Sunderland home thread

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Lord Love Rocket

On reflection I think he took Seamus off for his own good he was awful yet again just not good enough for this level, he tries though so credit for that but please don't start him again on Saturday, for his sake and ours!

Thats the problem when i saw the starting line up i thought we would get nowt,say what yeh want but J,C,has too many favourites as others said the second half for 15-20 mins we looked much better,though our distribution was abysmal.the best side by a country mile got the 3 pts, we need at least 6 or 7 pts fromnext 3 games i reckon K.T.F.

[StanleyJosh]

beaten by a much organised, direct team.

First goal - Janoi committed himself too easily out wide, him and sean both caught out of position and seamus and sam were left tracking back others as big ben hadn't cut inside, McGeady took the goal well but we shouldn't be giving a player of his ability that much space.
Second goal - Route 1 football really. Players caught out of position, no one gambling on the 2nd ball. Poor to concede that. Big Ben played the lad onside by a good few yards - not the first time Yozzer had screamed at him for doing so.

Third goal neither here nor there considering we had to push players further forward.

Subs at half time were the right call.
Thought Seamus played well but clearly fitness is an issue at present with him coming back from injury.
Big Ben started the half well but yet again caught out of position.

Can't fault Dimi for any of the goals. Think we are all in agreement he is our best keeper. Awful kicking but at least he doesn't spend an age like Maxted taking goal kicks.
Janoi looked like he had not played football in a decade.
Callum had little involvment which was a surprise. Don't think he touched the ball for about 20 minutes in the first half.
Ross was probably one of our better players, some good key tackles, distribution let him down, he always seems to rush and try and play a 60 yard diagonal ball.
Hughes let his emotions get to him. Must be frustrating telling Big Ben all game to get into position then concede from it. Needs to focus on his own game more than what the opposition are doing. Unlucky not to have won a penalty for shirt pulling end of second half, if only Sean could have delivered the ball near him maybe the ref would have been looking!
Not Sam's best game for us, would've liked him to of tried to impose himself a bit more in the game, get the ball deep and look to switch the ball out wide. Outclassed by ability but not by effort.
Sean actually had one of his better games for us in a while, thought he layed the ball off well out wide on edge of area. Tired and became sloppy towards end of game but think that was more down to players around him.
Smyth ran himself into the ground. Maybe should have tried dragging defenders wide but didn't have much time on the ball. Personally, felt he could of again tried imposing himself more on the game, especially after his MOM performance at Stadium of Light.
Billy again had to drop deeper and deeper due to our poor midfield. Held the ball up well and always looked to release Smyth/Sean/Erico. Probably should have been in the box more when we had the ball out wide but again can't fault his desire to get the ball and do something with it!

Surprised by how confident Erico is playing, beat his man well a few times but surprised he didn't use his pace more. Clearly should have used his left foot when 1 on 1 but in his defence, the ball took one hell of a bobble as he hit it. Impressed with him. Hope he gets more opportunity in next few games. No problem with keeping him as a squad player for the future, hopefully he keeps getting his chance.
Dan played a bit deeper than I thought he would of. Still think his best position is more attacking, if you give him a few balls on the edge of the area in a game, you'd hope at least 1 is going to either go in the back of the net or force the keeper into a good save. Something we have been lacking of late. Fancy footwork would probably work more on the edge of an opponents box (drawing a foul) but not 20 yards from our own goal!
Can't really offer much on Scotty apart from he does the simple stuff well. Sometimes that is more important that doing the hard stuff.

Sunderland was in my view looked at as a bonus game. If we had got something from it great, but I'm pleased we came through it with (hopefully) no injuries, and no silly red cards etc!

If we start the game on Saturday how we did the 2nd half last night, hopefully we can influence the 90 minutes in our favour.


I don't want us to try and match Wimbledon.
Make them do the work and match us.

KTF

[monkey hanger]

Originally Posted by pidge

Conneely was a million miles of it , as was hughes who struggles with any sort of pass in or around him or over the top of him , Callum Johnson looks a shadow of a player we had from last season. Sunderland a much better side than us if truth be told , billy Kee done well with what service he had an if him or Sean don’t score it doesent look like a goal will come from anywhere else on the park , Also thaught Smyth was innefective an got brushed of the ball far to easily last night.

thats the problem we have. too many players off form and you can add sean to the list as well. billy is expected to perform miracles and outjump lads inches taller than him with very little help. things need to change very quickly and coley has some real work to do the next couple of weeks to give us half a chance of staying up. my biggest fear is that if we do go down unless there is big changes in the playing staff the current side will struggle even if we do get relagated never mind stay up.

