Gus Poyet has accused Sunderland supporters of “living in the past” and claims they are pining for the sort of “kick-and-rush” football played by the side once spearheaded by Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips. It is a highly contentious assertion which overlooks the reality that many Sunderland fans crave midfield creativity of the variety which has been largely absent since Andy Reid left the club four years ago. Their problem with Poyet – who has presided over only two home wins this season – is his reluctance to name a creative midfielder such as Emanuele Giaccherini or Ricardo Álvarez in his starting XI. The need to deploy the recently arrived Jermain Defoe in an attacking pairing has seen Sunderland’s manager switch to a back five. Against Fulham the defensive mindset was further compounded by a midfield trio of Sebastian Larsson, Liam Bridcutt and Jack Rodwell. Frustrated that Giaccherini, particularly, and Álvarez remained on the bench for a tie against mid-table Championship opposition, the fans booed Poyet’s team off at half-time, at the final whistle and sporadically when they passed backwards or sideways. “The fans are still living in the past,” said Sunderland’s manager referring to the era, around 15 years ago, when Peter Reid led the team to two seventh-place Premier League finishes. “They want Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips back but I’m sorry, I can’t bring them back. You can’t live in the past. Football’s completely different today. “Quinn and Phillips was kick and rush and it worked perfectly but it’s impossible now, you’d never get the ball back. I understand the fans booing at the end and half-time probably, but during the game I don’t. You have to be very strong to play here and that’s creating a little bit of a problem. My message to the fans is patience.” It was a commodity in short supply on a day when the initially anonymous, service starved, Defoe did well to force Marcus Bettinelli into two decent second half saves after connecting with penalty area scraps, Jack Rodwell was sent off in the 66th minute for a ludicrous second booking and Kit Symons’ well-organised side nearly won it when Hugo Rodallega’s late shot hit a post. In the process the disconnect between Sunderland and their public widened. “It worries me a lot,” said Poyet who believes the crowd were partly responsible for his players retreating into their shells and handing Fulham a replay. “It’s up to me to find a solution. I understand it’s not nice to watch us at the moment but I promise I’ll try to find a way to bring more excitement to the stadium.” He's a ****ing bell end. I don't want kick and rush football, I want the ball on the deck, but I want us to move the ball quicker and install a central attacking threat.
Had enough now. Get rid of the **** for me. What makes him so ****ing special that he can criticise every ****er going? I'm all for stability but Poyet is a little weasel, a rat of a man. His squad is ****. His board/DoF and board are ****/his fans are ****... He took the job, he needs to accept some responsibility. **** off Gus, win some ****ing games then criticise people.
Is he trying to lose the fans support.....?? Kick and rush... No thanks Attacking play.... Yes please
What really irritates me is how he's decided we all want route one football. I've not hear or read a single fan wanting that. A few have called for the dated 442 but that doesn't mean hoof ball. He's ****ing fantasist and I'm finding his attitude toward us unacceptable.
I'd like to see us playing attractive, positive football but more than that I'd like some wins. I can't stand the man.
At this stage of the season I couldn't give a shiney ****e how we win games Give me 'ugly' wins against Burnley, QPR & Fulham and I'll be over the moon! The fact is... Sunderland fans deserve better than what's been served up at the moment.
The fans do need a bomb up there backside to be honest, as I don't think even Ronaldo or Messi could perform in the negative soul destroying atmosphere that has prevailed at the SoL this season..
GP has conveniently left out two wide men in Summerbee and Johnson who actually ran at defenders with the ball more often than not cutting inside and letting fly, or surging runs by midfielders such McCann and Schwartz and others. We did often use the simple tactic of diagonal balls into space or crosses into the box for headers, but it did work splendidly. Wake up and smell the tradition Gus.
Would just like to see us go out and play attacking football, not look like we,re more frightened of conceding, catch p footy when we concede doesn't work for us, we,ve got so called creative players to getting a look in, where are the ovals to come from?
