What a top lad he is!. Never shirked a duty. Remember him when he first signed........ouitside the entrance when Max Power was taking all the plaudits.....200 apprearances top man Luke,you're one of us marra!
I wondered if Luke would manage the step up to the Championship, but he's been fantastic this season. Player of the season so far
He's my favourite player, always gives 100% every time he pulls the shirt on, has a great engine and is rarely injured.
Talk about self belief and belief in the team. Wow: LUKE O'Nien says Sunderland's understandable early season uncertainty has been replaced by belief, with the Black Cats intent on grasping their opportunity at the top end of the Championship. https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...erland-grasp-championship-opportunity/?ref=eb (excuse the clunky website)
How many CHs or defenders could pick that ball up on the edge of the box like he did yesterday, steady himself and find the bottom corner, it certainly wasn’t a hit and hope. He’s definitely on top of his game at the moment, and being a nice human being just tops him off nicely.
He’s surprised me and been better than I thought he would, and he’s definitely not a bad centre back at all for this level but his defensively capabilities are still limited and if we’re to go up in the next few seasons we need to cut out conceding stupid goals and that’s down the defenders most of the time. I remember him not watching 5’7 Nathan Tella from the corner then getting beaten to the second header by him for Burnley’s first, and although it’s probably me being a tad harsh you could argue he was outmuscled by Tella for the long ball up for their second. Jogged alongside Mark Harris and watched the ball get played into him instead of getting goalside for Cardiff’s winner. Let Dike jog away from him and score a free header for West Brom’s winner. They’re just off the top of my head, there’s plenty more I’m sure I’d dig out if I rewatched highlights from the season. Plays some great balls out from the back mind and he’s useful to have in the squad, plays wherever he’s asked and does a fairly decent job but for me you put round pegs in round holes. O’nein and Gooch together on the right side of a defence is just asking for trouble.
I think he's proven himself to be an excellent defender who can also do the business further up the field as well. He has done so much more for this team that easily outweigh any reservations. This post seems to imply error prone but are you perhaps just looking for fault?
In reality if you look closely enough you could pick out similar issues with every player over several matches, I love Stewart but have said on quite a few occasions - "how one earth did he miss that?" (putting it politely). Similar has been said about Patterson, for me both Patto and O'Nien are doing great, everybody makes mistakes, most have off days, some have talent but never quite give their all. Despite all the flaws, loving watching this team more than I have for many years, long may they continue!
Great story in the Echo about Luke. Such a good bloke. Sunderland AFC news: Luke O'Nien's heartwarming gesture to stricken Middlesbrough fan Luke O’Nien has once again proved his credentials as the nicest man in Sunderland. By James Copley Just days before Sunderland’s game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light in the Championship, the Black Cats defender came to the aid of a stricken motorist on the A19. Sarah Whitaker, accompanied by her kids and heading home from Dalton Park, suffered a flat tyre on her car whilst heading southbound. Sarah and her family had already waited an hour and a half on a grass verge in the cold waiting for the recovery truck before O’Nien arrived to offer some moral support. “After an hour and a half, we were really cold,” Sarah explained to The Echo. “Which was when Luke had driven past, he circled back and stopped the car, he thought my children were crying as they were huddled with a blanket around them trying to keep warm. “He said If he pulled into a safer spot did we want him to wait so that we could all get warm while we waited for the truck, I’d said no it’s okay, don’t worry, we will be fine. However, he said he was on his way back from puppy classes with his lovely dog. "We were so grateful for the offer, we gladly accepted as long as we weren’t spoiling his day. At this point we had no clue whatsoever who Luke was, he was just a kind stranger, we were chatting for maybe 20 minutes before the subject came up about why he moved up here (as his accent clearly isn’t northern) he explained that he moved up for work. “I asked him if he went to university in Sunderland, and he said no I play football, I was surprised and asked if he played for anyone that we knew, and that’s when he said, Sunderland. We are actually Middlesbrough fans, so I wasn’t familiar with the Sunderland first team. "We then proceeded to chat about the upcoming game Sunderland vs Middlesbrough, which was when Luke had explained that we wouldn’t be playing as he had been sent off the previous match and was absolutely devastated. "There are preconceptions about footballers, however, Luke breaks all of those, what a selfless, kind, family-oriented lad he really is. Not all heroes wear capes, some wear a Sunderland shirt!”
Are we entirely sure that he isn't stuck in Groundhog Day and just doing nicer and nicer stuff each time round?
