Watching the game in the pub yesterday afternoon, with a crowd of about 100 or so other supporters, it struck me that the mood amongst us all was that we wouldn't get anything at St Andrews, would be rubbish in our play and generally doom and gloom everywhere. However, by the end of the game, there was more disappointment at not getting something from the game, having totally out playing the hosts for 80% of the game. Our play was the best seen for several months (since pre Christmas probably) and the only missing ingredient was of course the most important one. A goal. If we keep that tempo and play and take it into the game on Saturday, we will win. Thats a certainty IMO. Wigan wont be able to live with that and we will be sitting with 41 points come 5pm on Saturday. Now, whether we can go from there and finish with a swagger and not a whimper will determine SB's future. If we can overcome these most difficult of months and emerge out of the other side with a top 10 finish (the table is still very, very tight) then some positives from a poor season can be taken. However, anything less than a win next weeks and then a timid limping survival in the last 4 games afterwards, then Bruce will surely be sacked. Rightly or wrongly, he couldn't survive losing to Wigan at home and then ending the season on 40 points or so. If we have to go the the Boleyn ground looking for a point to guarantee survival then Bruce's goose will be well and truly cooked. If we win the next 2 home games and sit with 44 points in 2 weeks time, Bruce may well survive for the short term anyway. What ever happens from now on though, Bruce is under the microscope and his honeymoon period has vanished out of sight. Even a good start again next campaign will have every fan and pundit wondering about the 2nd half of the season. The feelgood factor he brought when he came to the club 2 years ago has also vanished and whilst its going to be an uphill struggle for SB to win over the fans that supported him, for those that didn't want him in the first place, its going to be a war of attrition. However, well played yesterday, even if the result was predictably a negative one.
Especially encouraged by the fact that we didn't fold at the first little mishap. Against Liverpool, we played well but the ref made one mistake and heads went down immediately. When WBA hit back at us last week, we didn't turn up in the second half. We've done that far too many times lately. Yesterday was much, much better. If they play like that, we'll deserve to stay up. The only problem is goals.
Always a pleasure to read your contributions Cest, especially for an ex Red Rose Primary-er. I agree we really battered Birmingham and to my amazement, the player ratings for Sunderland today are consistently less than the BCFC players! On the ba;lance of play, we should have won 3-0. It was like Blackpool at home, we were the better team by a yard mile and if we play like that against Wigan we should win and win comfortably (however this is Sunderland we're talking about). As for Bruce, I really couldn't give a monkey's ass if he spent the rest of his days slobbering and urinating himself with wino's and losers atm - I WANT A FUKCING WIN! I support Sunderland, I have faith in SNQ, I hope Ellis still lives for the dream and as for SB, well look at the absolute shoite that RK put together and look at what we have now - pity we've been playing like shoite! Except for yesterday, we played very, very well, despite the scoreline: (sorry Simona): Mig 2-0 Sunderland
Fair post, Cest, but it's results that count. We were getting results with dodgy performances earlier in the season; now we're not. OK, our play has to improve if we are to start winning again, but we're running out of games and the bottom teams are only 4 points away. I'm not happy that we seemed to put a good squad together only for our form to go down the pan at the crucial "kick on" time and I have severe doubts about Bruce as a result. There's no point in spending a load more money on players he can't organize over 38 games, so unless we get 3 wins before season end I'd say drop him if we can get MO'N or someone like him in instead.
like the op says the performance by many was there, the tempo was good, and we played the best we have for a long time. but the missing ingredient is goals, for a long time now our forwards are firing blanks, why? is it bad luck, lack of service, a confidence issue or is it the harsh fact that maybe just maybe, they aren't cracked up to be what we expected. i'm sure if we carry on from yesterday they should add some goals to their pretty dismail tallies, just seems in a team that put on a pretty good show, the least effective players happen to be our strikers, and we need them to perform now more than ever. the team put on a good performance, now we just need to find them goals or else all the works for nothing. and in the end, no goals, no points and bruce is gone talk?
Agree, a much better performance, but where is the supply line to the forwards? Why do the forwards, when they do get the ball, not have a dig now and again? Looks good with fancy flicks here and there….Have a shot, always a chance of the ball going in off someone else. But for gawds sake get the ball up there. I am quite used to this yo-yo Sunderland, promise so much and give you nothing! Don’t really care how we play ATM, just want a win. I can see me going to my grave having supported Sunderland all my life, and the only thing I have was ’73.
What worries me Cest is that after that much improved performance yesterday, the teams confidence will sink even lower as they feel no matter how they perform they'll still probably lose! We need a really postive atmosphere at the SoL against Wigan whether we believe we'll win or not.
