Totally agree. Janssen needs game time. We need to pull teams like this apart. He had to start in my book or come on at half time at the very least.
Son was excellent, Sissoko, Dembele and Wanyama were very good and our back 4 were good, even if Vertonghen quite clearly doesn't like playing left back. I guess I should be pleased. Pochettino, Kane, Alli, Lamela and Janssen need a boot up the arse though. Kane would've had a lot more chances if he'd actually ran in behind the defenders when it's blatantly obvious that's where the cross is going. Alli showing no discipline when moved deeper. Lamela needs to use his bloody right foot from time to time, the shot that deflected wide was never really on. Janssen encapsulated the last 15 minutes by refusing to pass to Lamela and instead slowing down and skying it. We needed a goal and they were ****ing about like we were 3-0 up! Pochettino was the worst though, Dembele should have gone off before he picked up a knock as we all know he needs to be wrapped in cotton wool, then sticking Alli in midfield when we need to be solid was a nightmare and frankly leaving the very poor Kane and Alli both on the pitch for so long was a bad idea too. Rant over. coys
After all's been said though I am NOT confident going to Middlesborough. The way things are going I WILL settle for a one goal win up there. Can't help feeling though that a thrashing is coming for us sometime if this keeps going. 1-1, 1-0 and 1-0 at HOME.
74% possession and 31 shots. I think it's fair to say our problem area is rather obvious at this stage.
The bloke on sky analysing the match just said Sunderland went down to 10 men with 15 mins left...since when has a match been 105 mins? Also ... WTF was the cloak and dagger **** from Moyes about their change in team about?
I think it's very dodgy, to be honest. Maybe van Aanholt did have some sort of issue, but it doesn't look good. It definitely needs looking at, as the rule's open to abuse.
Let's hope GKN is the answer because everyone else has had a go and things have not materially improved.
Huff, puff, and create very little. What we do create, we can't seem to put away... I know WHL isn't the easiest playing surface to break down packed defences, but we do still seem clueless as to how to do it. For me, the old adage 'if you can't go through them, go around them' is still good. Bring on GKN, and let's get behind them.
To be honest we'd have lost that in years past. After we qualified for the group stages of the CL in 2010 by beating Young Boys we lost the following league match v wigan 1 nil. We dominated that match but could not score and allowed them in. There are plenty of other examples too...Newcastle did it last season and a year or two previously when we battered them stupid then got beat with a sucker punch. There are issues with our goal scoring 1-1; 1-0; 1-1; 4-0; 1-0 shows this but we have played both everton and pool and they are the only teams to have scored against us...and both goals were set pieces. I am pleased with our start and think we will improve because the manager demands it and he seems to be respected by the players
To an extent, but whereas last season we were scoring freely, this season our front '4' just haven't clicked in any way, shape or form. Even against a pathetically poor Stoke, we laboured for much of the game and could've easily been trailing at the interval. Alli and Kane in particular haven't really got going, and I'm afraid to say that Lamela has wasted some golden opportunities to score. Son continues to blow hot and cold and Eriksen has been underwhelming. Perhaps Sissoko is the missing link in all of this. I have to say that, despite my reservations at the ridiculous sum of money we paid for him, I was extremely impressed by him today. Other than his obvious qualities - pace, power and excellent control - what I like about him is that he consistently makes the right decision. Even when the accuracy and range aren't quite in tune, you can see what he is trying to do and 9 times out of 10 it is the right option. This contrasts with Lamela and Eriksen, who I'm afraid to say for all their talent frequently make the wrong decision and our momentum in the final 3rd breaks down as a result. I would very much like to see a front 4 of Sissoko Eriksen Son Janssen Against Boro, although I'm sure Lamela and Alli will worm their way in there instead.
Moyes' post-match interviews about the van Aanholt situation sound completely dishonest. He repeated the same "medical reasons" excuse and wouldn't explain the problem. It looked like he was bullshitting and I can't see why he wouldn't answer the questions if he was actually hurt.
Jesus looking at the comments you would think we'd lost the game. We absolutely murdered em, it wasn't as though it was a 'leicester' 1-0
Boro will come at us which will suit our normal set up and players like Lamela and Eriksen. It's the 10 men behind the ball, defend for our lives, break away and score merchants that we can't deal with. Maybe GKN's pace and dribbling can help get behind defences? However, there is a need for a ball carrying, goal scoring no 10 type. In years ahead it could be Marcus Edwards. Might it be worthwhile to put him on the bench for games like this? It's a lot to ask of a youngster but if he's as special as we hope, maybe it's worth a try?
I'd agree with most of this. Where we struggle is when Sunderland do what they did today. How many home games have we actually lost 0-1 because we couldn't break them down, and the got suckered on the quick counter? Where we do much better is in an open game, where the other side comes to play. But, we have to be prepared for more of what we saw today. Eriksen is about the only player we have who can deliver a killer pass through a packed defence. Otherwise, we need to get behind them with pace out wide.
Poch says Dier and Dembele went off with cramp rather than hamstring strains. I bloody hope that diagnosis is correct.
