by Chris Young IT’S A DANGEROUS path for a manager to tread when he makes comments that are perceived as derogatory by supporters. More than three years on, those “expectations” monologues of Steve Bruce are still a target for derision. Considering Sunderland have registered a pathetic eight Premier League wins in 24 months of football at the Stadium of Light, the 40,000-odd regulars can be forgiven for the odd grumble. Neither have Sunderland exactly set a positive tone in their last two home games after first-half displays that have been mind-numbingly flat. When those foundations are laid, it’s no wonder that the sloppy giveaway, the loose ball into touch or yet another pass backwards is not met with the most positive of reactions. But does Gus Poyet have a point about a disconnection between team and supporters, and a need for greater patience in the stands? Clearly something is wrong at the Stadium of Light. It’s not a problem of Poyet’s making. It has stretched back to when Bruce was in charge. But it’s the second time Poyet has referred to the atmosphere this month, while several players have touched on it during interviews over the course of the season. When players are short on confidence – and there are evidently a handful currently in Sunderland’s ranks – they don’t need to be fretting over a mistake, for fear of any subsequent abuse. In those circumstances, they will inevitably play the safer pass, rather than risk the 50-50 ball. It’s those risky passes which Sunderland are clearly missing to take the predictability out of their laboured, stodgy build-up. Just look at how many times Jermain Defoe – a player who likes to linger on the last man and gamble on the linesman’s flag to a ball in behind – was caught offside. Zero. But it’s a classic Catch-22. How do supporters get excited and enthusiastically back the team, when there’s precious little to get excited about? It took Sunderland until the hour mark In Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie before they even began to create chances against an under-strength Championship side. Mental strength is a prerequisite for playing in this part of the world too. You cannot foster an underdog mentality playing in front of crowds this size. It’s why so many recent Sunderland managers have looked towards those players surplus to requirements at Manchester United. In some ways though, the effect of the crowd on the side is a redundant discussion this week. There HAS to be a white-hot atmosphere for this Saturday’s visit of Burnley; one akin to the raucousness which accompanied the wins over Cardiff and West Brom at the end of last season which secured Sunderland’s survival. This weekend’s game is the most-important of the campaign, bar none. After the rut Sunderland have slumped into since their Tyne-Wear derby triumph, they desperately need just one win – preferably at the Stadium of Light – to re-inject some upwards momentum into their season. With home games against QPR and West Brom following, Sunderland must begin this crucial period on the front foot. Inevitably, Burnley boss Sean Dyche will be instructing his players this week to contain Sunderland for the opening 20 minutes and spark frustration in the crowd. If Poyet’s risky, perhaps antagonising, comments achieve anything positive, then it will be to create a universally supportive atmosphere against the Clarets. However, the head coach has more to worry about than the crowd. In fact, he has much bigger concerns. If Poyet is looking for reasons behind Sunderland’s failure to secure a much-needed confidence boost at home prior to the Burnley clash, then he has to start with his own team selection. The decision to replace the injured Adam Johnson with Liam Bridcutt just didn’t work. It left Sunderland with a more defensive-minded side than they had fielded at Spurs seven days earlier, with a midfield trio full of graft, but no craft, who were all largely doing the same job. It emphatically proved that if Sunderland are to stick with this 3-5-2 system, then they need either Johnson, Emanuele Giaccherini or Ricky Alvarez operating in the hole behind the front two. Poyet had planned to introduce either Giaccherini or Alvarez from the bench before Jack Rodwell’s sending-off, but they should have been in from the start. Without that element of flair, it was no wonder that Defoe and Steven Fletcher were starved of service and had to go looking for the ball. Wing-backs Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt were happy to get forward, yet they were the only outlets. Seb Larsson and Rodwell had looked far, far better at Spurs when they were deeper and had Johnson in front of them. Rodwell, in particular, doesn’t look anywhere near as proficient playing further forward. A series of wayward long-range efforts during that instantly forgettable first half were testament to that. But it wasn’t just the selection which was wrong. Sunderland were far too sluggish and sloppy on the ball to worry Fulham. Too often, players took three or four touches, rather than moving it on first-time, which simply slowed the play up and allowed Fulham to get back in numbers. It wasn’t until just before – and after – Rodwell’s mindless second yellow card that Sunderland finally began to up the tempo and the game became stretched. As a result, Jones and van Aanholt started getting to the by-line and delivering some crosses. Defoe finally became involved too – three times denied by smart saves from Fulham keeper Marcus Bettinelli. It’s something which has to continue against Burnley. It’s fine adopting a possession-based strategy, but there also has to be the capability of mixing it up and moving the ball quickly. That’s a different thing entirely from the “kick and rush” under Peter Reid which Poyet keeps referencing. On a day of FA Cup drama – where only one Premier League side triumphed in five meetings with Championship sides – it could have been much worse for Sunderland. Hugo Rodallega’s low drive from 25 yards which crashed back against the outside of the post, with Vito Mannone beaten, at least kept Sunderland in a competition which has suddenly been blown wide open by the elimination of four members of the top flight’s current top six. But Sunderland’s failure to secure a place in the fifth round outright was more down to their continued inadequacies at home than any super-human effort from Fulham. By the time Sunderland head to Craven Cottage a week tomorrow for the replay, they desperately need to have turned over a new leaf at the Stadium of Light. SUNDERLAND: Mannone, Jones (Bucklkey 75), van Aanholt, O’Shea, Coates, Vergini, Bridcutt, Larsson, Rodwell, Fletcher (Wickham 66), Defoe. Subs not used: Pantilimon, Gomez, Graham, Alvarez, Giaccherini. Booked: Rodwell (30), Coates (55), Buckley (86). Sent off: Rodwell (66) FULHAM: Bettinelli, Grimmer, Hutchinson, Bodurov, Stafylidis, Tunnicliffe, Fofana (Kacaniklic 75), Christensen, Ruiz, Woodrow (Rodallega 75), Dembele (McCormack 61). Subs not used: Kiraly, Zverotic, Burn, Roberts. Attendance: 22,961 Referee: Anthony Taylor
I hope he turns it around, it's gonna be very embarrassing if he fails. I still really like the bloke, it's just frustrating cos I don't like change!
