00:16:11,679
[Chris] It's a one-club town.
313
00:16:13,514 --> 00:16:16,892
So, if Sunderland are doing well,
then the town tends to be doing well,
314
00:16:16,892 --> 00:16:19,520
and the atmosphere is good,
and people are happy.
315
00:16:20,229 --> 00:16:23,482
If the club are doing badly,
then the town is doing badly,
316
00:16:23,482 --> 00:16:25,651
and people's mental health gets affected.
317
00:16:26,193 --> 00:16:27,987
People are depressed.
318
00:16:30,823 --> 00:16:32,241
When I get in the water,
319
00:16:32,825 --> 00:16:35,536
the cold water, it's just such a release.
320
00:16:36,495 --> 00:16:37,413
It's so cold
321
00:16:38,455 --> 00:16:39,373
that you're not--
322
00:16:39,373 --> 00:16:43,085
you haven't got time to think about,
like, the stuff that's on your mind.
323
00:16:44,211 --> 00:16:45,713
The stresses and strains,
324
00:16:45,713 --> 00:16:47,756
whatever you've got
going on at the minute.
325
00:16:48,549 --> 00:16:50,134
Your survival mode kicks in.
326
00:16:50,843 --> 00:16:53,012
You get taught from a wee age,
"Oh, just get on with it."
327
00:16:53,012 --> 00:16:56,223
That's a sort of "man up" scenario,
isn't it? You know what I mean?
328
00:16:56,223 --> 00:17:00,352
[Andy] Our city's built on industry,
and that's what we are, aren't we?
329
00:17:00,352 --> 00:17:01,562
- We're just--
- [Stuart] Graft.
330
00:17:01,562 --> 00:17:05,399
[Andy] We're... We're a product
of our, uh, environment.
331
00:17:05,399 --> 00:17:08,569
You know, hard, cold.
332
00:17:09,737 --> 00:17:14,450
As you lads know, I suffer pretty badly
with mental health issues.
333
00:17:15,033 --> 00:17:18,787
And things like
having a bit of a community...
334
00:17:19,288 --> 00:17:21,749
and whether that's
I have to get in the sea,
335
00:17:21,749 --> 00:17:24,626
or I need to go to the next match.
336
00:17:24,626 --> 00:17:26,837
[somber music continues]
337
00:17:27,546 --> 00:17:29,506
I want to see who scores the next goal.
338
00:17:29,506 --> 00:17:33,594
And because I've been brought up
with just going to the match,
339
00:17:33,594 --> 00:17:35,053
and it's in me blood,
340
00:17:35,637 --> 00:17:39,266
there's something somewhere
that just drags you back from the brink.
341
00:17:42,478 --> 00:17:44,772
[chants in the background]
342
00:17:45,981 --> 00:17:49,234
We've had some lean years,
like the last few years in League One.
343
00:17:49,234 --> 00:17:50,486
But for us,
344
00:17:51,445 --> 00:17:54,198
it's something
you can, like, throw your hope into.
345
00:17:59,828 --> 00:18:01,955
- [girl] Daddy, daddy!
- [optimistic music playing]
346
00:18:01,955 --> 00:18:05,167
[Nick] Just three days
after their defeat to Doncaster,
347
00:18:05,167 --> 00:18:07,628
and Sunderland come up against
Cheltenham away,
348
00:18:07,628 --> 00:18:10,631
{\an8}still without a manager in place.
349
00:18:10,631 --> 00:18:13,342
{\an8}Big challenge tonight,
this game for Sunderland.
350
00:18:13,342 --> 00:18:17,888
Dodds comes out to further discussion
with Phil Jevons, as Etete finds May.
351
00:18:17,888 --> 00:18:19,223
Oh, and then scores.
352
00:18:19,223 --> 00:18:20,808
{\an8}[fans cheering]
353
00:18:21,517 --> 00:18:24,311
{\an8}Cheltenham Town
have beaten Sunderland 2-1.
354
00:18:24,812 --> 00:18:26,730
{\an8}It's a third defeat
in a row for Sunderland.
355
00:18:26,730 --> 00:18:29,024
It's heaping pressure
on Kyril Louis-Dreyfus,
356
00:18:29,024 --> 00:18:31,777
who needs to appoint a new manager.
357
00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:36,115
The fans want answers.
The fans want someone in place.
358
00:18:36,115 --> 00:18:37,699
[fans cheering]
359
00:18:37,699 --> 00:18:40,327
And the other issue is this, Roy Keane.
360
00:18:40,911 --> 00:18:45,124
The whole thought of Roy Keane coming back
is an appetizing one for all of us.
361
00:18:45,124 --> 00:18:47,835
[commentator] One thing is certain.
If Roy Keane comes back,
362
00:18:47,835 --> 00:18:49,378
there will never be a dull moment.
363
00:18:49,378 --> 00:18:51,630
Of course, everybody's gone Roy Keane mad.
364
00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:53,882
- [rock music playing]
- Roy Keane, where are ya?!
365
00:18:54,383 --> 00:18:58,595
[commentator 2] Sunderland's conversion
from relegation candidates in the autumn
366
00:18:58,595 --> 00:19:00,472
to champions in the spring.
367
00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:03,684
Great story this, isn't it?
Sunderland fans will be excited.
368
00:19:04,434 --> 00:19:07,729
Looks like Roy Keane
could be on his way back as manager.
369
00:19:07,729 --> 00:19:09,189
I feel like he could do it again.
370
00:19:09,189 --> 00:19:11,066
With the squad we have,
he could do it again.
371
00:19:11,066 --> 00:19:12,442
[rock music continues]
372
00:19:12,442 --> 00:19:15,028
[fan] He would kick some arse.