[Lord Love Rocket]

For me 28 big Ben shouldn't have started the game strange one that.Hooked of becouse clearly not good enough hope he doesn't start him at Wimbledon or we are in trouble.

[yonmon]

Just watched the highlights on Sky Sports... Stanleywise there wasn't one !.
The truth being that there was , from the kick-off there was a sense of inevitability about the game and it's result due to the difference in class between the Reds and a very sharp, skilful, and well- motivated Sunderland team.
So given these facts is it true to say that the expected defeat doesnt matter that much ?.
Perhaps not, but one fact does shine out, that being that unless we are awarded a penalty we don't score goals !, and the ill-balanced team on show last night, with its dismal midfield
had little opportunity or chance to do this !.
Now, you've never heard me call Sean the Wunderkind ( ? ) but in spite of what some have opined earlier, his contributions of late and against Sunderland have been below League One standard !. (Sorry Accymad !.. but I've said it ! ). The team badly need an on-field leader and the lad just isn't one !, and sadly even the basic skills he once showed seem to have deteriorated!.. perhaps he will rise to the occasion for the next three games.. if not then the inevitability moves from last night's game to relegation !.

KTF... ON STANLEY ON !!.

[Chrisr]

After some more consideration of the last few games. Last night I saw heads drop both halves. There has to be some brutal honesty. I have said previously that many of the players we have are not league 1 quality. Those that are will probably be gone elsewhere at the end of the season. Again it depends on the budget as to who we can afford to bring in. I am also a JC fan for what he has done for the club. I like many others have been left wondering about his team selection and substitution policies. Add to that there seems to be a problem changing the game plan as needed. I do fear the spirit of the team has suffered and the keen effective team we had seems to have resigned themselves to being beaten. Teams at this level have opposition teams have sussed us out within the first 10 minutes. Players we brought in and played well have now sunk to the level of Sunday players. We are in dire danger and Coley can't seem to raise the team confidence at this moment. I just hope we can win at least 3 games and not lose the others that will just about save us.

[cashman]

Think thats pretty well summed up yonmon, also if our captain still aint fully recovered from injury no way on this earth should he be starting. if thats the case its damn crap management in my eyes.

[Inspector Morse]

If its crap management who would you have played instead?

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Inspector Morse

If its crap management who would you have played instead?

Learnm to digest whats written, i said if conneely hadnt recovered and was played its crap.

[Lord Love Rocket]

Your spot on cashman about the gaffer having favourites all managers have them.but his are letting him down now or clearly not good enough?

[Lord Didsbury]

Think i agree with accymad - much more enjoyable to watch than saturday and I thought we did OK in the second half.
The problem was the first half. The speed of their passing is much quicker than we are used to and we were setup too defensively.
Sykes, Goalie, Sean, Smyth, Sousa, Barlaser, Sam all did OK

I'd like to see us start as we ended the game - apart from Clark back in for Sousa if he's ok to play.

Pitched seemed to have improved a little from the weekend. Less bobbling.

[Inspector Morse]

'Learnm to digest whats written, i said if conneely hadnt recovered and was played its crap'

So, who would you have played instead?

[Exile on Spencer St]

Another very bad result last night but, this time last year, Sunderland were a poor Championship side and Stanley an over-achieving League 2 outfit. Don’t know how many players Sunderland ‘lost’, but clearly, in Chapman, Dunne, and Jackson, Stanley lost three very influential players and this season’s squad is, probably, not as strong. They also lost two good defenders in Iheikwe and Anderson half way through this season.

But it’s the only squad Stanley have and Professor Coleman has to deal with.

So, I’m not sure what there is to gain from stating the b****ing obvious that, being 2 points from relegation with 7 games to go, the squad may not be up to scratch for this League.
Of course, we can all blame the manager and staff for the players we have but I don’t recall many saying the squad was not good enough back in October when, after 14 games, Stanley were fourth in the table.

Right now our team are in the trenches, low on ammunition, under fire from all directions, and with no hope of reinforcements. But only the players we have can secure League 1 survival and I for one want those players to give their all and fight for all our sakes.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Inspector Morse

'Learnm to digest whats written, i said if conneely hadnt recovered and was played its crap'

So, who would you have played instead?

Barlaiser though only a kid a much better midfielder also not a bad shot on him, plays forward midfield mainly, not sideways and backwards. he may be young but will probably go much further in the game in my opinion.Exile who was injured and not playing back then?

[Inspector Morse]

Barlaser while being a more talented player has underperformed for us.
If he'd fulfilled expectations we would not be resorting to an undercooked Conneely.

Seamus is the only midfielder we have who can be relied on to keep some shape.
I don't mind if Seamus can't pass forward: that's not his job. He's there to screen the defence, win the ball and give it to the better players.