This could be a long one..

For anyone in a rush. I would leave now; I feel a long one coming on.

It’s a week to the day since I sat eagerly anticipating the week ahead. I fancied a sneaky win against Chelsea then at least a draw at Stoke, wrong on both counts so what do I know. Today it seems a long time until Saturday, I know we have an England international on Wednesday but to be honest, can’t be arsed. So I thought I would reflect on our team and how we can always be certain that good logical thinking and Sunderland will never go hand in hand.

At the start of the season, I, and I think you, would have been very happy finishing 10th, it would disappoint me now if I’m honest.

We currently sit 7th with a gap to 8th, I know we have some tough games coming up but let me take you back a few weeks.

We looked ahead to the January transfer window knowing we needed players and fearing the weeks ahead. Turner was out long term, Mensah was in his normal place so we had the terrible thought of relying on Anton partnering Titus, then we lost Titus.

Looking back our defence has done OK and causes me no problem; in fact they can only get better with players coming back in. Our good defence will improve so our goals against should.

In midfield we had big problems; Cattermole and Welbeck out, Richardson hit and miss.

Sess and Muntari have shown we have a strong midfield, Richardson I will come back to and Steed MOTM performances time after time. With Cattermole and Welbeck to come back I would say our midfield will be fantastic and so will our bench.

We ten have a massive headache, attack and three strikers who just could not play together and our top striker, the irreplaceable one, not scoring. Then the bombshell, that top striker walks out on us and Welbeck is still injured, not to worry, the rumours are strong that Fuller is coming, I know.

Then Gyan plays on his own up front and the much maligned Richardson is given the task of being our saviour, we are now surely doomed. Well, we all know what happened next, Darren who?

Welbeck and Campbell will be back soon so why not a 6th or 7th finish, it’s a funny old game this footy lark.

 

1st 3 names on the team sheet....

Gyan, Richardson & McBardolino?

Gyan has delivered as expected, Richardson has stepped up to the plate with a strikers goals to games ratio since the traitor left and Bardo for me is player of the season. He was always a consistently "good" defender but he's now added goals to his repertoire and one of the few who stood up in the derbies. He gets my vote.

Just need to book Flash onto an assertiveness class and get him a copy of "the Idiots Guide to dominating your territory" and we're made.

 

Well said Syd.

I'm still very optimistic about our team. Even when you take the disappointment of Saturday vs. Stoke, there are still so many positives about our style of play and the number of chances I think we will create.

 

Who would have thought it, Richardson and Bardo first on the team sheet. Two who had no future in many eyes in the summer. Richardson is a joy to watch right now, its what I go to football for.

 

I still think Rico distribution is poor if he plays CM, but certainly just off the striker he's looked a better player.

 

Although we were poor against the physical style of Stoke you have to remember that we have 2 new players who have only trained for a few days with their team mates, system, weather, etc, etc. Both will be that little bit fitter and wiser so should fair better against a footballing team like Spurs, as should the whole team to be fair. We always produce a better performance against the footballing teams.

What we do lack is a ball winner in midfield but i'm hoping Muntari can do that role at least until Cattermol gets back then i think we may see them as a double act and although Steed was carrying a slight injury at Stoke i think he is the sort of player we need against Spurs.

 

Richardson is ok if he doesn't have any responsibilities, ie being creative or tackling back

Give Steed the role that Richardson has been doing recently for me...any time Steed had been given the free role he has looked.fantastic, just needs to add goals to his game.

Quite frightening that there are people on here who think Richardson is the answer after a couple of good games, what about the last 3-4 years when he hasn't turned up game after game.

'you can't polish a turd'

 

are you for real? you want to take richrdson out of that role? not a chance. hes on fire idiot

 

I have to disagree on that mate, Steeds lack of pace means he is totally unsuited to the role, Ricco has a job to get up with Gyan and support, and has scored 4 times in 3 games!

I thought Steed should have been brought on at 2-1 on saturday when Jordan was clearly exhausted, he took a yellow and started giving away free kicks, Steed would have kept the ball and steadied the ship.

Steed 'in the hole', is a definite no for me.

 

Unfortunately we thought we had a sound defence and both the skunks and stoke have shown we are vulnerable to aerial bombardment and so other teams we now play will subject us to that. You will have noticed also Anton is often singled out as the defender of choice for the oppos' best heading striker as he is seen as the weakest in the air.
So defence currently is not without its problems.

