BLACK CATS WILL BE A ‘GOOD BUY’, SAYS O’SHEA
SUNDERLAND VETERAN JOHN O’SHEA HAPPY TO GET A WELCOME REMINDER OF THE CLUB’S POTENTIAL ON TRIP
A trip to Peterlee’s Caterpillar plant served as a reminder to John O’Shea of Sunderland’s vast potential.
It has not always felt that way this season, the team drifting to the bottom of the Championship, investment drying up and fan apathy reflecting the pitfalls of a club operating under a largely absentee owner.
Potential has really been all fans have to hang onto.
The Caterpillar plant is one of the North East’s biggest and most impressive industrial facilities, employing 1,400 workers. It is the single global source of the Articulated Truck, assembled from start to finish on site.
Most of those supporters are Sunderland fans, who met with players yesterday and gave them a taste of their daily lives.
O’Shea, who has played for the club since 2011, was again blown away by the scale of the support.
After another week of speculation regarding the ownership of the club, O’Shea sees a potential bargain for someone.
“If someone were to buy the club, they would soon know when they get in here and witness the stuff behind the scenes and what could be going on, the potential that it has,” said the veteran centreback.
“Some of the figures I see bandied around for others clubs, I’m thinking someone will be getting a good buy, that’s for sure.” Like his manager and the club’s support, he is hoping for an early resolution and a chance for Sunderland to progress. “It’s looking like something needs to change, on and off the pitch. “Hopefully whatever does happen, happens quickly. “With things like that, they can fester on. It (selling the club) is not an easy thing to bring about quickly, but it will be better for everyone involved if something happens. “The worst thing is not being sure.” Sunderland’s visit came at the beginning of a hectic Easter period that will almost certainly decide their Championship fate. The Black Cats travel to Derby County on Good Friday before a home fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on Monday. They then face Leeds United at Elland Road next Saturday.
O’Shea knows the squad can quickly rally the support behind the team should they find some improved form, something reinforced by the time spent with Caterpillar’s workforce.
He said: “It’s a reminder of how big a club it is.
“My dad worked at Waterford Crystal all his life, and that’s a massive factory where I’m from.
“It became a worldwide product too, so it’s very similar to Caterpillar.
“Coming here today reminded me of when I’d go in to see where my dad worked on the factory floor.
“You hear people shouting and some of them giving you a bit of grief and that’s something we have to remind ourselves of.
“When you’ve been at the club as long as I have you’re aware of the responsibility on your shoulders when it comes to the supporters.
“It should be part and parcel of it, knowing the responsibility, but it’s good to reinforce it at places like this.
“I’ve witnessed it all throughout my career – in cup finals, cup runs, when we’ve stayed in the league, all them things. You know the supporters will be there backing
“It’s looking like something needs to change, on and off the pitch”