373
00:19:15,529 --> 00:19:16,572
[pundit laughing]
374
00:19:17,072 --> 00:19:19,908
{\an8}I find him funny, in all honesty,
like when he's on Monday Night Football.
375
00:19:19,908 --> 00:19:22,578
{\an8}He's got a good perception of football.
Been there and done it.
376
00:19:22,578 --> 00:19:25,539
I wouldn't let him on the bus afterward.
Get a taxi back to Manchester.
377
00:19:25,539 --> 00:19:28,292
- [laughs]
- I would be swinging punches at that guy.
378
00:19:28,292 --> 00:19:29,585
You do your job.
379
00:19:29,585 --> 00:19:32,379
[male pundit] Clearly,
quite an intimidating character.
380
00:19:33,463 --> 00:19:36,550
Lots of speculation
linking you with the Sunderland job.
381
00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:39,094
- [music stops]
- I've got no control over that.
382
00:19:39,094 --> 00:19:41,680
- So, uh, no comment.
- [Ian Wright laughs]
383
00:19:42,931 --> 00:19:46,310
[bird chirping]
384
00:19:48,937 --> 00:19:50,480
[physio] Back down through.
385
00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,066
And work hard to keep these engaged
the whole time through.
386
00:19:53,066 --> 00:19:54,776
Good, and then... Yeah.
387
00:19:54,776 --> 00:19:57,029
So we're gonna go eights. Yeah.
388
00:19:57,029 --> 00:19:58,780
- How's that feeling?
- [Luke] Good.
389
00:19:59,656 --> 00:20:03,452
It was the first pre-season game,
I fell over, put my arm down.
390
00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,955
As my left arm hit the ground,
it's just popped out.
391
00:20:07,497 --> 00:20:08,665
I was in agony.
392
00:20:08,665 --> 00:20:10,876
And the physio's
just kind of come on quickly.
393
00:20:10,876 --> 00:20:13,545
Uh, kind of tipped me over
and just pulled down.
394
00:20:13,545 --> 00:20:16,381
It's just gone... [clicks]
and just gone back straight into place.
395
00:20:16,381 --> 00:20:18,967
[physio] And you're just gonna go--
Yeah, through your fingertips.
396
00:20:18,967 --> 00:20:20,844
Just lift those two weights, okay?
397
00:20:20,844 --> 00:20:23,013
So just reset for me. So basically...
398
00:20:23,013 --> 00:20:26,725
[Luke] So after your first one,
there's an 85% chance of a re-dislocation.
399
00:20:26,725 --> 00:20:29,686
{\an8}But the season was about to start,
so we kind of thought,
400
00:20:29,686 --> 00:20:31,021
{\an8}"All right, what do we do?"
401
00:20:31,021 --> 00:20:33,857
{\an8}Uh, we didn't have time
to have three months out, you know?
402
00:20:33,857 --> 00:20:36,777
The gaffer actually turned around
to me and said, "I need ya."
403
00:20:36,777 --> 00:20:38,904
- [physio] Yeah, doing okay with that?
- [Luke] Yeah.
404
00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:40,656
So I said, "Let's play on then."
405
00:20:40,656 --> 00:20:42,824
- [dramatic music playing]
- [fans cheering]
406
00:20:49,414 --> 00:20:51,583
[Luke] My shoulder coming
out became normal.
407
00:20:51,583 --> 00:20:52,668
[music continues]
408
00:20:53,502 --> 00:20:56,046
I was going through games now
in survival mode.
409
00:20:57,798 --> 00:21:00,175
To pick up the points,
put it back in, let's go.
410
00:21:00,842 --> 00:21:02,844
[fans chanting]
411
00:21:03,887 --> 00:21:06,848
I had people
trying to pull it out at corners.
412
00:21:10,352 --> 00:21:12,604
Their manager
was telling people to target me.
413
00:21:15,232 --> 00:21:17,317
That was probably the final straw for me.
414
00:21:19,486 --> 00:21:20,737
I needed the surgery.
415
00:21:22,406 --> 00:21:23,532
I'm all done!
416
00:21:24,283 --> 00:21:26,201
Probably one of my lowest moments was,
417
00:21:26,702 --> 00:21:29,371
you know, I couldn't--
couldn't hold my little girl.
418
00:21:32,624 --> 00:21:33,959
And I couldn't play football.
419
00:21:35,419 --> 00:21:37,546
That's when the injury really hit me hard.
420
00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:43,635
I sometimes came in,
people asked, "How you doing?"
421
00:21:43,635 --> 00:21:45,178
I said, "I'm great." [laughs]
422
00:21:45,679 --> 00:21:46,722
But I wasn't.
423
00:21:49,057 --> 00:21:50,517
[dramatic music intensifies]
424
00:21:50,517 --> 00:21:52,394
I just broke down in the basement.
425
00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:54,146
[seagulls chirping]
426
00:21:54,146 --> 00:21:57,774
As a footballer, you get dropped,
you get told to work harder.
427
00:21:58,567 --> 00:22:00,319
You fall over, you get told to get up.
428
00:22:00,819 --> 00:22:02,279
[inspirational music playing]
429
00:22:02,279 --> 00:22:05,490
When I got injured,
I just said, "Right, just keep going."
430
00:22:09,036 --> 00:22:12,581
And I think the biggest thing
from what I've learnt
431
00:22:12,581 --> 00:22:16,293
is that I think sometimes we need to stop.
432
00:22:16,293 --> 00:22:18,378
[music continues]
433
00:22:31,933 --> 00:22:32,934
[music fades]
434
00:22:32,934 --> 00:22:35,687
Okay, the breaking news is that Roy Keane
435
00:22:35,687 --> 00:22:38,607
is no longer in the running
for the Sunderland job
436
00:22:38,607 --> 00:22:41,651
after the two parties
couldn't come to an agreement.
