Forget Noble (or so it sounds)... STEVE BRUCE could move Kieran Richardson into a central role this weekend as he looks to boost the goal threat in a game Sunderland desperately need to win. The Black Cats have failed to score in their last two games and the lack of goals is becoming a concern with the manager. Manager Bruce, proud owner of the fifth best defence in the league, said: âWe seem to have shored things up well at one end, but now we need to look at the other end to find ways of getting more goals because thatâs proving to be our Achilles heel at the moment.â Premier League whipping boys Wigan will come to the Stadium of Light on Saturday with their sights set on defending in numbers â just like Fulham did in last weekendâs goalless draw. Having lost eight of their last nine games and not won away all season, their first priority will be to frustrate. And Bruce knows that he needs to put out a side on Saturday which will offer as strong a cutting edge as possible to break down what is likely to be stubborn opposition. Stephane Sessegnon partnered on-loan Arsenal frontman Nicklas Bendtner in the goalless draw against Fulham, but the Benin international looked better when he was switched to the left wing and was able to run at defenders. And that, along with the attacking threat Richardson can provide through the centre, has given Bruce food for thought. âAgainst Fulham, I started with Kieran wide on the left and Stephane up front playing off Nicklas,â said Bruce. âSo I could simply switch them round against Wigan. âThatâs a possibility or, alternatively, I could play Kieran in the middle of midfield because he is capable of getting goals from there. âYou could see that at the weekend when he found himself in a more central position inside the box and he hit the bar with a header. âWe know that scoring goals is a problem we have to address and that we have to improve on. âWe just need that little bit of stardust and sparkle in front of goal because in the Premier League, you donât get stacks and stacks of chances. âOn Saturday, we created four or five, but the disappointing thing was that we didnât take one.â The versatile Richardson, who has spent much of his time at left-back this term, got off the mark this season when he scored Sunderlandâs consolation goal in Septemberâs 2-1 defeat at Norwich. He has shown himself to be a more than capable finisher on his day, although inconsistency from game to game has prevented him being regularly deployed either in a central midfield play-making role, or as the man playing behind the main striker. But he responded superbly last season when called on in a striker crisis â scoring both goals in Sunderlandâs 2-1 win at Blackpool in January and also netting twice from the same position in a 2-0 win over Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light a few seasons ago. Bruce will consider all options having accepted Sunderland are limited in attacking option since the departure of Asamoah Gyan in September and an injury to £8m summer buy Connor Wickham earlier this month. Long-term injury victim Fraizer Campbell resumed full training this week but will have to be eased back into action after 15 months out. And that leaves Bendtner and Ji Dong-Won (pictured) â who is still adapting to life in the Premier League â as Sunderlandâs only out-and-out senior strikers, with youngster Ryan Noble also making his way back after injury and considered too raw at this stage to be handed more than bit parts. Bruce said: âUnfortunately, the injury to Connor has left us a little bit light up front. âAs far as Ryan is concerned, anyone who knows me will tell you that, if there is a promising youngster, I will give him his chance. The thing with Ryan is that we have to wait until he develops physically. âWhen he develops and grows, he will be a very good player, but we just have to be patient.â
Bloody typical Bruce..feckin clueless...put Richo into a central midfield we already have a glut of players for....if he wants a chuffin goal threat and then put bloody Vaughan and Gardner in there !!!!!!....Honestly the man makes my blood boil....just what does he have to do to get the boot !!!
a link from the sunderland echo already read it mate without the line you added Forget Noble (or so it sounds) and you say i bait the mags.... atleast i dont bait mackems
Go and sulk in the corner...i'm not gonna get into a debate or owt else with you, as your not worth it.. Add me to the ignore list...sorted.
ah you must be refering to the mag v city firework thing....my comment wasn't that bad. Then you proceeded to call me a mag...oh well mate sticks and stones, but sure the lads on here cann't be arsed to read our bickering...so feel free to bicker away and i'll feel free to ignore.
fair play mate you bait mackems ill bait mags with you being a mod i think baiting mackems is the last thing you should be doing get abit happyiness on the board mate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnHlGONToIc
Well reading that it looks like.. WESTY OSHEA..TURNER..BROWN..BARDO LARSSON..CATTS..COLBACK..SESS RICHARDSON BENDY With Ryan off the bench if needed, hopefully for more than 4 minutes. Would prefer Vaughan in but lets see how it goes
Still thought we were playing well with Vaugh instead of Catts in the middle. I like Catts but we never seem to get more than a draw with him playing. Having said that we only seem to ever draw anyway!
