Somb we had around 6 clear cut chances. All of which should've been goals compared to 2 I remember for you. (2 for Wickham, 1 for Gomez, 2 for Johnson including the goal and 1 for Larsson) six clear cut chances. You had 52/48 possession. Coloccini could and should've seen red for a pre meditated foul on a player with notorious back injuries. Colback easily could've been second yellowed. We were the better side and created the better chances. I haven't included Fletchers or Wickhams hitting of woodwork as they are the ones that either fly in or hit the post. Same as I don't include Sissokho or Perez range efforts for you guys as they are not "clear cut" but we should've had 4 minimum before we actually scored
If you had seen the game you would not make such an inane comment, as for stats there are thousands but one important one is the number of goals for each team
Game of two halves for me and the attacking team failed in each half. All our lads did their jobs but Buckley and AJ staying on their feet to start the goal move was the biggest key together with the ref's decisions to play advantage each time.
I don't think that it was Buckley that won the game for Sunderland. I thought it was much more a case of Pardews commitment to positive attacking substitutions that ultimately left them exposed to the counter-attack. It was Johnsons tenacious ability to break away from sissoko's blatant foul, along with dumber and dummetts blatant attempt at a foul which prevented the game ending in a draw. A word also needs to go to Seb Larssons off the ball movement which opened up the space for Johnson to run into. Perfect footballing justice. If it were not for Johnsons lightning fast footwork in the penalty box, the opportunity for glory could very easily have been blocked. If it had of been Jozy in the position where Johnson was, and Buckley had passed up on the opportunity to drill a shot into the bottom ride hand corner, and Jozy had received the ball in that position, I very much doubt we would be praising Buckley. The fact is, not one player won the game, however for the goal itself, Johnson was creator and executioner.
The entire goal was surreal from start to finish. Buckley clears the ball from their corner when we had every man back and Fletcher in the 6 yard box. When AJ crosses the halfway line Gomez has 10 yards on Fletcher who then finds the energy to fly past him to receive the ball. It comes to him on his left foot and perfect for a shot on goal yet somehow, in all that pressure, he checks and passes to Buckley. Buckley pulled Sissoko away from AJ allowing the move to develop and goes from defending the corner to being the furthest player forward. All 4 Newcastle defenders including 'world class' Coloccini went to Fletcher who passed the ball through them. As the ball hits the back of the net Steven 'glory Geordie boy' Taylor is just trundling back towards the penalty area. But the funniest thing, of all, is the sight of Colback desperately chasing shadows and doing a pathetic schoolboy slalom across the box. He was the key holding player and on the halfway line for the corner. He just hasn't a f**ing clue who to close down and ends up avoiding every Sunderland player Within minutes Buckley has set up both Larsson & Gomez with two more chances who could have made it 3-0 again ........ totally surreal.
It's one of the great Sunderland goals of the current era. It's nearly up there with the 1st goal at chewsi, remarkably another 0-3 result. The tenacious efforts of Danny Welbeck that led to the shot from Gyan, followed up by the shot by Richardson, the lofted ball in from Henderson headed out and landed at the feet of Nedum Onuoha, who marched through the chewsi wall and slipped it past Chec. Johnsons tenacity mirrored Welbeck and along with the off the ball movement of Gyan, Richardson and Onuoha, the same can be said for Fletcher, Buckley and Larsson. This is the true spirit of Sunderland and Gus Poyet has brought it back.
If Arsenal had scored that goal Garth Crooks would still be masterbating about it. Fletcher was at the heart of a lot of our good moves he seems 1 step ahead in thought and has the skill to pull off it quick thinking. We really need Giacc back in the side as he is another player who is 3 steps ahead in his mind and moves the ball quickly.
He plays this way for Scotland, there is more to Fletch than we have previously thought, his all round game is improving imo, and he could be perfect sitting behind Whicks in a 4 -2 -3-1 set up, we have some real options with our current squad using this system, I really do wish Gus would give it a go.
Ah, cheers mate, I will text you xmas eve to let you remember the score .. Seriously, I will be in touch and you keep in touch, never forget my mates..