437
00:22:41,651 --> 00:22:44,905
Yeah, Hayley, it's not the news
Sunderland supporters wanted to hear.
438
00:22:44,905 --> 00:22:48,784
But that move for the Irishman
broke down last night.
439
00:22:48,784 --> 00:22:51,036
[Michelle] Everyone wanted Roy Keane back.
440
00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:54,122
So it was like,
"Oh my God, here we go again."
441
00:22:54,122 --> 00:22:55,999
I'm so, so sick of it.
442
00:22:55,999 --> 00:22:57,417
[intriguing music playing]
443
00:22:57,417 --> 00:23:00,337
[Simon Jordan] Roy going into Sunderland
with this owner,
444
00:23:00,837 --> 00:23:02,798
who's finding his way
around the football world--
445
00:23:02,798 --> 00:23:05,425
Irrespective of how much money he's got,
446
00:23:05,425 --> 00:23:08,220
he's a young man, and you can't
buy experience. We've all been there.
447
00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:10,263
Erm, you've gotta learn your trade.
448
00:23:10,764 --> 00:23:12,432
[male pundit]We need a manager in charge.
449
00:23:12,432 --> 00:23:14,476
Whoever does go through that door,
450
00:23:14,476 --> 00:23:17,896
players have gotta react to that manager
as soon as he does walk through there.
451
00:23:17,896 --> 00:23:20,607
The Roy Keane potential at Sunderland
452
00:23:20,607 --> 00:23:23,151
played out much more in the media
453
00:23:23,151 --> 00:23:26,738
than it really did
in conversations that we had in the club.
454
00:23:27,406 --> 00:23:30,200
The second we did make the change with--
455
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,994
I knew that there was gonna be
criticism in the moment.
456
00:23:32,994 --> 00:23:34,955
But the only thing that I tried to do
457
00:23:34,955 --> 00:23:38,917
is to make the decisions that I feel
are the right ones for the football club.
458
00:23:39,418 --> 00:23:44,089
I think Roy Keane will have been fun,
definitely good for the Netflix series,
459
00:23:44,089 --> 00:23:49,678
but maybe we had a third season
of disastrous finishing.
460
00:23:50,303 --> 00:23:52,514
I mean, I always thought,
and I say as well,
461
00:23:52,514 --> 00:23:54,307
when things are not going well,
462
00:23:54,808 --> 00:23:58,061
it's really, really difficult
for the players to continue playing.
463
00:23:58,061 --> 00:24:01,398
[Sartori] When you are younger,
when you are not an insider,
464
00:24:01,398 --> 00:24:04,443
when you come
from a... a different situation,
465
00:24:04,443 --> 00:24:07,821
people look at you
with doubt and suspicion.
466
00:24:07,821 --> 00:24:08,989
[intriguing music continues]
467
00:24:08,989 --> 00:24:10,949
Getting out of League One,
468
00:24:10,949 --> 00:24:14,744
some people say it's probably
the toughest league out there.
469
00:24:14,744 --> 00:24:16,746
And you immediately have the thoughts,
470
00:24:16,746 --> 00:24:19,708
"One more year in League One.
What does it mean for the people?"
471
00:24:19,708 --> 00:24:23,044
"What does it mean for the players?
What does it mean for us as owners?"
472
00:24:23,044 --> 00:24:26,256
[Sartori] So it's always nice
to be a little bit of an outsider.
473
00:24:26,256 --> 00:24:28,008
To have something to... to prove.
474
00:24:28,008 --> 00:24:28,925
[music fades]
475
00:24:28,925 --> 00:24:30,969
And he will prove by results.
476
00:24:33,054 --> 00:24:34,681
[seagulls chirping]
477
00:24:37,517 --> 00:24:38,852
You're gonna win, huh?
478
00:24:40,270 --> 00:24:41,396
Go, go, go! Quick!
479
00:24:43,648 --> 00:24:45,609
[Lynden] Being at this football club
in League One,
480
00:24:45,609 --> 00:24:47,694
there's that expectancy to go up.
481
00:24:48,195 --> 00:24:52,574
{\an8}And when you've got that pressure
of delivering for a full city,
482
00:24:52,574 --> 00:24:55,452
it can be difficult at times,
especially when it's not going well.
483
00:24:55,452 --> 00:24:56,411
[sad music playing]
484
00:24:56,411 --> 00:24:59,539
Obviously, I played in all those seasons
485
00:24:59,539 --> 00:25:03,251
where we'd been relegated,
and... and I felt all that pain.
486
00:25:03,835 --> 00:25:06,338
And I always wanted to achieve that goal
487
00:25:06,338 --> 00:25:09,716
of trying to get the club
back in the right direction.
488
00:25:09,716 --> 00:25:10,800
[music continues]
489
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,055
Coming over as a ten-year-old boy
and then a 26-year-old man,
490
00:25:15,055 --> 00:25:16,348
it's a long time.
491
00:25:17,140 --> 00:25:19,643
It's all I've kind of known,
is playing for Sunderland,
492
00:25:19,643 --> 00:25:23,104
and this is the last six months of my...
of my contract at Sunderland.
493
00:25:23,104 --> 00:25:24,189
So it's...
494
00:25:24,773 --> 00:25:27,275
It's a chance to try
and earn a contract here
495
00:25:27,275 --> 00:25:29,194
and get back in the team and play well.
496
00:25:29,194 --> 00:25:31,571
'Cause I've got... I've got two kids,
I've got a young family.
497
00:25:31,571 --> 00:25:33,198
I've gotta make sure I look after them.
