Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Cardiff City FC– Sunday 24th September 2023 - KO 15:00

We’ve had a decent enough start but still only 3 points above the team in 15th. It’s a brutal league, so competitive.

 

Rigg should be played more he has to as they sold our best player Stewart

 

One ready to score goals in the championship. Ours will come over time probably but one ready playing yesterday and we win

 

**** happens, we didn’t do enough to win but deserved a point. Ba deserved his run in the team but now Roberts should be back in, Burstow has offered nowt up to now and one of Hemir, Rusyn or Aouchihe gets a start.
We’ll bounce back on Friday.

 

Yesterday was a bit of a weird one as they sat deep and defended, their Keeper and 2 centre half's had a decent game and we were really unlucky not to score at least a couple. For me I think looking back TM might think he could have made changes at the start as I thought a couple of players looked a bit jaded . Their goal was a typical smash and grab goal and whilst I was in the ground I could not see them scoring unless it was from a set piece and so it proved. We were not at our best but still much better than them. Onwards to Friday and get this season back on track

 

When we came out of the ground yesterday someone said how long till the club gets criticised for the lack of a proven Championship striker. We've signed 3 strikers + Mayenda,and,given the way our coaching improves these players,it'll only take a few weeks for one of them to find their feet....might be Rusyn. We need to be patient,it's not like we haven't been scoring goals up to yesterday. Our attacking play is a delight to watch,although I think we have a tendency to over-elaborate at times,one too many passes maybe. If the coaches can get them to play a bit more directly,with a front man who fits in,we'll be fine. There's goals all over this team.

 

"Weak as piss"?

WTF?

 

Think you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't in that situation. Last season against Cardiff we made changes, Ba/Neil were overrun in midfield and we lost the game. As TM says - if he'd made changes and we'd lost everyone would be questioning the team selection. I don't think anyone looked particularly fatigued yesterday, we just didn't take our chances when we were on top and let them bully us a bit in the 2nd half.

I think we'll see changes on Friday. Hopefully Ekwah is back and we can maybe rest Jobe. I'd bring Dack back in if possible and use Pritch as an impact sub - was amazed to see him play 90 mins yesterday.

Hume worries me - quite a few lapses in concentration of late - hopefully it's just a blip as I really rate the lad

 

I agree, I think we’ll resolve it as they settle I’m just saying that the fact is that it was where we were short yesterday. You can’t really criticise the big picture but equally it’s quite possible had we had it we’d be 9 better off. I think we have to work on getting Rusyn right this week.

 

Official Highlights

2 minutes:

Extended:

Full 90:

Post match analysis:

 

We're playing some great football and a 3-0 win yesterday wouldn't have been a massive surprise. But we're not yet a settled team, with players slowly adapting to having a CF and full backs learning a new system on the job. We're not the best team, in the league, but the players are honest and willing ...

... sad to see people jumping on them so quickly after three straight wins, two away.

I don't think people would be saying we looked exhausted if one of our many chances had gone in.
Even if they were a little tired we can't change the entire outfield.

Friday can't come quick enough ...

... only four days of moaning to endure.

 

Looking back after a good night's sleep and still feel frustrated at what was a proper smash and grab from Cardiff.

We should take it as a compliment that teams are coming and parking the bus and I'm sure everyone will be working hard in training to find the way around it, still a long long way to go this season and the division looks just as competitive as last season with no stand out teams

 

Think thats the encouraging thing Smug

We are sitting 5th in the league and we havent been close to our best yet. I dont really look at the table at this stage tbh but 4 wins 3 defeats and 1 draw isnt the worst start to a season

Especially when you think of the amount of new signings weve got in the squad now

 

You can’t blame the forwards too much. We done everything right for most of the game bar put the ball in the net. We’ll have games like that it’s difficult trying to break down teams with 10 men behind the ball. The goals will come I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that I’m more concerned that the defence seem vulnerable.

Preston 2 shots on target 2 goals. Rotherham 1 shot on target 1 goal. QPR 1 shot on target 1 goal (might’ve had a late one to make it 2 SoT can’t remember now). Ipswich and Blackburn both had spells where the game should’ve been out of sight. The only game I can think of a real good defensive performance was Coventry.

We’re playing well and we’ll be more than fine this season but the defence needs work. I think it was Peps second season at City and the one that seemed to make them go crazy on signing defenders and spent about £200m. They would absolutely batter teams and have them pinned around their own box all game then concede the first time they had to defend.

 

You can see the players are trying to adapt but we've been without a striker so long it's alien to us. Stewart, at his best, would be struggling to score imo. No long balls down the channels to chase, few low/high crosses into the box and, worst of all, we get our wide players/midfield into the box so much it's too narrow and crowded.

Clarke is a fabulous player but can't 'do a Blackburn' every game and walk the ball into the net.

It must seem, to Clarke, Roberts, etc, that it's throwing the ball away to fire it into the box ...

... but Hemir/Burstow?Rusyn won't score without service and that's a percentage game we need to learn.

 

Maybe you’re right but my take is a confident striker the more decisive the movement the more confident the players are in them. As I say we can’t be critical of the clubs work but at this point in time as players bed in to the level/league/club it’s making us lose games we should have won. Inevitably we get frustrated by that but I’m equally confident we’ll soon be seeing inspired signings.

 

Clarke is our best player. Stewart was unproven at this level because he can't stay fit

We were told he'd be out 4 months when he did his achilles. It'll be closer to 11 by the time he's back playing for Southampton. Getting £12m for him was the best deal this club has done since we swapped Altidore for Defoe

 

Agreed. We said the same after the match - need to put the ball in the box more/sooner but after 12 months playing a different way it's not coming naturally to our wingers

 

Things are far from settled throughout the league.

Preston aren't going up automatically, Boro aren't going down.

Managers will be sacked and shocks will abound.

Birmingham were supposed to be a power but haven't won in four, losing two.

Norwich have conceded more than Sheff Wed, Plymouth have scored more than Leicester.

Southampton have lost four on the bounce and play Leeds on Saturday so could easily be five.

We've only played a handful of games and clearly still getting to grips with things ...

... a little patience wouldn't go amiss imo.

 

2 points better of than this time last season with a better goal difference. Life much more enjoyable with a glass half full