Sunderland fans react to Alex Neil’s shock Stoke City move: ‘Traitor, selfish, unforgiveable’

Fifth in the Championship, two points off top, three months on from promotion, Sunderland’s season was off to a flier.

Emphasis on “was”, because the news Alex Neil is set to swap Sunderland for Stoke, currently 16 places lower down in the second tier, has rocked the Wearside club.

Neil only joined in February but guided Sunderland back to the Championship via the play-offs, a 2-0 win over Wycombe at Wembley ending a four-year spell in League One.

Two wins and two draws later and Sunderland have evidently taken that momentum with them into the new season, but the rolling 12-month contract – and a clause within it – initially offered to the former Norwich and Preston boss means they are set to lose their manager before August is over.

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Sunderland are “contractually obliged to permit the head coach to start a dialogue with the Potters,” the club confirmed on Friday, while reports claim the players have been left stunned by Neil’s decision to leave for Stoke, who sacked Michael O’Neill on Thursday.

Neil is now on the verge of taking over, a decision which has left Sunderland fans apoplectic. A callout from i led to dozens of responses, some which cannot be repeated here, but on the whole Sunderland’s supporters have been left gutted and shocked by his imminent departure, while also bemoaning a scenario “typical” of happening to their club.

“He has unfortunately shown that loyalty is dead in football. I would like to remember him fondly, but sadly he will be seen as a traitor,” Damian Thomas said. “He reneged on his relationship with fans and has tossed aside the project. It is hard to not feel betrayed by one of the best managers we have had in years.”

Alex Neil steered Sunderland to promotion via the play-offs in May (Photos: Getty)

Jack Kenmir added: “Where to start on the latest catastrophe at my beloved club. In true Sunderland style, just as the tide appeared to be turning, the fanbase have yet again been hit square in the midriff by another shambolic situation.

“No disrespect to Stoke, but if Sunderland’s manager is being poached by them, at a time when everything on the surface seems to be positive, you have to question what is really going on behind the scenes.”

‘Selfish, gut-wrenching, The Sunderland Way’

Sunderland fans summarise Neil’s impending departure in three words toi:

Meanwhile, Dan Kendal remarked: “It’s typically Sunderland, it’s almost like it’s in the genes of the club for this to happen, far too often we are on the precipice of something to fall off a cliff edge.”

A fan named Matthew, meanwhile, dubbed it “The Sunderland Way”: “It makes you wonder what exactly has gone wrong behind the scenes. What could have happened to make Alex leave? Is it his wage or contract length? Is it backing in the transfer market? Is it family related? All of this needs to be addressed and answered to the fans of SAFC.”

The bafflement around Neil’s willingness to leave a club currently fifth for one down in 21st echoes off the banks of the River Wear, and Sunderland fans are not buying the claims Neil felt he was insufficiently backed in the summer transfer window – particularly with Stoke selling their stadium to bet365 this year as they look to abide by the EFL’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

“I’m absolutely devastated,” Jon Place said. “Having supported them all my life you come to expect misery and failure, it’s par for the course. But these long periods of misery are occasionally interrupted with brief moments of happiness, and it seems these brief times of success are when we get the biggest kick in the bollocks.

“No matter what he told the players this morning, he’s betrayed them. He’s betrayed the supporters. For a longer contract? For bigger wages? To say he wasn’t being backed (when in reality we’re one of the highest spenders in the division). It stinks and it’s unforgivable.”

However, not all are laying the blame solely with Neil. There was the clause, after all, and it was only ever a 12-month rolling deal – “what idiot drew up this contract in the first place?” one fan told i – allowing Stoke to potentially offer a more stable contract.

“The rolling contract raises the question of why wasn’t he given a long-term deal when we were promoted?” asked Matthew, while another supporter called Jim felt the board should take some of the blame: “That he did what he did and then started this season so well and then still hasn’t been backed (and he hasn’t, he wanted more and different players to what we’ve signed so far) it’s not hard to see why he’s left.

“He’s not blameless – to do it this way before a big game isn’t right, but overall I can’t really blame him.”

‘Reminds me of Allardyce, go get Dyche’

Two names received multiple mentions from Sunderland fans as they vented their frustrations.

The first: Sam Allardyce. But it was not a call to get “Big Sam” back at the helm, rather a reminder of his departure in 2016, when he left the club to take charge of England.

“This has happened before, with Sam Allardyce,” recalled Jon Place – a point also noted by fellow Sunderland fans Jack Kenmir and Dave Chipchase. “Just as a groundswell of positivity was growing around the club as we secured another miraculous escape from relegation, he ditches us for the briefest period of international management.

“But this is worse because at least we could temper our disappointment on the basis of Big Sam’s ambition. It was fair enough, he’d wanted it all his career. But not this, not Stoke. That’s not ambitious, that’s not an upwards trajectory in his career.”

Then there is Sean Dyche. The former Burnley manager who is available to take on a new role. Those who could fathom discussing what next for Sunderland talked up the prospect of him taking over – the majority, at least.

“Times are bleak at the moment and no one knows what the future holds,” said Matthew. “There’s only one real man that I believe can rally the big names in the club and the fan base and that’s Sean Dyche.”

Callum Morrison agreed: “I believe our target should be Sean Dyche, as he has experience in the league and is proven in the Premier League, and could realistically be a target having been sacked by Burnley.”

But, as mentioned, that view isn’t unanimous. “Liam Manning would be my choice,” says Damian Thomas. “We can’t afford to go for Dyche and play hoof ball for the rest of the season.”

Could a move for Roy Keane be in the pipeline once more? “I’d definitely give Roy Keane whatever he wants and get him nailed as a manager on a full contract,” said Tommy Ellison.

Keane was close to joining before Neil took the reins, but turned down the opportunity and said it “wasn’t meant to be”.

Sunderland’s next managerial move could define their season, but after the latest body blow – “a good swift kick in the knackers,” as Dave Chipcase put it – their fans feel as if they’ve seen it all.