Gus Poyet BANNED backward and sideways passes in training this week as his Sunderland side prepared to launch the ball on Bradford’s terrible pitch. The route-one tactics set to be employed in Sunday's FA Cup fifth round tie illustrates the huge compromise in style Poyet says he is making, as he wrestles for answers to the slow pace of change on Wearside. Sunderland boss Poyet admitted his team “couldn’t pass the ball three yards” to each other against QPR in midweek. The fall-out to that defeat (the first time all season Rangers HAVEN'T lost away from home), and the comments from the Black Cats' manager in the aftermath, caused some fans to doubt the head coach. On Friday, Poyet conceded Sunderland are “miles away” from where he wanted to be, 15 months into the job. He wants a cultured passing style mixed with typical English aggression. Instead he is getting a confused mix of timidity and inconsistency, and at times his frustration boils over. Putting himself in a fan's shoes, Poyet said: “If I am in the stand watching my team - the one I love and wait all week to watch - and I see 11 players who cannot pass the ball three yards, what am I going to do? I am going to get upset. “When I say things, that is natural too. Not because it is what I think they might want to hear. I want to convince the fans by playing football and winning, nothing else. “You cannot imagine how much I am having to change. Before I came here, I was recognised for playing a certain style of football. Are we playing that football? No. Do I want to lose that recognition? No. “I am going to fight it, but there is a process, and the process at the moment is that I have to do certain things to move the ball differently. “I take responsibility. I thought it would be quicker, and that is my opinion. Quicker because of the way I train, and the way I have convinced players in the past. We were getting better towards the end of last season. “But it looks like we have got to a point where we are no longer progressing and we are a little bit stuck.” It is a case of needs must on Valley Parade’s churned-up pitch as they face the League One side whose round four win at Premier League table-toppers Chelsea was arguably the greatest shock in the competition's history. A direct approach has been worked on. Jermain Defoe has given us something extra, but now maybe we need something different again. What that difference is, I need to find.”
Interesting. A quality forward pass is the hardest one to play. Hope we still look to pass it and not got too long
Brid, Larsson, Gomez and the CBs are the ones that need to start playing accurate forward passes. Needs plenty of movement off the ball though otgerwise it becomes hit and hope
This! We waste possession and loose the ball through unforced errors more often than not and it comes from a lack of quality footballers in our half. How often do we pinch the ball and turn the opposition around with one pass?, at times our build up play looks so ponderous and slow and that's why even when we go a goal down in my head I'm already resigned to getting nothing from the game. I don't think it is simply a case of the players not being good enough it's that's apart of it but there seems to be little confidence around the camp causing players to go into their shell Scholes said about man utd this week they need to attack but to attack you need to take risks this rings true with us at the moment we need the players like Gomez who's sole purpose seems is to take penalties and slow the game down need to be taken out and the sooner Catts is back the better I'm not as anti bridcutt as some are but with out Catts we really are **** anyone who doubts his contribution need only look at how we've played since he's been out, but it's been like that for years!
Absolutely this. It's crazy saying "get it forward" when the movement in front is non-existent. You can't pass through people.
Will he lift the ban tomorrow !. We have to give the opposing goalkeeper the problems from now on, and stop inviting pressure on the defence. Manone will be back as well. And we won't beat WBA next week.
We need to go more direct but not route one. Bradford have plenty of hight but lack pace. Easiest job in a world for a cb to deal with long balls. Especially when we have nobody to flick it on or bring it down. I'd invite them on, force their defence to sit a higher line and put weighted through balls through for Defoe and use the wings with natural wide men.
It's good to see he is learning from his mistakes and trying new things to find a winning formula. It's only taken 18 months so far though.
I like this strategy away from home Bri, and we have the players to see it work, its all about whether he selects them. If he does, we should win through to the next round and another good cup run is on the cards.
Wickham is generally available he and Fletcher are both excellent at holding the ball up and keeping possession, Defoe aint bad at it either so all the players need to do is look for one of the forwards, give it then move into a position to get it back, its that simple.
I've a feeling we may be try and hit it long for Connor. Hope not, he doesn't win much from those sort of balls and when he does it rarely leads to us retaining ball further up the pitch.
I've seen so much sideways passing, I'm not sure Gus knows which is forwards and which is backwards. Maybe some arrows alongside the pitch would help