If you want to be a mod, just say so..you can replace me, no problems.. If not leave the bickering to pm, and i'll happily reply...in my alter ego.
**** sake Bruce, Stop changing Ricco's position. Is he a LB, or is he not? ****ing decide, and then play him there. Oshea has done **** all to be guaranteed a place in the side ahead of Bardo and Ricco, so put him on the bench and play Gardner or Vaughan in Midfield. **** it, drop Catts and put Vauhan and Gardner in midfield. Westwood Bardo, Turner, Brown, Ricco Larsson, Colback, Vaughan, Sess Gardner Bendtner Noble on the bench, and play him for at least 20 minutes.
Where to start.. First of all i have to say, i expected Gardner to be our best signing..albeit after his one good season... Never thought i'd hear myselg play Ricco in preference to O'Shea...but yes.. But we have to play 2 forwards, so something has got to give in your team...is it Vaughan or Gardner...like i say..i expected big things from Gardner..
This is a p*** take. Craig Gardner got double figures from centre mid last year, he must be sick of his life. I actually thinks catts had cracking game against Fulham so id partner him with Vaughan or Gardner and have colback on the bench. if he wants an attacking threat then he should drop Oshea and have Bardo n Rico at full back. We need to be on the front foot and have our fullbacks attacking against ghetto likes of Wigan.
I would agree with 2 forwards, but it seems likely we will play 4-5-1. If we do play 4-5-1, I would like to see us to start with the team I suggested. Catts is good defensively, but his distribution is poor and is it any coincidence that we won with him on the bench and Vaughan playing? I think not. Gardner - I would like to see him in the team again. Him and Vaughan seemed to work well the one time we played them together imo.
Fair one mate. i'd go along with that... But he has hinted at Ricco in midfield....so now i'm baffled as to who will play... Seems he wants Bardo and O'Shea to play...which in fairness, if they both played at the top of their game is not a bad shout... Options are good, utilising them to their max...well that's Bruces call..
Bruce spent an entire summer getting Ricco to sign a new contract with LB as his 1st position, he does so and, unfortunately, Ricco gets injures and Bardo steps in. This season he gets a decent run at left back, and starts to convince fans that he might just make it as a LB (I was one of the few who thought he would) and now bruce wants to play him in midfield. Make a decision and stick to it. Anyone who read my posts before know that I am of the "BiBs" (though I dont like that label), but I cant defend him when he makes a decision and doesnt stick to it. Bruce is the manager, he makes choices and us fans either agree or dont but he is the manager and ultimately he is in a better position than any fan to make a decision about a player. But once that decision is made, ****ing stick to it unless there is a bloody good reason for moving ricco in CM (injury crisis for example). rant over.
Can anybody name one other premier league club that one week plays a player at left back and then the next off the striker? (Past or present). Bruce has 5 other central midfielders and yet according to this article he is considering placing Richardson in the middle and leave his 6 million summer recruit on the bench yet again? One of two scenarios can be determined... Either Bruce has wasted 6 million on a championship plodder or he is unable to stop himself from rotating the squad which is leading to a different team being played every week. I recall last season... when Bruce (rotated) Malbranque and Zenden (a winning formula) for Sessegnon and Muntari. We duely obliged to go on our 7 game losing streak. What is the point in maintaining a manager for the long-term in order to create stability when that same manager moves the players around each and every week? I've already posted on another thread that I will be giving full support to the team to the best of my ability on Saturday, however, if Bruce fails to play 2 out and out strikers against Wigan.... Wigan with all due respect to themselves have been so poor this season that 4-5-1 should still be able to beat them and I fully expect a win this weekend. However this article suggests that the same old Steve Bruce is still the manager and unfortunately (for himself), if he continues to reveal his lack of management skills he will be creating his own demise. Lets just wait and see if we start 4-4-2 against Wigan, if not, then I fear that Bruce will eventually relegate the club whether this season or next. 13 years Steve Bruce has been a manager, 13 years...
I dont want to be a mod dont have the time mate also i dont wanna go to pm anything i have say is out in the open. i dont go into slagging sunderland fans by pm lets just agree to ignore each other
On football matters lads, I made a thread a while back saying I though Ricco had the potential to be your best player if he is played behind the striker, I believe it will be a great move by Bruce to put him in behind Bendtner (although 4-4-2 would be better, but that's virtually ruled out)
