if the mags had won both derby games they'd be clear in 6th, one point ahead of Man Utd. We'd be adrift at the bottom on a measly 18 points, albeit with some difficult games in hand. Could always be worse!
A final and a quarter final represents a good season. The football season includes the cups, not just the league.
I like this article alot, shows a niavity of gus and a stubborness not to sub him : No great powers of imagination are needed to work out what is likely to go on in any opposing team's dressing room once Sunderland name Lee Cattermole in the starting line-up. "If he goes anywhere near you, fall over as dramatically as you can," the manager or head coach will urge his players. "If he is not booked or sent off straight away, do anything you can short of physical assault or verbal abuse to persuade the referee to produce a card." - Buckingham: Hull are off to Wembley Once booked -- as he was in the FA Cup quarterfinal that ended Hull City 3-0 Sunderland -- Cattermole is both diminished as a player and a liability to his team. He is aware, as are the opponents, that one false move will end his participation. If simulation is a despicable aspect of the modern game, barking and braying at match officials in the hope of upgrading a telling-off or simple free kick to a yellow, a booking to dismissal, is hardly more edifying. It was a source of real disappointment to see David Meyler, a player remembered with affection by Sunderland supporters for his efforts on their behalf despite wretched injury problems, resorting to this nasty tactic. It worked. Cattermole was booked and the Hull players devoted at least a portion of their subsequent game plan to seeking to provoke that one further indiscretion. On his better days, Cattermole distinguishes between combative but fair play and recklessness. This tie began as one of those days; he seemed to be repeating the excellent form shown against Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final. Once booked in the first half, he began to slip into uncommitted and sloppy ways, two late blunders handing Hull their second and third goals. Cattermole is undoubtedly the author of much of his own misfortune. But Meyler went down significantly in my estimation in those few moments after the tackle on him, one of those challenges that tend to earn no more than a rebuke for players not called Lee Cattermole. It is worth adding that the Sunderland midfielder indulged in no such Meyler-esque haranguing of referee Craig Mawson after suffering a far worse foul by Tom Huddlestone which, the other way round, might have been a straight red. In truth, I imagine Gus Poyet slept soundly after this defeat. He made the obligatory, disapproving noises in his post-match comments -- "the players who played were not good enough and that is simple" -- but knows his real task, keeping Sunderland up, will reach a defining moment on Saturday with the home game against Crystal Palace. The temptation to remain philosophical about a cup exit, after a creditable run and also after one cup final, is just strong enough to prevail, dispelling the gloom felt at the manner of defeat at the KC stadium. Sunderland have now lost three times to their old manager Steve Bruce's side this season, the margin of defeat growing the more players they have been able to keep on the field: 0-1 with nine men, 0-2 with 10 and, now, 0-3 with no one sent off. When I confessed here last week that a respectable end to the FA Cup run would not ruin my day, I did not have a 3-0 humiliation in mind. Respectability in defeat does not come with starting a game poorly and steadily getting worse, committing basic errors to present an FA Cup semi-final place at Wembley on a plate to unexceptional opposition. The 4,000-strong contingent of Sunderland supporters gave up their Sunday, spent the usual disproportionate amounts on travel and entry and witnessed as atrocious a performance as any since, well, the last atrocious performance (at Arsenal, eight days before Wembley). Hull now play Sheffield United for a place in the FA Cup final and will feel, as Sunderland ought to have done, that a team from League One should not present too formidable an obstacle. Instead of wondering how to secure tickets and fund London travel for two more Wembley trips, Sunderland's supporters are left clawing at the limited satisfaction of the old cliché about concentrating on escaping relegation. In that battle, the Palace game assumes momentous importance. Without wishing to accuse Tony Pulis of already planning how to rattle Cattermole, it is evident that the midfielder will need to be on his best +behaviour. Another concern is the inability of Sunderland to look very much like scoring, even when playing fellow strugglers. Fabio Borini is the only forward player whose current confidence level gives reason for hope. Steve Fletcher was again poor on Sunday and Jozy Altidore has paid for past inadequacies by failing to make the squad at Wembley or Hull. He will have to do something remarkable in training this week to restore Poyet's faith. With the exception of the goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who saved a penalty and was blameless for the goals, none of Poyet's changes for Hull gave him serious cause to stray far from his Wembley starting 11 when planning for the visit of Palace. His job in the coming days is to convince even those players to treat it as they did the League Cup final. I said they would be after catts prior to the game and also suggested he was subbed, the inclusion of lee and keeping him on lost us that match imo
One player playing poorly did not cost us the game. My slant is; Catts was woeful in the second half - not for the first time this season have his back passes been weak, nor his awareness of those around him been poor. O'Shea yet again put in a non-captains display. Giach. Ineffective. Larsson. Powder-puff Vergini? Pure pap. Do not get me started on the flicking maestro that is world beater Fletcher. The best he can ever manage is 17th bottom (as I hope he does this season). great manager. I think he did it on purpose and some players will think twice before knocking on his door. x
good post , we have our own guilty party in seb larsson who gives a constant barrage of complaints to refs and has done so for a long time.
That's what I don't get GC. I said to my mate in the pub that Catts was being targeted early on for a card. It was as clear as day that Hull were trying to get him off. If I can see it on TV why wasn't it obvious to everyone on the bench and why didn't they take him off and put Bridcutt on. As soon as he got that yellow card it was like he was emasculated, just a shadow of himself and we lost midfield.
That's what I don't get GC. I said to my mate in the pub that Catts was being targeted early on for a card. It was as clear as day that Hull were trying to get him off. If I can see it on TV why wasn't it obvious to everyone on the bench and why didn't they take him off and put Bridcutt on. As soon as he got that yellow card it was like he was emasculated, just a shadow of himself and we lost midfield.
Aye! That was the order of the day, gus should have known bettee, at least known enough to replace him I dont care if catts pleaded with him to stay on, in my mind at least we ahould have erradicated the mentality
Just watched a replay from when Huddlestone got booked for the studs up foul on Catts - if that had been reversed I reckon Catts would have been off
I agree with what you are saying, Poyet should have done something about it, but you can't sub a player just cos the opposition are targeting him. You may as well just finish his career cos every team will do the same. The problem wasn't just catts, JC, Larsson, Giacc, were all non existent, that increased the pressure on catts and Meyler must have thought it was his birthday the amount of free space he had. ****ing shocking. It was the wrong team selection and Gus must stand up and be counted also.
When we were discussing who would play in the Hull game on an earlier thread, I said something along the lines of, "its not broken, dont fix it" - put the same 11 out that played in the final. But thats what Gus is there for and he's right, the guys who came in should have been able to do the job. So no criticism for Gus from me on that. My only point about taking Catts off was that once he got the yellow card his game diminished. Funk has pointed out several times that up to that game, Catts has only had 3 yellows this season, so he's showing he can change his game. As long as he doesn't over-react, which is what happened. If he continues doing what he's doing those tactics wont work on him anymore.
