Jozy admits lack of confidence

JOZY ALTIDORE admits he is suffering from a lack of confidence in front of goal after netting just once in the Premier League since his summer arrival at Sunderland.

But the American international believes he is starting to make a contribution in other departments after a marked improvement in his overall game during back-to-back wins against Stoke and Newcastle.

Altidore produced arguably his best performance in a Sunderland shirt during last weekend’s 3-0 victory at St James’s Park after physically dominating Newcastle’s central defensive pairing.

Yet after netting 31 times for Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last season and scoring eight goals for his country during 2013, Altidore is well aware of his barren run for the Black Cats.

The £6million front man’s sole league goal came in December’s defeat to Chelsea and he admits he is grateful for five-goal Fabio Borini and nine-goal top scorer Adam Johnson for taking some of the weight off his shoulders.

Altidore told the Echo: “To be honest, it’s been tough for me, adjusting to the team and everything.

“I demand more of myself. I’m freezing up in front of goal lately and it’s difficult.

“The confidence or quick-thinking isn’t there. I’m over-thinking things a little bit.

“Guys like Adam and Fabio are having to pick up the slack which is great. That’s important and it shows they care about the team.

“We need that because down the road, we need as many scorers as possible to get points.

“It’s a totally different system under the new manager.

“But I’m still getting chances, maybe not as many as I’d like, but I’m still getting them and freezing up.

“It’s something I’ll carry on working on in training because if I didn’t have the ability, it’d be one thing. But I know I have it.”

Altidore points to his chance to get on the scoresheet at St James’s as evidence of those goal worries after Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul took the ball off his toes, as he attempted to round the stopper during the second half.

“Thinking about it now, I should have taken a touch and shot because he came out so quick,” he said.

“I’m over-thinking things at the moment, but guys are chipping in with goals. That takes the pressure off, but I would like to get back in the goals definitely.”

Despite enjoying a spell at Hull City in the Premier League as a teenager, Altidore says it has taken him several months to get used to the different style of football with the Dutch league.

And after helping Sunderland to back-to-back league wins for the first time this season, the 24-year-old believes he is now starting to get acclimatised.

Altidore added: “I’m trying my best. The one thing I’m learning more and more, even though I was in the Premier League before, is that English football is all about desire and fighting.

“That’s one thing which is different because in Holland, the whole team is designed to play for you, to look for you always.

“In England, it’s not so much like that.

“You have guys like Phil Bardsley who can take a shot from distance or guys who can score on their own.

“You have to get used to helping the team in other ways and I’m getting used to doing that.”

 

Least he knows where his problems are and what he has to do

As he says, fortunately Johno and Fabio are picking up the slack atm, but if we can get him scoring as well then it shall be glorious


However in my honest opinion i think he will score one more goal this season

Sunderland AFC 1 - 0 Manchester City
Altidore


Be remembered as a hero!

 

He'll score vs Hull

 

He had his best league performance by a country mile against the Skunks which I sincerely hope will boost his confidence levels right up...The winning goal against his old club this weekend will be another major step for the lad..

 

Agree with this mind Reg, I thought he was awesome on Saturday apart from that one he fluffed when one on one with Krul.

 

I wish he could have stuck that one in..It would have capped what was a cracking performance by him..

 

So did Danny G. if I remember rightly, just hope Altidore steps up, over to you Jozy, just hammer it next time or the time after that, you can do it.

 

I'd love the lad to prove all his doubters, of which I'm one, very wrong but although he was awesome on Saturday and put in a master class of the lone striker role, he will ultimately be judged on his goals. We are doing well because Johnson has stepped up and Borini too but they are not strikers and if they dry up it's still the strikers job to score.

He needs 5 or 6 in the next dozen games to be able to say his first season was okay. Anything less he should be disappointed and so should the club after a big money move.

Who knows though with our incredible topsy turvy season so far, he may well get the winner at Wembley yet and make it an amazing season.

 

Yes and No Cest, the No being "judged on goals". He could still get 5 or 6 as you say. He still has 15 or 16 games or so to go. We all remember Heskey who was hardly prolific but almost every England manager of his era picked him, not for the goals he scored but his overall contribution to the team.

Jozy may well end up in the same place, not scoring so much but contributing positively to the team.

I'm like you, not his greatest fan so far, but he was nothing less than fantastic on Saturday. He deserves more opportunities on that performance alone.

I'd love him to score against Hull on Saturday but if he can keep those performances coming, enabling team-mates to score, but only scored 1 more goal this season, at Wembley and won us the cup, that would do me!

 

Yes, true, but a good option if the opposition's centre-backs a couple of lightweight numpties, like Saturday! Someone should have phoned the RSPCA or RSPCCB's that is!

 

He needs to turn that performance in every week, as do the rest of the to be honest although as a team we're doing OK, up front we're struggling still. I reckon Gus will give him till the end of the season then he'll bring someone else in, we can't go another half season next year with a similar goal famine to this season.

I honestly think after his incredible derby performance, he will be chomping at the bit to get at Hull and I have him down to score the first of three at 65/1.

 

Looks like shoddy journalism to be fair. They've put 'confidence' in place of 'competence'.

 

He is a striker and missed a sitter against the mags and against Stoke...if he does not score he is making it tough for the team...no goals = failure. The game is about winning and losing, a keeper makes a save and keeps his team team in the game, De Gea missed a save and we are in the final. If in a tight game Altidore misses a sitter and we lose points and are relegated he will be a failure in my eyes. If he bangs in some goals between now and the end of the season he will have helped enormously in staving off relegation.

 

Just like you have put DMD in place of DUMB..

 

I think it's time for us all to rally behind Jozy.

He hasn't scored but unquestionably he has contributed, he needs to stay on his feet and use his bulk, and he just needs to smash one.

I'd let him take penalty if we are ever in a good position, whatever it takes.

Plenty of good strikers have failed to score initially then come good, Jozy is young, and the flick for Jack on Saturday, well he's done that several times, that is natural ability.

I'd love to see the lad get firing.

 

I like the player as a person.

 

It's going to be hard for him as he doesn't have a natural goal scoring instinct. Krul went to ground very early. A natural goal scorer probably would have just lifted it over him or took it wider. These actions come without thinking at all. If we were set up to rely on a striker we'd have big problems but fortunately we're set up for the goals to come from everywhere. Just keep playing your natural game Jozy. You bring others into play well. Forget about scoring completely, chances are you're more likely to score if you stop thinking about it.

Like he'll read this

 

I do.

 

You'd be surprised how many players & club staff DO read forums mate.

If we can develop Jozy into an 8-12 a season striker, given his other attributes, then that would be ok. You have to feel Scocco is going to create space, he looks an absolute menace for defenders.