PokerBlade
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Although I won't discount or minimise the effect fan's discontent can have on this type of outcome, I suspect it's more likely the game of brinkmanship that Wilder was prepared to indulge in that would have swayed this resulting in a positive finale.
Yeah, but our imaginations are always more interesting than reality. For all we know, events went like this:
"Look, I need a bigger budget to make myself a success here, otherwise I'll look elsewhere"
"Obviously, Chris, the plan's always been to grow the budget as the team stabilised in the Championship. We'll set up a board meeting in a fortnight"
Two weeks later...
"Meeting went well, Chris. How does £x and a new contract sound?"
"Sounds good. Talk to you later."
Meanwhile the press speculation and the interest of Sunderland, along with the fans' trepidation, and Wilder's openness in interviews, make this seems like an elaborate battle of wits designed to force the hand of an unstable boardroom. It's a pretty likely scenario when you consider that what's happened is exactly what we were told has been the plan for some time: cut our cloth accordingly but remain competitive in League One, solidify our position in the Championship, increase the budget to go with the improved revenue and cost of players. All the board have done is implement what they said they'd do this time last year. Except now we're attaching this exciting cloak and dagger narrative to it.