http://www.theguardian.com/football...-sunderland-inability-to-win?CMP=share_btn_tw A perfect storm is gathering at Sunderlandwith Gus Poyet standing right at the epicentre. The fear on Wearside is that it will hit the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon when Aston Villa’s visit threatens to bring an unfortunate confluence of events to a head. Should Tim Sherwood’s side win, Poyet’s future will once again be subjected to forensic scrutiny while festering discontent in the stands could well tip from resigned disgruntlement to outright rebellion. To a casual observer, Sunderland’s position, sitting 16th and four points above the bottom three, looks, if not exactly comfortable, hardly disastrous. Yet while a series of draws has left Poyet’s players within touching distance of mid-table their inability to win games – they have celebrated four League victories this season and only two at home – threatens to suck them into the relegation vortex. A manager knows he has problems once March arrives and his team have only won twice at home in the Premier League while his joint-top scorers have four goals apiece to their name. When one of that pair is currently suspended from the club and on police bail as investigations continue into suspicions that he had sex with an underage girl, the word crisis no longer seems an exaggeration. If Adam Johnson’s exclusion from the club while Durham Constabulary continue their enquires deprives Poyet of arguably his side’s most creative outlet, Lee Cattermole’s absence from both the Villa game and the trip to West Ham United the following weekend is equally damaging. With Cattermole – so often Sunderland’s best player – serving a two game ban after being booked for the 10th time this season, Sherwood will sense opportunity. In the home enforcer’s absence he will expect Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph to dictate midfield as Villa – one place and one point behind Saturday’s hosts – aim to climb the table. How different it would if Sunderland found scoring as easy as accumulating yellow cards. The 85 they have collected this term has helped send them plunging to the bottom of the Fair Play League but this position is not just down to Poyet’s players. Fair play positions are calculated in five categories – the number of red and yellow cards clocked up, positive play – namely a lack of time wasting and general attacking intent – respect towards opponents, respect towards referees and the behaviour of team officials. Sunderland have scored particularly badly in the latter section with Poyet and his assistants, Mauricio Taricco and Charlie Oatway, as well as the goalkeeping coach, Andy Beasley, infamous for their targeting of match officials and provocation of the opposition. Things reached a nadir during a somewhat flattering 1-1 draw at Hull City last week when, after being banished to the stand after kicking over a tray of drinks bottles on the touchline, Poyet wandered over to Steve Bruce and, after initially making as if to shake the Hull manager’s hand said something that prompted an uncharacteristically charged reaction from one of his Wearside predecessors. Afterwards Bruce, who had to be restrained by a linesman tried to make light of it but admitted that Poyet’s words were “not very pleasant”. Back on the pitch, the away team became liable for an automatic £25,000 Football Association fine after accruing six bookings. Refusing to apologise the Uruguayan said he “regretted nothing” – which did little to dispel the image of a man seemingly close to breaking point. Always volatile, the former Brighton manager has, at various times this season, blamed Sunderland’s travails on his players, the director of football, Lee Congerton, the fans (he said they were “living in the past” and craved “kick and rush football” but later published an open,conciliatory, letter on the club website begging for their support) and the north-east press. Only Poyet though can explain why he fielded four central midfielders across the middle of the park at the KC Stadium and began with Patrick van Aanholt, a pacey attacking left-back who is now his best available crosser of the ball, on the bench. Maybe he was making a political point to a board he feels has not backed him adequately in the transfer market and does not permit him sufficient overall autonomy. Or perhaps Sunderland’s 8-0 thrashing at Southampton in October scarred their “head coach” so badly Poyet has simply lost his attacking nerve. The latter theory arguably explains the team’s recent record of only one win in 11 games and the chalking up of eight goalless draws this season. A mere 12 League goals have been scored at home while the total draw tally stands at 14. Before travelling to Hull Poyet said he had been forced to abandon, at least temporarily, his attempt to create a “brand Sunderland” by imbuing the team with a Spanish-style short-passing, ultra-patient, possession-based game. Acknowledging this vision was not working, he announced a dramatic U-turn, indicating pragmatism would be the order of the day between now and May. “We need to forget about identity and special shape,” he said. “We just need to win games – somehow.” When back in October 2013, Ellis Short, Sunderland’s owner opted to replace Paolo Di Canio with Poyet rather than the then available Steve McClaren eyebrows were raised in certain quarters. Initially the team’s run to the League Cup final followed by a near-miraculous escape from relegation – not to mention some convincing wins against local rivals Newcastle United – vindicated Short’s judgement. Even so by the time the clocks went forward it was becoming apparent that Di Canio’s successor was high maintenance with the owner having to talk him out of quitting following a 5-1 April thrashing at Spurs. If a mutual parting of the ways this summer appears an increasing possibility, there seems little boardroom appetite for making an imminent change. Unless, of course, Villa, Sherwood and Saturday’s expected 40,000-plus crowd conspire to force Short’s hand.