498
00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:38,620
Sometimes, you think about,
"Is this where I'm meant to be?"
499
00:25:40,997 --> 00:25:42,040
Who knows?
500
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:49,047
[partner] Run. Come on, then.
501
00:25:53,426 --> 00:25:55,428
[birds chirping]
502
00:25:56,388 --> 00:25:58,765
[Jack] It's always daunting
joining a new club.
503
00:25:59,766 --> 00:26:01,851
I signed under Lee Johnson.
504
00:26:02,602 --> 00:26:05,397
Then obviously, Lee Johnson got sacked,
like, two days after.
505
00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:08,024
And I was thinking, like,
"What have I got myself in for here?"
506
00:26:08,024 --> 00:26:09,150
[coach] Quick one-two.
507
00:26:09,150 --> 00:26:11,736
[Jack] And I was just thinking
it was just gonna be another, like...
508
00:26:11,736 --> 00:26:15,240
Like the loans I'd been on previously.
Like, a nothing loan, achieve nothing.
509
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,034
I was doubting it, to be honest.
I was doubting the decision.
510
00:26:18,034 --> 00:26:19,536
[tense music playing]
511
00:26:20,370 --> 00:26:22,747
Like, I wouldn't say
morale was shit, but, like,
512
00:26:23,498 --> 00:26:26,167
things that you'd associate
with this club in the past
513
00:26:26,167 --> 00:26:27,669
were starting to, like...
514
00:26:27,669 --> 00:26:30,338
Were starting to, like,
come back up again.
515
00:26:30,338 --> 00:26:32,215
And obviously, watching the documentary
516
00:26:32,215 --> 00:26:35,176
and seeing, like,
what went on behind the scenes,
517
00:26:35,176 --> 00:26:37,512
And I'd been told
that it's gonna be nothing like that,
518
00:26:37,512 --> 00:26:40,557
and then coming into it, and it's sort of,
like, it's feeling like that.
519
00:26:42,017 --> 00:26:42,976
So I was just like,
520
00:26:43,727 --> 00:26:46,146
Like, "Nah, I can't... can't with this."
521
00:26:47,897 --> 00:26:50,025
[Kyril] The key thing that changed
was we realized
522
00:26:50,025 --> 00:26:52,944
we're not gonna finish
in the top two anymore.
523
00:26:52,944 --> 00:26:54,029
[action music playing]
524
00:26:54,029 --> 00:26:55,989
Our metrics that we tracked
525
00:26:56,489 --> 00:26:59,159
showed that the team
wasn't performing well enough.
526
00:26:59,909 --> 00:27:04,289
So we changed the strategy
from "how can we finish in the top two?"
527
00:27:04,289 --> 00:27:06,583
to "we need to finish in the top six
528
00:27:06,583 --> 00:27:11,379
and peak at the end of May
to win difficult playoff games."
529
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,133
Because the playoffs
are the last chance to get promoted.
530
00:27:15,884 --> 00:27:18,720
I felt that I have to try
and find a manager
531
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,348
who has experience at playoffs before
532
00:27:21,348 --> 00:27:22,766
and has also won them.
533
00:27:26,978 --> 00:27:28,063
[music fades]
534
00:27:28,063 --> 00:27:29,522
[birds chirping]
535
00:27:29,522 --> 00:27:31,649
- [man 1] Is that him?
- [man 2] Yeah, that's him.
536
00:27:34,444 --> 00:27:35,320
[man 1] Yeah.
537
00:27:37,781 --> 00:27:40,325
[male reporter] Big news in the last half
an hour from League One.
538
00:27:40,325 --> 00:27:43,620
Sunderland have appointed Alex Neil
as their new head coach.
539
00:27:43,620 --> 00:27:46,790
It comes just days after Roy Keane
had walked away from talks,
540
00:27:46,790 --> 00:27:48,917
having failed to agree personal terms.
541
00:27:48,917 --> 00:27:51,711
[female reporter] Sunderland reached
an agreement with Neil last night.
542
00:27:51,711 --> 00:27:56,132
The 40-year-old agreeing a rolling
12-month contract at the Stadium of Light.
543
00:27:56,132 --> 00:27:59,678
Neil has been out of management
since he left his role as Preston boss
544
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:01,304
in March last year.
545
00:28:02,097 --> 00:28:04,224
[Alex] And one more time. Nice and sharp...
546
00:28:05,767 --> 00:28:07,727
When you're out of work as a manager,
547
00:28:07,727 --> 00:28:10,772
you go from arguably being
the most important person in the club
548
00:28:10,772 --> 00:28:13,274
to then sitting in the house on your own.
549
00:28:15,193 --> 00:28:17,070
You're looking at results everywhere.
550
00:28:17,070 --> 00:28:18,988
You're looking at
what might become available,
551
00:28:18,988 --> 00:28:22,242
what might be
a next opportunity for yourself.
552
00:28:22,242 --> 00:28:25,036
{\an8}To be honest, I found out about
the Sunderland job like everybody else,
553
00:28:25,036 --> 00:28:26,246
{\an8}through Sky Sports.
554
00:28:27,622 --> 00:28:29,749
I'd been out of work for
about 11 months at that point,
555
00:28:29,749 --> 00:28:31,626
and I knew I needed to get back in
556
00:28:32,293 --> 00:28:34,504
because the longer you're out,
the more you're forgotten.
557
00:28:35,004 --> 00:28:37,048
So I just spoke to my agent.
558
00:28:37,048 --> 00:28:40,885
I just said to him, "Listen, can we
find out if there's any interest there?"
559
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,763
League One wasn't really the level
I wanted to go to.
560
00:28:43,763 --> 00:28:46,307
You know,
I made that quite clear at the time. Uh...