Midfield should be strengthened with the two new signings but Hendo is looking in need of a rest.

Our strike force is Gyan with Rico as back up. To function well we need at least 3, 4 is better strikers, who offer a variety of skills talents.

At present the first 11 virtually pick themselves and the bench is poor.

So lets hope we can cope with Crouch and 'i'm a fart' on saturday and get at least a draw although I would love 3 points.

After the poor reffing at Blackpool, Chelsea and Stoke lets hope it is our turn for some decisions.

Hanging onto 6/7th is going to be tough unless some of the injuries clear up pretty quick

 

what a muppet he is for even suggesting that

 

I think thate Bruce has at last found Richardson's best role...I agree with the poster who suggested that he wasn't doing it in the midfield, but since he started playing off Gyan he has looked a new player...

 

We all have opinions but to be honest this is everything that makes me despair, dont be frightened because neither I or anyone else is saying Richardson is the answer or that he has been a world beater in the past.What I am saying is fair play to the lad and credit were its due. He was aked to do a job and if we look at his goals per game since doing that job all we can say is fantastic. Each of his goals have been good ones, no tap ins and no pens. Will he keep Welbeck out when he is fit, doubt it. Will he stop Bruce looking for a big name striker in the summer, doubt it. Is he doing a great job now, yes and I wont be saying yes but, just wait till he has a bad game and by god I will be on his back becasue he is a turd. Very sad TBH, IMHO

 

I agree, too often Richardson flatters to deceive.

Chuffed to bits he has chipped in with goals.

But his over all play is still disappointing, someone mentioned the other day about us playing Stoke, that at least he would have no problem passing to someone in red and white.
Everyone was slanging Henderson but he was putting in a shift with very little help from Richardson.

I would just say to BC just because someone has a different opinion to yourself does not make him an idiot, now if he claimed to have inside information.......

 

We mustn't drop or move Richardson right now. If we do, he starts to think "I play badly and I get moved about or dropped. I play out of my skin and I get dropped anyway. So what the hell do I have to do at this club?" We'll put the lad down for months.

He's doing a good job, so just pat him on the back, give him a bit of encouragement, and leave him alone.

 

I think the simple fact is we've found a role to suit Richardson.

He doesn't need to be heavily involved in his 'new' guise, he just needs to make his opportunities count.

4 in 3 says he's doing just that.

 

For me our issue is strength and hopefully Muntari will be a big help in that regard. Excepting the big 4 who simply have better players we can play football against the best of them.
Where we seem to struggle is when it gets physical. Stoke proved that, Newcastle have twice and I still fear the likes of Bolton and Blackburn who know how to mix it up.
Many of the team are still young and I am sure they will learn that sometimes games are won with more than skill.
Dissapointed Liverpool are now ahead of us as I suspect they may now ease away and leave us fighting for 7th.
Europe is a pipe dream again.
Mind you only 3 more points needed for safety. Lets look at the positives from a glass half empty perspective.

 

I understand what you're saying Brucey, but I do think he needs to be heavily involved.
Too may times I have seen him give the ball away and make no effort to retrieve it, yes he does do it sometimes but not enough in my opinion.
Gyan and Sess were chasing players down even if they didn't get to them they made them hurry there pass.
The one I would point out is Rooney at Utd, the ball is lost in the oppos penalty area and Rooney busts a gut to get back to put pressure on the ball.

Richardson should be capable of putting in as good a shift as Steed IMHO.

 

Don't get me wrong marra, i see your point, but i think in the role he's playing, it's quite important that he DOESN'T get too bogged down in the 'spade work' as he is a vital link between the midfield and Gyan.

If Steed had pace, i'd have him in there like a shot, if Steed could shoot, i'd be torn, but with Steeds lack of pace, and complete inability to shoot, he ain't a candidate for that role in my opinion.

In simple terms, if we could defend, Kierons 4 goals in the last 3 games may have given us as many of 7 points, that would have been an enourmous contribution.

The test for Ricco is when Catts comes back, as i feel Sessegnon may be favoured in that role, meaning Ricco or Steed on the left.

In this scenario, i'd favour Steed, who is unquestionably a better player technically, but a zero goal threat.

 

Fair points well made