She makes a lot of sense, that woman. Lose on Saturday, some folks will be calling for heads to roll.
Out of curiosity, does anybody think sacking him at this stage will fix anything? It's a bit late in the day mind. There's a two week break in a couple of weeks I think, for internationals. You have Villa H then West Ham A. If you lose both, then I'd expect that two week period would be the only logical break in fixtures to work a new manager in. Just in time for the local derby.
Honestly it will all depend on the manner of a defeat as always, if its another hull etc then yes, reading the 'are you one of the happy ones' thread and taylors words above have depressed me quite a bit and realise just how bad we've been, we are not creating enough, we have made the 3rd most passes back to our keeper (you are 1st btw) walked away from the ground happy only twice all season, if we get humped on saturday, we will also get a hammer shoved up our rectum and be there for the taking off the horse punchers. Can not afford to lose on saturday
Just gotta feeling that Villa will take their eye off the ball brcause of the FA Cup. Think it will be very nervy - a game we should get 100% behind the team with loud vocal support from the off. With a bit of luck its a game we might just win..... Got that winning feeling about this one. Bart
Good article that. Puts into words what pretty much all of us are thinking. We have no reason to fear Villa. They are on a bit of a run, but are still pretty crap TBH. Catts is a big loss, but Bridcutt is doing OK and losing AJ may be a blessing. If he was consistent it would have been a disaster, but who knows what he'll do week to week? Personally, I get bored waiting for him to do something a lot of the time, although he's been one of our better players latterly. Just go out and attack the bastards! Let them do the worrying 200 miles from home...
That twat Agbonlahor is playing though - detest him - one of the dirtiest cheats on the planet and hardly ever gets any press because of it - hope he gets badly injured - he's on my list where that's concerned but he's always an influence against us - and they always seem to get away with things against us from recent times (I can think of elbows and at least 2 penalty handballs which have cost us against them and an incorrect off-side)
"We have no reason to fear them...." We don't need to fear anybody, we're pretty good at ****ing things up all by ourselves!
Aye. when will we score more than 1 or 0 in a game? That 8-0 at Soton is standing out as a result that was at least INTERESTING....
Really? Over dramatic journalism if you ask me - as usual from her. I remember her claiming there were expectations that Paulo Di Danio's revolutionised side were going to be world beaters. Some lovely phrases in there all designed to give the picture of a club and manager in meltdown. Nah, don't buy it. Not good enough this year, but Poyet will still be here next year having found ways to improve things. We're not going to get relegated but it will be uncomfortable and frustrations won't easily go away but let's not pretend that Louise Taylor is anything more than a journalist who doesn't like Poyet. She has no more insight than anyone else into the club,nor especially the mental stae of Gus Poyet. Crises and managerial sackings sell newspapers, but as a Sunderland supporter,sometimes she doesn't do the club any favours.
totally agree with ill mans pants. There are column inches to fill and she's gotta write something. Why not look at it the other way..............beat villa on Saturday and we're laughing, then for an encore we'll beat the mags............happy days