561
00:28:46,307 --> 00:28:49,185
But I just felt the scope for this club
562
00:28:49,185 --> 00:28:51,771
and what I think it can become,
563
00:28:51,771 --> 00:28:54,190
I just thought was too much
an opportunity to turn down
564
00:28:54,190 --> 00:28:55,859
if there was an interest there.
565
00:28:55,859 --> 00:28:57,152
[tense music playing]
566
00:28:57,152 --> 00:28:58,361
[man] Come on.
567
00:28:58,361 --> 00:29:01,531
[Alex] I think when a manager change
happens, there's natural disruption there.
568
00:29:02,532 --> 00:29:06,494
Lee, being the previous manager, had built
good relationships with some players.
569
00:29:06,494 --> 00:29:09,747
Some of the key players were disappointed
that Lee had left at that point.
570
00:29:09,747 --> 00:29:10,749
[coach] Two.
571
00:29:10,749 --> 00:29:12,125
[tense music continues]
572
00:29:15,712 --> 00:29:20,008
[Alex] You need to try and take rid of all
the negativity as quickly as possible.
573
00:29:21,009 --> 00:29:23,928
I have a bit of a positive outlook
on where the team actually was.
574
00:29:23,928 --> 00:29:26,723
We weren't languishing
at the bottom half of the table.
575
00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:30,685
That was key for me
to make sure that I got that across
576
00:29:30,685 --> 00:29:32,145
and change that type of mentality,
577
00:29:32,145 --> 00:29:35,565
and change how we viewed ourselves
and what we're capable of doing.
578
00:29:35,565 --> 00:29:37,859
- [dramatic music playing]
- [fans cheering]
579
00:29:37,859 --> 00:29:41,070
[Jeff Stelling] Alex Neil, he is
officially in charge of Sunderland today.
580
00:29:41,070 --> 00:29:44,616
They're looking over their shoulders at
those challenging them for a playoff spot.
581
00:29:44,616 --> 00:29:47,535
Alex Neil needs to turn things round
and do so quickly.
582
00:29:47,535 --> 00:29:49,621
- [music continues]
- [fans chanting]
583
00:29:50,580 --> 00:29:52,540
[commentator] Up steps Luke McCormick,
584
00:29:52,540 --> 00:29:54,542
and he puts Wimbledon in front,
585
00:29:54,542 --> 00:29:56,961
right in front of the Sunderland fans.
586
00:29:57,879 --> 00:29:59,756
[Nick] Free kick with his right. Curls--
587
00:29:59,756 --> 00:30:01,049
[commentator 2] Goal!
588
00:30:02,383 --> 00:30:04,427
[fans chanting]
589
00:30:04,427 --> 00:30:05,386
[whistle blowing]
590
00:30:05,386 --> 00:30:08,431
{\an8}[Nick] Well, it's all over.
The full-time whistle blown.
591
00:30:09,641 --> 00:30:13,019
{\an8}I thought we were naive in our play
at times. We know we need to do better.
592
00:30:13,019 --> 00:30:17,106
But listen, it's a platform in terms of,
we didn't lose the game, we got a point.
593
00:30:17,106 --> 00:30:18,942
[fan] Diabolical, again.
594
00:30:19,943 --> 00:30:23,363
One time, you would've put your mortgage
on we're gonna get promotion.
595
00:30:23,863 --> 00:30:26,407
But now,
this is as far as we're going to get,
596
00:30:26,407 --> 00:30:28,493
and another season in this league.
597
00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:30,495
[suspenseful music playing]
598
00:30:30,495 --> 00:30:32,455
[pundit] I mean, the run doesn't get
any easier.
599
00:30:32,455 --> 00:30:34,082
We've got MK Dons coming up next week.
600
00:30:34,082 --> 00:30:36,167
[Nick] But this team's gotta get
some momentum.
601
00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:39,712
- Head into the playoffs on the upward.
- [commentator] Absolutely.
602
00:30:39,712 --> 00:30:42,423
It's why this afternoon's game
is such an important one, as you said.
603
00:30:43,091 --> 00:30:45,134
Alex Neil,
his first game at Stadium of Light.
604
00:30:45,134 --> 00:30:47,971
Came out to a very muted reception.
605
00:30:47,971 --> 00:30:49,347
[suspenseful music continues]
606
00:30:49,347 --> 00:30:52,183
[Nick] And it's put through for Eisa.
Eisa on the break here now.
607
00:30:52,183 --> 00:30:54,727
Eisa at the edge of the penalty area.
Rolls it in.
608
00:30:54,727 --> 00:30:55,853
[commentator] There you go.
609
00:30:55,853 --> 00:30:56,938
[Nick] It's one-nil.
610
00:30:58,940 --> 00:31:01,067
Wickham comes in and he scores.
611
00:31:01,067 --> 00:31:03,194
- Bottom right corner.
- [commentator 2] Unbelievable.
612
00:31:03,820 --> 00:31:05,029
Horrendous.
613
00:31:05,822 --> 00:31:09,075
{\an8}[Nick] It's a massive victory for MK Dons.
614
00:31:09,075 --> 00:31:12,203
{\an8}A painful defeat for Alex Neil.
615
00:31:12,203 --> 00:31:15,206
[commentator 3] Sunderland drop out
of the top six tonight.
616
00:31:15,206 --> 00:31:16,541
[suspenseful music continues]
617
00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:19,919
It's a big dent for Sunderland
in their promotion push.
618
00:31:20,795 --> 00:31:23,715
[man] They don't know how to win.
You know, the confidence is shot.
619
00:31:23,715 --> 00:31:27,427
The way we are sinking, you're not even
gonna get into the playoffs.
620
00:31:31,639 --> 00:31:33,933
[commentator 4] Is this one gonna
be fired goalwards? It is!
