Alex Pritchard Sunderland situation is ‘mind blowing’ as ex-Black Cats striker weighs in
The Black Cats playmaker is set to the leave the club after handing in a transfer request
Alex Pritchard appears on the verge of leaving Sunderland and Don Goodman admits he finds it ‘it mind-blowing’.
Goodman, Sky Sports EFL expert and former Black Cats striker, believes the club should do whatever they can to persuade the midfielder to stay but it appears the player has already has his mind set on leaving.
Sunderland issued a statement on Saturday which said: “On Friday morning, Alex Pritchard informed the club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s [3-1 win over Stoke City] matchday squad. The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect. The club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.”
Speaking to Casino Alpha before this development, Goodman had made his feelings clear on the matter as it emerged Birmingham are interested.
READ MORE: Beale makes Sunderland ‘togetherness’ claim as he reacts to Pritchard request
READ MORE: Alex Pritchard submits transfer request to leave Sunderland ‘with immediate effect’
“It’s mind-blowing,” said Goodman. “He’s 30 and I’m asking Sunderland to swallow their pride and get two or three experienced players in the building for the short term and Sunderland are on about letting one of them go. I just find it mind-blowing.
“In terms of what he offers, his delivery, attacking prowess, experience and influence off the pitch, it’s mind-blowing to me that Sunderland would consider letting him go at all. It would be Sunderland’s loss and Birmingham’s gain.”
Pritchard played no part in Sunderland’s dominant 3-1 win against Stoke City in the Championship on Saturday. Goodman, always forthright, had also made comment on the fact Sunderland had removed Tony Mowbray and installed Michael Beale, who went into the Stoke game under pressure after fans had voiced their displeasure following two consecutive defeats.
He insisted Beale looked like a “baby” when it comes to football management compared to Mowbray although he blames the club’s hierarchy for making the decision.
“They made their bed and they’ve got to lie in it,” he asserted, although the win against Stoke has certainly improved morale.
Goodman said: “When the hierarchy decides to replace a very popular manager with somebody who doesn’t get their pulses racing and is coming off the back of what is perceived to be, for whatever reason, a failure at Rangers, the pressure is on the new man to get results very quickly.
“He lost his first game 3-0 against Coventry and must have been thinking ‘Oh my goodness.’ They managed to get a win against Hull away from home which was a big boost, but the draw against Rotherham was disappointing given where they are in the table. Even the win against Preston on New Year’s Day, the first half was convincing but the second wasn’t, they didn’t even muster a shot. The home defeat against Hull was awful and Ipswich were better than them last time out.”
The win against Stoke has improved things but on Mowbray’s departure Goodman added: “It’s not like Sunderland had lost six in a row or anything like that, then you can acknowledge that a change might be needed. It was the same at Birmingham when they released John Eustace.
“The hierarchy have had a disagreement on transfer policy with Tony Mowbray, from what we’re led to believe, and ultimately that’s resulted in them letting him go, which none of us in football could understand. They’ve made their bed and now they need to lie in it. Only time will tell if they have
made a mistake. I have to remind people that Tony Mowbray’s appointment after Alex Neil left wasn’t the most popular appointment, but he got off to a good start and got the fans on board quickly. They could see that the style of play was the one they were going to enjoy, win, lose or draw and they embraced it.
