Watching Alonso and Vergini in a bottle at fullback the last few games I really like the look of them. Both are tall for fullbacks, comfortable on the ball and like getting up and down. Really hope we keep Alonso. I struggle to think of any other similar players in terms of height, athleticism and ability. Feels balanced with those two playing together! Keep the faith!
They're main weakness is fast players, problem for all our back four tbh. Good organisation can combat that though. Very pleased with the whole team today
I think with our mainly defensive midfield, we can accommodate both current fullbacks in the team, Gus has at last sorted this area out, giving us a balance we have lacked for one reason or another all season. And at last we have a talisman, Whicks has been fantastic since being brought into the team, 5 goals in 3 games, if we survive he will have justified his transfer fee in 6 games.
Agreed Alonso is the best left back we've had alongside Danny Rose over the last few seasons. Swap deal for Diakite would be my target. Although Vergini has done well past few games I still have reservations, mainly with his lack of pace. Not so sure about a CB playing RB. However I think he's a better RB than CB haha.
The problem with our team in General is a lack of pace. However we were defensively sound today. We didn't really look like conceding. My biggest worry is how we defend set pieces. This is where we seem most vulnerable.
I do like Alonso but he does have his frustrating moments when he punts it instead of picking an easy pass. Vergini is very calm on the ball and whilst the odd pass might go astray its better for the team if we have people at the back who are composed Vergini has been very disciplined in these games. Bardsley sometimes goes glory hunting and it makes us susceptible to counter attacks. The only dissappinting player for me was Borini. His decision making in the final third is baffling at times. I also thought he was lazy on a few occasions, most notably when wickham brought the ball down on the half way line and flicked it into colback, jc tried to drive forward but had two defenders tracking him. Borini just stood there when he could have bombed forward and helped out
To be fair to Borini he made two huge contributions with his penalty conversion under immense pressure and his pass into Giacc for the vital third goal, these two moments were huge in the context of the game. By the way has anyone else seen this game as a mirror image to our defeat at Crystal Palace.
WEST HAM are leading the race for Phil Bardsley - if Sunderland opt against resurrecting contract talks with the full-back. Sunderland boss Gus Poyet insisted earlier this month that both Bardsley and Jack Colback would leave the club when their deals expire at the end of the season after the breakdown of negotiations with the pair. The duo are the only members of the eight out-of-contract players at the Stadium of Light who Sunderland have approached to keep, yet both have rejected the offers put to them. Bardsley, now Sunderland’s record appearance-maker in the Premier League, has not been looking to leave and is settled in the North East. But the sticking point in the negotiations is understood to have been the length of contract offered. A host of top flight clubs, plus newly-promoted Burnley, are keeping tabs on Bardsley, yet the Echo understands that West Ham are in pole position to land the 28-year-old on a Bosman deal. The Hammers would be able to match Bardsley’s current salary, while the former Manchester United man also offers a seasoned top flight player on a free transfer. The sticking point could be whether Sunderland have a change of heart over Bardsley and make a fresh attempt to keep him on Wearside. Should the Black Cats remain in the Premier League, that is far more likely, despite Poyet claiming three weeks ago that he had accepted the departures of Bardsley and Colback. “To be honest, it doesn’t matter where we finish - I cannot see them staying at the club,” said Poyet. “It would be too easy to make a decision based on where we are (Premier League or Championship) because it would be very unfair on the fans.” Certainly, Colback has proved his worth over the last three games, with the midfielder playing a pivotal role in Sunderland’s seven point-haul which has taken them out of the bottom three. But Sunderland are paying the price for their failure to tie down Colback to a new contract last summer. Former director of football Roberto De Fanti offered Colback - one of the lowest earners at the Stadium of Light - a derisory pay rise and while Sunderland’s Premier League status has been so uncertain, the 24-year-old has rejected several advances from the club. Newcastle United continue to be linked with a Bosman move for Colback and after senior Magpies sources had initially played down their interest in the Killingworth-born player, there is an indication now that he is a summer target for Alan Pardew. But there is plenty of interest elsewhere in Colback too, with Everton and Hull among the Sunderland academy product’s long-term admirers.
