Great result,shouted myself hoarse (mainly at the s#|te officials!)But good performances all round.First half I thought the 1-1 was fair but in the Second our desire to win was greater.
Can’t believe we’re still in the automatic promotion hunt, after the run we’ve had, after all the defensive howlers (including tonight). Tell you what though, the lads never stop running, never stop winning back possession. All we need is the air to go down a bit in the Southampton balloon. What a game it’ll be a week on Monday. I have to say I fancy us more in that one than I did tonight. COYB.
Every team has wobbles, look how Leicester just got shaken! Our B team did great with no top striker, no captain, and our midfield powerhouse absent. Plus our usual howlers in defense. Vladky always recovers calmly. Edmundsen was terrific. Clarke started poorly but was a different player 2nd half. Love the way he surges forward, carves it up and has a shot or two. Difficult game for Travis to start but he had a good debut, grew into it and kept us moving. Taylor was playing in wrong position and it showed. But he did come forward and play his stronger game 2nd half. Early days, needs more game time. Sunderland played a kinda of 4 2 4 which we took time to adapt to. Our MF were off it 1st half. Really pleased for Chaplin. Great goal and another Leif assist. Our subs really changed things. The pace Sarmiento and Omari gave us really gave us control. Broady is a worry. I think he needs time out, proper rest after a gruelling 1st half season and injuries. Interesting to see the starting line up on Monday week. We just dont give up, and that win has given everyone a massive confidence boost.
Massive result, potentially our biggest of the season, after a tough run of games and lots of players missing, it's still in our hands. Hopefully the games we've got coming up aren't coming as thick and fast and players returning from injury plus having the opportunity to strengthen in the transfer window. Hopefully the last few games were our blip in form and perhaps naively I think Southampton have got to hit a sticky patch at some point. As for the game, it was a great result but I thought a mixed performance although what was pleasing was we looked dangerous which I didn't necessarily feel against QPR and Stoke and overall probably deserved our win which is impressive considering the players we had missing and some coming back from injury. I thought the back 5 at times were a little bit sloppy but Hladky just never looks shaken after giving the ball away. Woolfenden and Edmundson were again superb at the back, I think Burgess might struggle to get his place back. I thought Davis had a very quiet game and was anonymous for a lot of it but again produced a quality assist for Chaplins goal. A real mixed bag from Clarke caught out a few times defensively one which resulted in the goal. Positionally defensively he's all over the place, it's something he needs to work on but there also looks an element of it which looks like he's been told to move across to cover the CBs which always leaves his own man in acres of space. The converse to this was I thought he looked great going forwards but particularly first half we didn't see enough of it again I have a hunch that McKenna tells him to sometimes stay back with Clarkes position in certain situations more of a right sided CB of a 3 rather than a RB. I do think he could be a good option in the Burns position. Who I thought last night had a great game, always a thorn on their side and I think it was clear he exposed a weakness in Sunderland down that side which is why Mckenna gave Clarke a bit more license to go forwards. I thought after Travis's performance I can see exactly why he's been brought in, he looks like an able replacement for Morsy and a player if he comes in it won't be a huge drop off in quality. Taylor who I think is a good player and in particular when he's come off the bench has looked a real asset actually had one of his worse games tonight, caught out a few times off the ball and didn't manage to get the ball in areas to hurt the opposition too much. Broadhead was pretty anonymous again and gave the ball away a few times, needs to up his game as I think his position is under threat. Chaplin had a mixed game although more good than bad and he was always a threat/trying to make something happen. I thought Jackson had a better game and did a lot of things well, although is definitely limited. Despite his pace I often think he doesn't time his runs well nor does he make small movements to move defenders around and as such isn't an outlet like Hirst is. It's always noticeable how much more space our forward players have when Hirst is playing than when he's not. I thought the subs were great and looks really promising moving forwards, imagine as a defender having to play against our first team then suddenly have Hutchingson, Sarmeinto and Harness running at you but also chasing the ball down, the press was relentless, having the opportunity to bring them on must just be knackering for the opposition. What the subs and starting line up tells me though is it must be curtains for Ladapo...if he's not able to start when Hirst is injured or even getting time coming off the bench it is telling, I mean McKenna preffered to play both Broadhead and Harness in the 9 position over bringing Ladapo on. For me the game highlights where we have good cover and strength in positions and the positions we need to strengthen primarily 1 or 2 strikers but then I think we also need to strengthen at fullback on both sides.
Yes, I fear Freddie's days are over. Likeable man and in his prime last season, he helped us over the line. Not surprisingly he struggles at this level, and excelled in League 1.
It's a strange one really, Ladapo has some strengths but we don't play to his and he doesn't really fit how McKenna wants us to play. It's strange to think he was a McKenna signing really
I think it’s obvious - McKenna values effort over all else and for his talent and eye for goal, Freddie is a lazy ****.
… and I don’t think we’d have got to the Championship without him, but at the moment the bread and butter of the front man is to chase down the keeper and defenders in possession.
I echo a lot of the comments already made. Brilliant result against a tough team - hopefully the first of many double wins we get against clubs this season! I thought Woolfenden, Edmundson, and Travers had great games. I was pleasantly surprised with Jackson too, definitely appears to have knuckled down and learned the role required by McKenna. Other results didn’t really go our way, but hopefully that motivates us to keep going. Leicester away is going to be a tough match, but a draw is achievable. Welcome to stand corrected by anyone who saw the match on Sky, but from my spot in the stadium - I thought the officials had solid games. Okay, so the ref was a bit by the book - but he didn’t tolerate any whining (from both teams) and I don’t think we can have any complaints with our bookings.
On the ref, Clarke’s booking was very harsh - clear attempt to win the ball - but not the worst we’ve seen.
I agree and I don't think he's a bad player just never really felt he fits into how McKenna wants to play, he's not a great presser of the ball and quite static in his movement, doesn't particularly stretch the game. He has things he is decent at, running the channels, not a bad finisher and very good at pinning his defender but doesn't really fit into how we play which makes me wonder why McKenna signed him, particularly as we had players who were at the club probably better at that type of role
I suspect KMc signed him because he knew he could do a job at that level,his 17 goals were certainly instrumental in achieving promotion.He just doesn't seem to be capable of progressing to the next level.
From where I am in the north stand, it looked like an absolute clear penalty. The ref actually put the whistle to his lips and for some reason didn’t blow. Bookings were all ok for me but the penalty looked like a big miss from the ref