Good to see Disco back! To be honest, I never thought he was so bad or unpleasant (a man, never mind manager), and with time he would create an effective, attractive team. But these **** PR comments are now offensive. What a cock. You said you had no more excuses just over a week ago, but you keep trotting them out Gus. Charlie Oatway is also being sent front line to trot out garbage about how good players look on the training ground. SHUT THE **** UP. Why do you think we want to hear this? It should be a given that players look good on the training ground, but its your job to make sure you coach them ready for a match on the weekend where they look equally good , if not better. Saturday could be a disaster. If the team don't start well/positively, Gus could be done for. He'll get dogs abuse.
Yes..Just when the team need it most...Let's be honest here..as bad as the team are playing, our home support this season has been a hundred times worse and it is about time that a manager had the balls to say it..
Maybe gus should stop playing his pals from brighton and look at the italian and argentinian internationals he has at his disposal, burnley could be bruces wigan game at this rate
I'm hoping we come flying out the traps, RAW. Coz if we do, it could be massive in terms of generating the right atmosphere. Sadly, we all know (well not all, or at least maybe all dont care) what its like if we don't. He should have worded his criticism of the fans differently, but fidning the correct words is never easy. None of us want hoofball. We want committed, ballsy play with the guts and guile to attack.
Read the bold quote - he says "The fans are living in the past" which is fair enough - we all want the success we had when Quinn and Phillips were here. He then said we played "kick and rush" when we had Quinn & Phillips - which, to a point, he's right about. At no point did he say we wanted kick and rush. The press making more ****e out of nothing or am I reading this completely differently to everyone else?? He said we wanted Q&P back which, in some sort of way, we do - as it was exciting to watch - and that is what we want. Hope he stays - no point firing him to become another club with a manager every season which is what will happen. We get rid and someone else comes in and says all the same things the last x number of managers said - I need to build "My" team - Poyet is doing this and there bis no point sacking him
From The shields Gazette: GUS POYET accepts that the responsibility lies on his shoulders to cure Sunderland’s chronic home sickness. For the 12th time in 14 Stadium of Light games this season, Sunderland failed to emerge victorious on Saturday after being held to a stalemate by under-strength Championship side Fulham, with the Black Cats forced to head to Craven Cottage for an FA Cup fourth round replay in eight days time. Ahead of crucial successive home games against relegation rivals Burnley, QPR and West Brom, Sunderland boss Poyet has called for “patience and understanding” from supporters – believing there is an edgy atmosphere at the Stadium of Light which is transmitting to the players. But with the last two home games in particular characterised by blunt, sloppy and sluggish performances from Sunderland, Poyet admits that the burden lies with him to make the Black Cats more of an attacking threat. Poyet said: “It’s up to me to find a solution to connect with the fans through better play – whether it’s the system or the passing. “I need to find it. I’m responsible. On the pitch at the moment it’s not nice to watch and I understand them. “The only thing I can say is I’m going to try hard to bring more excitement at the stadium. “We’re going to find a formula to pass the ball better and yes, forwards.” Poyet is concerned though by what he describes as a “disconnection” between fans and the team, with several players clearly suffering from a lack of confidence after a dramatic slump in results since last month’s Tyne-Wear derby victory. “It worries me a lot,” said Poyet. “In football, we are not all the same characters, in terms of playing with nerves and rumours in the stadium. “It’s not for everyone. You need to be very, very strong individually and even more as a group. “That’s creating, I’m not saying a fear, but doubts in some players that they prefer to do things a little bit different to what they normally do. “If there’s an option to play it forward and it’s a risky ball, maybe you don’t play it because you don’t want to lose it and get the blame. “So you play safe and backwards, which makes you play the game you don’t want to play.” Poyet has also reiterated his belief that there is still a hankering among Sunderland supporters to return to the style of play which saw the club riding high at the turn of the millennium under Peter Reid. When asked whether he had a message to fans, Poyet said: “Patience and I’m sorry that I cannot bring back Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips. “I still think they want that kind of game. “You cannot live in the past and cannot think about what you always did. “People think they were very good because the way they played was excellent. “It worked perfectly for those two players as a way of playing. “I respect that and I suffered here myself. “But I don’t think too many teams play that in the Premier League nowadays.” However, Poyet remains confident that supporters remain on his side. “I believe they’re still behind me, no doubt,” he added. “And I think the most important thing is to be behind the players. “Managers can go very quickly, but players can stay for eight or nine years.”