621
00:31:33,933 --> 00:31:36,269
- [fans cheering]
- Burton take the lead.
622
00:31:36,269 --> 00:31:37,812
{\an8}[Sunderland fans] Boo.
623
00:31:37,812 --> 00:31:41,649
{\an8}[commentator 4] To that reaction,
Alex Neil looks down towards the ground.
624
00:31:41,649 --> 00:31:43,443
[fan] We are totally embarrassing.
625
00:31:43,443 --> 00:31:45,361
[pundit 2] There's gonna be
big questions asked.
626
00:31:45,361 --> 00:31:46,821
Not just of the ownership,
627
00:31:46,821 --> 00:31:49,282
but the people making them decisions
on the football side.
628
00:31:49,282 --> 00:31:52,243
[reporter] On the pitch, what is
your immediate reaction to tonight's game?
629
00:31:52,243 --> 00:31:53,620
Uh-- Erm...
630
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:56,789
I don't wanna repeat myself. It's hard.
There's certainly frustration.
631
00:31:56,789 --> 00:31:57,874
[clock ticking]
632
00:31:57,874 --> 00:31:59,751
[fan 2] It's a reality check
about the season.
633
00:31:59,751 --> 00:32:02,086
What we've got to do now
is finish in the top six,
634
00:32:02,086 --> 00:32:04,172
take our chances in the playoffs.
635
00:32:04,172 --> 00:32:05,256
[ticking continues]
636
00:32:05,256 --> 00:32:07,967
[Nick] Well, the story here
is that they've failed to take advantage
637
00:32:07,967 --> 00:32:10,386
of a number of good chances.
638
00:32:10,386 --> 00:32:13,598
{\an8}[pundit] You know, we keep saying
it can't get any worse.
639
00:32:14,307 --> 00:32:17,518
{\an8}We should be talking about
how many goals are we going to win by,
640
00:32:17,518 --> 00:32:20,813
not, "Oh, if we've got a draw,
it's a good result!"
641
00:32:20,813 --> 00:32:21,856
[ticking continues]
642
00:32:21,856 --> 00:32:25,944
[Nick] People want answers again
about who is making the decisions.
643
00:32:25,944 --> 00:32:27,236
[pundit] Well, who is?
644
00:32:27,236 --> 00:32:29,697
- That's the question.
- [suspenseful music intensifies]
645
00:32:29,697 --> 00:32:31,532
[Kristjaan] Everybody's got an opinion.
646
00:32:32,033 --> 00:32:33,993
As a leader, you gotta hold your nerve.
647
00:32:34,869 --> 00:32:37,288
With Kyril,
you've got someone who's resolute
648
00:32:37,288 --> 00:32:40,667
{\an8}and believes in what he's doing
and in the approach we've taken.
649
00:32:40,667 --> 00:32:43,461
{\an8}The most difficult thing I think to do
is when you make a decision
650
00:32:43,461 --> 00:32:46,339
{\an8}and choose to do something differently,
you gotta stand by it.
651
00:32:49,967 --> 00:32:51,469
[music fades]
652
00:32:51,469 --> 00:32:54,138
[physio] Lean into your chest,
rebound as high as you can, yeah?
653
00:32:54,138 --> 00:32:56,182
[Luke] Okay, yeah. [groaning]
654
00:32:59,143 --> 00:33:00,937
- [physio] Last one.
- [groans]
655
00:33:01,437 --> 00:33:02,772
[both laughing]
656
00:33:03,815 --> 00:33:05,650
Go on. Fast. Fast. Fast.
657
00:33:06,734 --> 00:33:09,028
[Alex] You'll never see Luke down, ever.
658
00:33:09,028 --> 00:33:09,946
Like ever.
659
00:33:10,446 --> 00:33:14,117
It's, like, impossible how, like, positive
he is about life in general.
660
00:33:14,117 --> 00:33:15,660
[physio] Control that downward phase.
661
00:33:15,660 --> 00:33:18,287
[Alex] The last game,
we were playing Charlton at Charlton,
662
00:33:18,287 --> 00:33:21,791
and I wanted to start incorporating Luke
into the squad, but he wasn't fit.
663
00:33:21,791 --> 00:33:25,169
so I said to him, "Look, listen, I'd love
to take you down to Charlton with us."
664
00:33:25,753 --> 00:33:27,380
"Just want you to be in
amongst the players
665
00:33:27,380 --> 00:33:29,841
because you're gonna be
important for the run-in in the games,
666
00:33:29,841 --> 00:33:31,884
and you're gonna
get yourself in the team."
667
00:33:31,884 --> 00:33:34,679
And his reaction was, "I'd love it,
668
00:33:34,679 --> 00:33:37,390
and I'm gonna be the best
19th man you've ever seen."
669
00:33:37,390 --> 00:33:40,393
[physio] Go on, quickly, quickly, quickly,
Contact's good...
670
00:33:40,393 --> 00:33:41,894
[Alex] That's infectious.
671
00:33:41,894 --> 00:33:44,063
And it's so good for the group
and so good for the team
672
00:33:44,063 --> 00:33:45,523
because he's such a team player.
673
00:33:46,524 --> 00:33:49,068
Off the back of that,
he trains really, really hard
674
00:33:49,068 --> 00:33:51,362
to get an opportunity
and be part of the team.
675
00:33:52,196 --> 00:33:55,450
We started real slow, built up confidence.
676
00:33:55,450 --> 00:33:57,493
That, he just puts in there
to laugh at me.
677
00:33:57,493 --> 00:34:00,496
- Does that mean I'm back?
- [chuckling] That means you're back.
