Nobody thinks we aren't an improved side without Simms or Stewart upfront, they are good players who offer a lot, especially Stewart with his pressing. Fact is though that in the eight games leading up to Simms being injured we scored ten and in the eight games after, before he came back, we scored...ten. If we'd kept a few clean sheets in that period we'd have more points on the board because we did continue to score. At the exact same rate.
Surely he has to start either Matete or Ba Saturday. If he starts with Embleton in centre midfield again he wants shooting.
Fair enough but could it not be that Stewart/Simms could have prevented us conceding at corners/ free kicks which would have enhanced our points tally. Likewise our record of not scoring from set pieces could also be irrelevant. How many penalties did Stewart win last season? It's not just their attacking prowess that we've been missing but their all round contribution to the team especially Stewart.
Had a look on Huddersfields match thread on their forum, do we have history with them or something because they really don't like us. not that I'm arsed just find it odd. "I don't mind Newcastle and Boro fans, good crack, but Sunderland fans have this PL entitlement".
It is aye they do both offer a lot especially Stewart as you say. I'd have to try and cast my mind back to the specifics of all the goals we've conceded to decide how likely we'd have been to not concede with a striker on and sadly I don't have the brain cells for that. I don't particularly rate either of our lads in the air but it's safe to say they'd have been useful to have in the box at either end.
Would like to see Ba and Simms starting at the weekend! Ba is looking like the question should be who do we play alongside him not what minute does he come on as a sub. Lad looks very good and he hasn't even had a decent run in the team yet! Simms should be starting if he is needing to come off after 60 or 70 minutes fair enough much prefer that to him coming on at half time!
I hadn't realised just how good it was. We only really picked it up when they came towards us over the halfway line ... .... looking at it again it was top class in every way. Just like Clarke’s at Reading defenders can't handle that kind of rapid passing and movement off the ball. And who passed the ball out of defence, I'm watching on a phone and still waking up after my 'celebrations'
I'll second that, the play up to that point was hardly riveting and likewise I didn't realise it started again with Patto, great goal.
I think that's what Mowbray is trying to drum into all the players in training - be brave with the passing and get it forward as quickly as possible but don't hoof it just for the sake of it
I enjoyed the build up to the goal and like you say very similar to the reading goal We look good when we play that way and have proved we can
I too would like to see both start soon, but watching and listening to TM , his preferred option is patience, and slower but sustainable progress, and maybe he will follow that route especially with Simms, and I would not argue with that tbh. OaU