Living in the past? Sure, I'm living in the past. I want the 1890s side that brought back three titles in four years. I don't much give a toss how they play. They can play classic Pulis stuff or straight out of the Swansea handbook, and, if we're winning enough games, I'll still go home smiling. I just wonder how we're the eighth biggest spenders in the PL and fifth from bottom - and even that on a GD of +1. Tell me that, Gus. And remind me please how much of that expenditure I - or any other fan - wasted on god-damned cripples.
What's your point fella? Giacc has been injured most of his Sunderland Career and still isn't used to the football over here. The only thing that will improve him is game time, if we're not willing to give him it he's a wasted squad place and should be sold. How many times Has Rodwell played poorly? Buckley? Gomez? AJ? Wickham? With their 'knowledge' of English football.
Don't often post but, my penny' s worth: could it also be down to having OSHea as Captain? We have scored 60 odd goals in the premiership during 2013/14 season and up to the last game against the spuds, which is averaging just over 1 a game and not exactly rousing the fans! I would have thought that a midfielder would make a better Captain, marshalling defence and attack ( Cattermole perhaps?). I cannot get to see them play and only watch on the tellie, been all over watching Sunderland in the 70's &80's, but have to say at times it is dire stuff and something has to change, do the team realise that the sanity of some of the fans is at stake? (I am still not over the Hull fiasco!) Booted, spurred and ready to be shot off my high horse
The next 3-5 games will pretty much dictate Poyet's future at the club. In my view, we've had a rotten first half schedule and we need some calm heads for the upcoming 'easier' home games coming our way (Burnley and QPR, with Swansea and WBA away in between). If we have a bad trot here, then I think we all have to concede that Poyet's position will be pretty much untenable. This would be pretty sad in my view as Poyet has really tried to get us playing some real football - and at times we have shown some flashes. The problem is that our recent football has been every bit as unattractive as when MON was managing us and in some ways we have gone backwards. The number of our passes that go to absolutely nobody is my biggest concern and warning sign that something could be wrong. Oh yeah, that and the fact that we don't score any bloody goals is a bit of a canary in the coal mine too. I reckon our squad is reasonably decent on paper (i.e. good for 10th-14th) and this will show by the end of the season. Football is a fickle game. After the next 5 games we could all be wondering what all the fuss was about. Alternatively, we could also find ourselves buried in a crisis. For now, I refuse to believe that we have anything close to a relegation squad.
We don't and that's the frustrating thing. Poyet has just handed the 'slackers' in the team the biggest get out clause they could have wished for. "Don't worry lads, it's those nasty 40,000 supporters to blame, they're making you nervous." It's now obvious that Di Canio had them sussed on the first day.
Yes and No! When he had the armband he was a loose cannon. Now he is a much more reassured footballer and he still "captains" the side without the band. if you get my meaning. We have missed him recently. I think getting him fit is the priority now but, unfortunately, he's on 9 yellows so misses 2 games with his next one. Unless he gets himself 2 yellows in a game where he will only miss one game!!
Just a reason he was left out, He planned to bring him on before Rodwell was sent off, maybe he didn't want to put pressure on Giacc as our main creative outlet from the start because he has been injured pretty much all season?
Maybe Poyet wastes subs like no tomorrow, He essentially only use one a game, Buckley in the last 5 is as much a waste as the one he doesn't use. Fact is Gicc should have been on from the start imo.
Read an article earlier flagged up on Twitter, about what Gus has inferred about your fans, written by Don Hutchinson, saying it's insulting to say Reid's game was just kick and rush. It was a decent read and he makes some valid points, suggests maybe Gus is looking for a way out.
Seems that way to me ......... he's playing the 'Bruce card'. He'll be wanting to fly south now the winter's here.
I'm not gonna jump to conclusions mind, but if that's the case, I doubt he'll get many offers. Maybe Fernandez think's he'll replicate his 'miracle working' on Queens Park Raisins (as LVG likes to call them), aside from that, I can't see him getting a shot anywhere else. With respect mate, he's not really shown anything this season to suggest he's moving your club in the right direction as a manager. I like his style, I actually think he knows what he's doing and he has good vision, he just seems to go to **** when a mic's put under his beak.