The chronic and gazzette are the only papers trying to put this spin on things, no surprise there then The echo's take on it : ET accepts that the responsibility lies on his shoulders to cure Sunderland’s chronic home sickness. For the 12th time in 14 Stadium of Light games this season, Sunderland failed to emerge victorious on Saturday after being held to a stalemate by under-strength Championship side Fulham, with the Black Cats forced to head to Craven Cottage for an FA Cup fourth round replay in eight days time. Ahead of crucial successive home games against relegation rivals Burnley, QPR and West Brom, Sunderland boss Poyet has called for “patience and understanding” from supporters - believing there is an edgy atmosphere at the Stadium of Light which is transmitting to the players. But with the last two home games in particular characterised by blunt, sloppy and sluggish performances from Sunderland, Poyet admits that the burden lies with him to make the Black Cats more of an attacking threat. Poyet said: “It’s up to me to find a solution to connect with the fans through better play – whether it’s the system or the passing. please log in to view this image “I need to find it. I’m responsible. “On the pitch at the moment it’s not nice to watch and I understand them. “The only thing I can say is I’m going to try hard to bring more excitement at the stadium. “We’re going to find a formula to pass the ball better and yes, forwards.” Poyet is concerned though by what he describes as a “disconnection” between supporters and the team, with several players clearly suffering from a lack of confidence after a dramatic slump in results since last month’s Tyne-Wear derby victory. “It worries me a lot,” said Poyet. “In football, we are not all the same characters, in terms of playing with nerves and rumours in the stadium. “It’s not for everyone. You need to be very, very strong individually and even more as a group. “That’s creating, I’m not saying a fear, but doubts in some players that they prefer to do things a little bit different to what they normally do. “If there’s an option to play it forward and it’s a risky ball, maybe you don’t play it because you don’t want to lose it and get the blame. “So you play safe and backwards, which makes you play the game you don’t want to play.” Poyet has also reiterated his belief that there is still a hankering among Sunderland supporters to return to the style of play which saw the club riding high at the turn of the millennium under Peter Reid. When asked whether he had a message to fans, Poyet said: “Patience and I’m sorry that I cannot bring back Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips. “I still think they want that kind of game. “You cannot live in the past and cannot think about what you always did. People think they were very good because the way they played was excellent. “It worked perfectly for those two players as a way of playing. “I respect that and I suffered here myself. But I don’t think too many teams play that in the Premier League nowadays.” However, Poyet remains confident that supporters remain on his side. “I believe they’re still behind me, no doubt,” he added. “And I think the most important thing is to be behind the players. “Managers can go very quickly, but players can stay for eight or nine years.”
How many managers do we need to tell us that we as SUPPORTERS we are clueless. The last 2 managers are prime examples. What we really need is a shock reminder and a season or 2 in the championship might get rid of the doom and gloom brigade.
Van Gaal's having similar problems, too focussed on his ****ing PHILOSOPHY (how often did Fergie mention that ****ing word?) to see that approximately £400m worth of attacking players can't put the ball in the net. They didn't have any problems doing so before, the only thing that's changed is this ****ing 'Philosophy'. I really admire LVG's achievements, but like Poyet, they need to know that if you don't have the players for your stupid ****ing philosophy, it's no good blaming others, you need to change your game or you'll drown, because this is the most competitive league in the world. Taking it out on the fans is pathetic, the guy needs a reality check, he hasn't got any respect in this game as a manager, he should shut his trap and be a bit more humble that a huge top flight team has given him a chance to show what he can do.
In injury time Fulham had a corner which Mannone caught he then ran to the edge of the area with the fans around me screaming for him to kick it forward - all 10 of our players were coming out of the penalty area at the time so the ball would have come straight back
