Wouldn’t be writing anyone off after one game, more concerned that the 2 CB from last season show no sign of being any better than they were. Willis at least looks a bit more mobile, will see in a few games. He won’t have played in front of 30k plus often!
Made that point to someone around me too and he threatened to knock me out! Players get so little opportunity at Sunderland it’s terrifying
It’s poisonous mate. I will say this, Ross has had time and is still not learning, adapting or finding any freshness. I’m not there yet but he’s on borrowed time before he gets a massive turn from the crowd. I’m with the players more than him as I can see a more than capable team in the squad, and a shocking us of the players and waste of strengths time and time again. I’m not saying he needs to be replaced at this stage, what I will say is I have very little faith in him miraculously finding a formula. I think he’s completely 1D, and his in game changes blow my mind, in a bad way. If he’s setting us up to be ‘solid’ it’s a farce as teams go straight through us for fun, we could easily have conceded another 2 first half.
I get no idea of just what he is trying to do anymore, more worrying is that the players don't look too sure either, loosing avoidable early goals is no help, but even so we should have had enough in the locker to blow this team away, yet this very average team were good value for a point in the end, and could easily have won it. This less than impressive start began with his shock team selection, probably his worst to date, his in game substitutions have always been questionable, and continue to be so. I don't want a change of manager at the club, as I have seen far too many already and long for some continuity, but its time he got a grip, as the writing is well and truly on the wall .
This is it. The fact we are all so desperate for a bit of managerial stability is saving his arse at the minute. Many have turned, many are starting to, and I’m sure even the most optimistic among us have red flags. He just seems so determined to do it ‘his way’, so why, in 3 windows, hasn’t he bought players to suit the system? Yeah, we haven’t fortunes to spend, but he’s brought in a **** ton of players, none of which seem to suit what he wants to do. I look player for player and we should be battering teams at home, we never get up a head of steam unless we are behind deep into the game. What happens on these occasions? We pin teams bag and dominate. Why not start like that and get a lead? It’s mind blowing.
Well, I've seen Willis play180 minutes and have yet to see him make a single play. How many of his passes launched counter attacks for the other team? Same type of passing against the dutch side and in any of the Coventry highlights from last season I have seen. That last errant pass almost cost Flanagan his season. He turned a simple pass back to the keeper into a corner, and he put our goalie in harms way again when McLaughlin had to come out clean up a cross any 'full-sized' CB with average leaping ability would have cleared before it got into the 6 yard box. I didn't see much closing speed as he failed to keep up with the goal scorer after the attacker collected the new fullback's heavy first touch after the Dobson back pass. And that disallowed goal revealed a glaring weakness, on set pieces, to all our future oppenents. Since Willis doesn't do much anyway, I'm all for a back four, as long as Willis isn't in it.
