Fan Letters: “No hard feelings – Ross Stewart leaves Sunderland with some fantastic memories”

Dear Roker Report,

I am sure everyone has their own take on the Ross Stewart situation, mine is this is one is a little unusual in modern football.

A lot of footballers by Stewart’s age are almost financially secure for when their careers end, whilst we do not know the details of his current contract we need to remember he was signed from Ross County when we were a League 1 club. At his age the next contract he signs will likely be the one that makes him financially secure post football.

From the club’s perspective, he has had a handful of games in the Championship, and whilst he looked fantastic it was still only a handful. He is coming back from a serious injury and may not be the same player, so, does the club take the risk and put him on a bumper contract?

I suspect the club have offered him a good contract but not one that cannot be bettered elsewhere.

We are now just hours before the window shuts and it looks like Southampton are willing to take the risk that Stewart will continue to prove his talents in the Championship post-injury.

Whilst I do not want Stewart to go I can see both the player’s situation and our club’s dilemma. If he does go no hard feelings from me, he has left us with fantastic memories.

Good luck to the lad.

Neil

Ed’s Note [Martin]: He won’t have made anywhere near the money most other players of his standard have so far, and he’s pretty much got one chance to do it with his next deal. While I’m sure we made him a good offer, he’s obviously received a much better one from a club who, in truth, have a far better chance of playing top flight football sooner than we do. While he’s been brilliant for us, he is still unproven to an extent in the championship, and has huge question marks over him injury wise. While it’s sad and disappointing to see him go, he’s one of the key reasons we’re no longer in League One. It’s just a shame we only really got to watch him for one full season.

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I have been a fan since I was 3 years old of Sunderland and the recent transfers and club philosophy is great, buying young and developing them to sell on for profit, however I have never understood why Sunderland don’t go for out-of-contract players.

At the minute you have players like Jesse Lingard, Roberto Pereyra and Xeka, all players with experience and need a club.

Why is it we can’t bring in these sorts of players?

Jordan

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Salaries and age, I suspect Jordan. While being out of contract removes any transfer fee, free agents often demand higher salaries because of it. Sunderland simply aren’t going to smash the wage structure to get someone like Lingard in.

Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Thank goodness he’s gone – I hope Stewart fails in everything for his new club, who I am not going to mention as they said at one point they weren’t interested in signing him.

All footballers think about now is money, and not loyalty to a club anymore.

Ian Frame

Ed’s Note [Martin]: You’re entitled to your opinion Ian, but Ross Stewart doesn’t owe us anything. I’d have loved to have kept him, and have loved it if he said he wanted to stay, and didn’t care about money while revealing a full chest tattoo of Raich Carter and Bobby Gurney, but he’s got to do what’s right for him. As I mentioned in my reply to Neil’s letter, money wise he’ll have not made anything like his peers and he’s pretty much got this one chance to set himself up for life. Who’s going to turn that down? We’ve done very very well out of him, and he certainly goes with my best wishes – apart from when he plays against us, of course.