Latest News: 24 October, 2011 Next article Wickham: The lads were excellent Connor Wickham felt a win 'had been coming' for Sunderland as he reflected on his first start for the club. Connor Wickham moved quickly to turn the spotlight onto his team-mates after impressing in the victory over Bolton. The 18-year-old summer signing made his first Barclays Premier League start at the Reebok and put in an impressive performance as Sunderland ran out 2-0 winners. Stephane Sessegnon and Nicklas Bendtner got the goals but it was Wickham, the reigning Football League Young Player of the Year, who grabbed the attention. But, speaking after the game, he preferred to focus on the contributions of the other ten Sunderland players on the pitch as the visitors banked three valuable points. "Going to Bolton is never easy but we worked our socks off and got the win we deserved," he said. "I think that win had been coming and fortunately we got it. "I was happy with my own contribution but I can't say that just myself in particular played well. All the boys were excellent and that showed on the pitch." Wickham almost bagged a goal of his own when, with Sunderland dominating, he rattled Jussi Jaaskelainen's crossbar when attempting to find strike partner Bendtner in the box. And he admitted feeling a sense of relief when second-half pressure eventually told as first Sessegnon and then Bendtner found a way through. "I saw Nick in the middle when I had the ball out wide and tried to pick him out, but it bobbled in front of me," Wickham explained. "If it went in then fair enough but unfortunately it bounced off the bar. "The first half was tough but we worked really hard and we knew a goal was coming when we were pushing hard in the last half an hour. "We were in their half for a lot of the time so it was a relief when Stephane eventually scored. "I was stood where he eventually ended up and then moved away into the middle, which was disappointing! "But Sess was there at the back post and it was a great finish to get us started." Wickham continued: "Then we went through four-on-two so if we hadn't scored we would have been pretty annoyed with ourselves. "It was a good finish from Nick and hopefully we can take this into the Villa game now." The Black Cats return to Wearside this weekend for a clash with Aston Villa with Wickham hoping his performance at Bolton is enough to see him continue in the side. The youngster has waited patiently for his chance but insists he relishes the level of competition up front. "Of course it's been difficult; I want to play football but there's lots of competition and that's good for me," he said. "Nick, Sess and Ji [Dong-won] are all doing well so I will have to keep pushing myself. "But I've got my first start now and hopefully I've done enough to show the manager what I can do. "He asked me to go out and work my socks off and I tried to do that."
I thought Whickham was superb, his work rate was top class. If we play as we did last half hour we will win a lot of games, first hour was dog ****e, but we´ll live with that.
For a 18 year old it was a damn fine full debut. Thought when we signed him it was a great piece of business. Only 1 game but the potential is deffo there.
WE can play ****e for 90 minutes mate as long as we get the all important winning goal, then it's job done and 3 points. Good interview from Whickham let's hope after his performance he starts again against Villa.
The fact we can even debate this point shows what a numb **** Bruce has been. All this horse-****e he has been spouting about giving the lad time is a smokescreen to hide the almighty **** up of not playing him or Ji earlier. Wickham may be only 18 and as Bruce says with regular painful monotony, he could play in our youth team, people forget he has had 2 full seasons in the Championship and is no wet nosed novice. The Championship is probably even more physical than the EPL where refs protect players more so he was ready back in August. The problem was Bruce got himself cornered and hamstrung by telling us all Sessegnon was the new Darren Bent, when even the player knew he wasnt. Now, after a total **** up of a start to what could have been a very promising season, he has been forced to change and bring in Wickham, who is still the same player he could have been from day one, and the rest is history. Bruce gets **** all in the way of congratulations for being forced into a humiliating climbdown over Wickham but the lad himself gets a massive pat on the back from me. Hopefully, if Tweedledum and Tweedledummer dont screw it up again, we should see and awful lot more of the lad between now and May. Well done Connor.
He was one big nuisance on Saturday and with Bendtner, Sess and Larsson about he did well putting his body on the line, full of running and commitment.
Sorry Cest but I disagree that if CW started game 1 this season he would have played the same as he did at the weekend. He has had a couple of months training with PL players and coaches and by integrating him slowly he has never had to burden too much pressure which would have been unfair on him - e.g. stepping straight into Bent / Gyan's shoes.
The Wickmeister had a great game on Saturday, I`m glad SB was able to find room to allow Sess and Seb play in their natural positions with 2 men up front...genius idea if only someone had thought of it earlier!
After all the negatives, we think Bruce has made some obvious mistakes and maybe he has. But end of the day he sees the players every day, and along with professional coaches and extensive data at their disposal sometimes you have to assume their decisions are the most logical based on what they see.
I know, supporters know nowt! I'm not one who's 100% in the BOB but I'm far from impressed by the home form this year, if he can put together a good run with a settled team, players playing in the right positions and playing with 2 strikers then absolutely brilliant. I don't agree with the fact that he's got to go regardless of how much we improve (If we do)
Wasn't a dig at you yellowbelly by the way. Just see alot of other people saying it's only 1 game against Bolton, he's still got to go. If we manage to get 3 points on Saturday I'm sure they'll be alot of people saying lets give him time (After Man Utd away!) to put a good run together. I hope he can do it
Well we can agree to disagree on that completely. Just out of interest then, why didn't your wonderful, inspiring manager not play both him and Ji against lower opposition in Brighton then? If Connor wasnt ready for the EPL, then surely a match fitness run out would have benefited both of them.Surely after 2 full seasons with Ipswich (and some 50 or 60 games) he was ready for that wasnt he? Ji could have coped with Brighton HA for ****s sake, or why even bother bringing him in? Surely it wasn't just for the PR in Korea was it? Mmmmmmm. At 18 Connor is young but certainly no snot nosed novice. He had 50 or 60 games at a highly competitive and physical league under his belt, he could have been better used than in a do or die game at Bolton to save the incompetent managers neck. He is a £8.5m footballer and we dont have the money or the time to wait for him but we did desperately have the need for a striker for the start of the season. If he wasnt ready to play, he should never have been bought. We are not Man Utd or Chelsea are we? Simple as.
We've got to stop agreeing like this Cest...But your spot on.. 18 too young? just as well the managers of Owen, Walcott, Rooney etc were a bit more alert to future talent, and age wasn't a problem.
We cant help it if we are both blessed with charming good looks, huge cocks and immense intelligence mate? Well, certainly all 3 for me anyway. Lol
Charming good looks...has to be Marcos Angelri, he has lovely hair... Huge cock.....Titus will be sharing his in the showers soon with Roger his room-mate Immense intellgence? Got to be one...Think David James is supposed to be canny bright. A coke snorting long haired footballer who loves to fumble with balls.
No idea about the Brighton game, and why Ji and Wickham werent played, but to be quite honest I dont give a crap. It would have been nice to have a good cup run, but I am not going to base our success this year on it. another mid table finish will have done me nicely before the start of the season, and will do me now. Ji said he would need 6 months to get up to speed in the premier league. Wickham had a groin problem for the matches before the bolton one, maybe Bruce would have started him if he hadnt had that injury? we will never know. Every one was saying how great Bruce was in the 1st part of last season (and how he played attacking footie), and now people are saying how **** and defensive he is. Still havent figured that one out.... which one is he, cos he still looks the same to me. or do the diehard bobs just forget about the bit that doesnt fit in with their argument? Not saying Bruce is perfect mind, and I am not saying he hasnt made mistakes (having a go at the fans in the press, selling ferdi for example) but i dont get this going from one extreme to another thing.