Like i posted after the game yesterday, i think it's a big thing that the players DID respond to Bruce yesterday, the effort was there, and for long peroids there was a lot of quality, some very tidy play up to the 18 yard box. A sign that he hasn't lost the dressing room? Maybe the players have got wind of the mood of change in the feelings of the fans,and the slip in support for Mr Bruce, and this has drawn a performance? If this is the case, it bodes well, for Bruce, and the team. As is usually the case, Cest is spot on to say that Wigan could not cope with that, especially if we, the fans, get behind the team and support, like we did against WBA, and help the team settle. We love our club, let's let them know this on Saturday, and try and roar the team to 3 points which would unquestionably secure safety, then same again a week later against Fulham to move us back into the top half, hopefully. The season's been a disappointment, but i still maintain we are only 3 (maybe 4 now depending on Frazier's injury) players away from being a very strong side. We need to get some of the young lads booded, so we have more options should we suffer injuries again next season. Anyone think we should move for Roger Johnson? Apparently unsettled that he ain't been offered a new deal, and a really good Premier performer?
Agree with everything you said. I think part (a big part) of the problem is that we bought Asamoah to play a more expansive, innovative style of forward play and get rid of the 'hoof it up to Kenwyne' mentality. His strike rate wasn't really the important issue when we bought him - we had 'Lethal-lugs' to do that. Now that 'Lethal-lugs' has gone, Gyan's being asked to do something we didn't buy him for. He can pop a good goal in now and again of course, but now we're asking him to stand in for a man he simply can't touch as a poacher. I sympathize with Asamoah Gyan - right now we need him to be what he's not, and because he can't be what he's not, some people are questioning 'his failure'. There is no failure on his part. We need a goalscorer to play alongside him.
spot on, we thought that bent needed space, jones made it for him and gyan would do the same plus add goals and flair, we need a poacher or a big man, maybe both. until the summer could noble be the poacher
maybe, don't know if don't try, wellbeck we were hoping could fill the role, but jury still out, yesterday as good as we were, we lacked on the left wing, and bardo had to cover it all alone, like i said before the match, why not try wellbeck l/w and noble up front,
Quite a few positive threads on here for a change as everyone bar the odd few agree the performance yesterday was much improved. We are still lacking that killer touch in the 18 yard box (as ever with SAFC). If we play that way again the goals will come and the home games will be won maybe, even get a point or two away from home. Agree that the lads heads could drop after yesterday but as they appear to have buried the hatchet amongst themselves and SB maybe we will see them think as positively as most of us are today. As for Gyan why not try Richardson just behind him again it seemed to produce a few more opportunities and goals if I remember rightly.
Noble's a possibility. And talc's suggestion of Richardson just behind Gyan seemed to work for a while. I hope Brucie will consider these options, and not just keep lumbering Gyan with the problem. And please, play Muntari on the left wing - the international was about the only good game we've seen from him and left wing is where he played.
Wierd isn't it? How many times this season have players appeared outside their normal role when we had options to avoid this?
big name strikers will not be looking to come to sunderland we will have to make do again we have a good squad but lack flair in the middle and that important big name goal scorer how can we attract some one with quality if we cant prove ourselves to be good enough to challege for the top half of the premiership we must beet the so called lower teams before we can move on. earlier on in the season we keept clean sheets and took points of the top half of the table teams. but some how when we play the bottom half teams we come up against a brick wall and at home struggel to win and away get beat we need to improve AND THAT WILL ATTRACT BIG NAME PLAYERS
For me, yesterday was a complete turn-around. We finally realised there's a game of football to be played. It just so happened that it was 'one of those days' and it came after a horrendous run of results. There should be a renewed optimisim after that display and if we continue to play with that attacking impetus until the season end, we'll surely be fine. My hope now is that the players and Bruce don't let their collective head drop due to the result not going our way but continue into the next game with the intention of out-playing the opponent. Why o why haven't we played that way all season? Bruce, i'm looking at you! p.s The left side is still criminal and i can't believe the manager could have allowed his squad to have been left so criminally short here. I like the suggestion of playing Muntari at LW.
Ok after several dreadful performances we finally turn in a half-decent one but still come away pointless. It never really bothered my that SB as a kid supported the skunks, he was a fairly good player and seemed a good experienced manager. I always argued he should be given time and judged on results after a couple of seasons we can start to assess his success or lack of it. This season, against the skunks we were woeful, additionally we were knocked out the cups (really our only chance of success) easily. Many of the players he has brought in have not been up to scratch and we are currently 1 point out of 27, and unless we can find a couple of wins are likely to be relegated. We sold our leading scorer and did not consider an immediate replacement was necessary, what a poor judgement call that is turning out to be. Although if Bent had to put up with the service that Gyan has to, I doubt he would have scored many anyhow. We only miss Jones cos' of his defensive heading at set pieces, but since he left we are poor at defending corners and set pieces So is is axiomatic that SB has not succeeded at Sunderland and whether he should go now or in the summer is for me the only question that needs answering. Perhaps NQ is too nice a man and I am aware we have just extended SBs contract, surely some mistake! As for SB thee are the usual rumours that he is boozing out on Ponyland most nights and for sure his weight is ballooning up. If he could learn to control/motivate his own personal problems he could then perhaps control and motivate the team.
Nee more rumours like chestermackem? Generally agree with his much lauded contributions. However his biggest mis-calculation will stay in my heart forever. Cheers pal
I totally agree with the sentiments of this post..This was undoubtedly our best performance in yonks, and we need to take all the positives we can muster into our game against Wigan.. I feel that our crowd have a huge part to play on Saturday, and it is essential that we stick with the lads from start to finish..