678
00:34:00,997 --> 00:34:02,999
{\an8}[intriguing music playing]
679
00:34:05,793 --> 00:34:06,836
[indistinct chatter]
680
00:34:11,340 --> 00:34:13,384
- How are we?
- [security] Well deserved. Well deserved.
681
00:34:13,384 --> 00:34:15,219
Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
682
00:34:15,219 --> 00:34:17,096
How are we? Kev. Bosh.
683
00:34:17,972 --> 00:34:19,015
I'm back.
684
00:34:20,099 --> 00:34:21,559
[intriguing music continues]
685
00:34:21,559 --> 00:34:25,146
[pundit] You know, of the remaining games,
what we've got left it's our cup finals.
686
00:34:25,146 --> 00:34:26,606
Starting tonight.
687
00:34:26,606 --> 00:34:30,568
It's a game which...
A draw's no good for us, you know.
688
00:34:30,568 --> 00:34:32,612
You know, we've got to look on it on the...
689
00:34:32,612 --> 00:34:35,865
if we want to get into that playoffs,
you've got to win tonight.
690
00:34:37,742 --> 00:34:39,911
[Andrew] Niall's been...
been to Wembley a few times.
691
00:34:39,911 --> 00:34:43,706
He's, uh, seen quite a lot of defeats
during that time, unfortunately.
692
00:34:43,706 --> 00:34:45,124
Obviously, the top two is gonna be
693
00:34:45,124 --> 00:34:47,752
{\an8}a bit much for us to get now,
with other teams playing so well.
694
00:34:47,752 --> 00:34:49,587
{\an8}But hopefully,
we'll get in the playoff spots.
695
00:34:50,254 --> 00:34:52,673
This year, we'll be able to take him down
and see his first win
696
00:34:52,673 --> 00:34:54,634
in Wembley as a Sunderland supporter.
697
00:34:54,634 --> 00:34:56,844
- Scoreline?
- [Niall] Uh, two-one.
698
00:34:56,844 --> 00:34:58,221
- Two-one?
- One-nil.
699
00:34:58,221 --> 00:34:59,889
One nil. Five-nil.
700
00:34:59,889 --> 00:35:01,682
[laughing]
701
00:35:01,682 --> 00:35:04,393
- [suspenseful music playing]
- [fans chanting]
702
00:35:04,393 --> 00:35:05,937
[announcer] Number nine
703
00:35:06,771 --> 00:35:08,773
will be Jack Clarke.
704
00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,317
Number eight, Elliot Embleton.
705
00:35:11,317 --> 00:35:13,402
[fans chanting]
706
00:35:13,402 --> 00:35:15,905
[suspenseful music continues]
707
00:35:15,905 --> 00:35:17,365
{\an8}[music intensifies]
708
00:35:17,365 --> 00:35:21,494
{\an8}[Nick] ...as the referee leads
out the two teams
709
00:35:22,286 --> 00:35:25,748
for a game that Sunderland
really do have to win.
710
00:35:25,748 --> 00:35:30,002
They've got ten games left this season,
and they're looking over their shoulders.
711
00:35:30,002 --> 00:35:33,339
They've slipped out of the playoffs again.
712
00:35:33,339 --> 00:35:37,385
And they can go back up
into the top six tonight.
713
00:35:37,385 --> 00:35:38,594
{\an8}[male fan] Come on!
714
00:35:42,265 --> 00:35:44,225
[Nick] But they need to get
in that top six,
715
00:35:44,225 --> 00:35:47,186
and they need to consolidate that top six.
716
00:35:49,564 --> 00:35:50,940
Come on, that's better!
717
00:35:50,940 --> 00:35:53,401
Come on! Come on!
718
00:35:53,401 --> 00:35:55,528
[music continues]
719
00:35:57,780 --> 00:35:58,865
- [man] Come on!
- Go on, son!
720
00:35:58,865 --> 00:35:59,782
Come on!
721
00:36:00,283 --> 00:36:01,993
Go on, get it up the pitch!
722
00:36:02,577 --> 00:36:05,163
[Nick] Wright. Played back,
passed well this time.
723
00:36:05,663 --> 00:36:07,790
This time and-- Harrison scores.
724
00:36:07,790 --> 00:36:09,542
[Lynne] Ha'way!
725
00:36:10,042 --> 00:36:13,004
Jesus Christ Almighty, man.
726
00:36:13,838 --> 00:36:15,131
Fucking hell, man!
727
00:36:16,382 --> 00:36:17,967
[Nick] Well, it was a mistake.
728
00:36:17,967 --> 00:36:20,052
Bailey Wright puts his head in his hands.
729
00:36:20,052 --> 00:36:21,429
Harrison pounced,
730
00:36:21,429 --> 00:36:24,891
and in the 28th minute,
Fleetwood Town take the lead.
731
00:36:26,517 --> 00:36:27,852
[inspirational music playing]
732
00:36:27,852 --> 00:36:29,478
Fight now. Fight!
733
00:36:30,605 --> 00:36:33,691
[commentator] ...won just one
in eight league matches, Sunderland.
734
00:36:34,192 --> 00:36:35,192
[music continues]
735
00:36:37,528 --> 00:36:38,946
Ha'way, lads.
736
00:36:46,704 --> 00:36:48,331
[fans clamoring]
737
00:36:48,331 --> 00:36:49,707
Go on, Jack.
738
00:36:49,707 --> 00:36:51,792
[Nick] Clarke now,
dribbling into the penalty area.
739
00:36:51,792 --> 00:36:54,045
Low ball, punched away.
740
00:36:55,004 --> 00:36:56,005
[music intensifies]
741
00:37:00,218 --> 00:37:02,803
- [fans cheering]
- They've got it! Sunderland.
742
00:37:03,471 --> 00:37:06,557
- [commentator] Has the ball gone in?
- Put in, I think by Elliot Embleton.
743
00:37:06,557 --> 00:37:08,267
- [commentator] Embleton. Great stuff.
- Wow.
744
00:37:08,267 --> 00:37:09,810
[Nick] Embleton gets the equalizer.
745
00:37:09,810 --> 00:37:12,271
[fan] Exactly the response
he was looking for.
746
00:37:12,813 --> 00:37:16,150
[chanting] ♪ Sunderland FC! ♪
747
00:37:16,984 --> 00:37:18,986
[Nick] Now they've got to build on this.
748
00:37:18,986 --> 00:37:20,863
[inspirational music continues]
749
00:37:22,281 --> 00:37:25,493
[laughing] They've got steamed up.
750
00:37:25,493 --> 00:37:26,911
[music fades]
751
00:37:27,578 --> 00:37:28,579
[Ian] Here he comes.
752
00:37:29,789 --> 00:37:31,791
[suspenseful music playing]
753
00:37:33,793 --> 00:37:35,169
Get him on. I love him.
754
00:37:40,299 --> 00:37:43,052
[applauding]
755
00:37:43,052 --> 00:37:45,137
{\an8}[fans chanting]
756
00:37:50,017 --> 00:37:51,602
- Go on. Go on, son.
- Go on, son.
757
00:37:54,313 --> 00:37:55,856
[cheers]
758
00:37:55,856 --> 00:37:58,484
- [fans] Boo!
- What you doing, man? Fucking hell!
759
00:37:58,484 --> 00:37:59,402
Oh, you...
760
00:37:59,402 --> 00:38:01,153
- Hey, he fucking let it go!
- Two.
761
00:38:01,153 --> 00:38:02,530
- Two!
- Two of them!
762
00:38:02,530 --> 00:38:03,531
Two down--
763
00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:05,491
What's this arsehole doing?
764
00:38:06,534 --> 00:38:07,576
[male fan] Come on!
765
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,078
[male fan 2] Fuck off.
766
00:38:09,662 --> 00:38:11,831
- Now, go. Go!
- [male fan 3] Come on!
767
00:38:11,831 --> 00:38:14,792
[Nick] And O'Nien now heads it down
in the middle.
768
00:38:14,792 --> 00:38:18,462
Gets it to Clarke,
then gets it back now from Defoe.
769
00:38:18,462 --> 00:38:19,672
[upbeat music playing]
770
00:38:20,756 --> 00:38:22,967
And now with O'Nien through to Defoe.
771
00:38:24,301 --> 00:38:26,762
- Defoe's shot blocked.
- [Michelle and Ian sighing]
772
00:38:27,888 --> 00:38:29,140
[fans cheering]
773
00:38:29,140 --> 00:38:30,349
[music continues]
774
00:38:30,349 --> 00:38:33,894
[Nick] Luke O'Nien,
shot it into the bottom corner!
775
00:38:33,894 --> 00:38:37,648
And Luke O'Nien is back with a goal!
776
00:38:37,648 --> 00:38:40,776
And he's back
to give Sunderland a 2-1 lead.
777
00:38:41,485 --> 00:38:43,529
[Luke] When that ball hit the back
of the net,
778
00:38:44,030 --> 00:38:46,407
the emotion was just at an all-time high.
779
00:38:47,116 --> 00:38:50,911
My teammates
that have just been there for me.
780
00:38:50,911 --> 00:38:53,372
[whistle blowing]
781
00:38:53,372 --> 00:38:55,583
{\an8}It was just magic.
782
00:38:55,583 --> 00:38:57,293
{\an8}[fans applauding]
783
00:38:57,293 --> 00:38:59,128
{\an8}[Nick] It's a much needed win
for Sunderland,
784
00:38:59,128 --> 00:39:01,839
but they're still in a dog fight
to make the top six.
785
00:39:01,839 --> 00:39:02,882
[music fades]
786
00:39:02,882 --> 00:39:05,926
There are nine crucial games
until the end of the season,
787
00:39:05,926 --> 00:39:08,220
and the team finally has some momentum.
788
00:39:08,220 --> 00:39:12,224
[chanting] ♪ By far the greatest team
The world has ever seen ♪
789
00:39:13,517 --> 00:39:16,937
A bit of football now. Sunderland's
chairman, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus,
790
00:39:16,937 --> 00:39:20,733
has revealed that he doesn't hold
the majority of the club's shares.
791
00:39:21,233 --> 00:39:24,111
In fact, collectively,
the previous owners have more.
792
00:39:24,111 --> 00:39:26,405
[Nick] Kyril Louis-Dreyfus only holds 41%
793
00:39:26,405 --> 00:39:29,366
and is not the controlling influence
within the boardroom.
794
00:39:29,366 --> 00:39:31,243
Fans feel hoodwinked.
795
00:39:31,243 --> 00:39:34,163
{\an8}What was believed to be a takeover
796
00:39:34,163 --> 00:39:36,207
{\an8}has turned out to be a makeover.
797
00:39:36,207 --> 00:39:38,793
- [mysterious music playing]
- [pundit] It means nothing's changed.
798
00:39:38,793 --> 00:39:41,087
It means we've been lied to,
it means we've been misled.
799
00:39:41,087 --> 00:39:42,380
[male fan] It's just shocking.
800
00:39:42,380 --> 00:39:44,924
What's-- What's going on?
It's just a big mystery.
801
00:39:44,924 --> 00:39:48,010
[music intensifies]
802
00:39:50,346 --> 00:39:52,181
[music fades]
803
00:39:52,181 --> 00:39:55,101
[rock music playing]
804
00:40:23,003 --> 00:40:25,005
[music fades]