Just got back. We weren't great outside of the spell around our goals where we picked up the intensity. We were set up far too defensively with DM who looked vocal and positioned well but who was also clearly not fully match fit. I suppose we'll have to see if giving him minutes will end up with more points in the long run. Could be bitter now leading to greater results or it could equally lead to us never seeing him again. I now fully expect to beat Boro after watching us there. Maybe leeds as well. It's the Sunderland way
We should never boo the team off the park especially when we know they are all giving 100% and genuine lads unlike some in the past. To get automatic we need to be ruthless. Too often most on here determine their comments on a final score when sometimes either a bounce of the ball just wide lets us escape with a win (RLB a genius and a team of superstars) OR a late goal conceded either to draw or loss ( players useless & RLB tactics to blame) Lets not knee jerk each week but analyse what we know after 29 games. We have the most exciting young team we have had in a very long time some worth quite a few pound so the club financially secure. After a few poor managers RLB has been universally accepted and a positivity follows the team wherever we go. IMO RLB has to match the talent the lads possess. He has to be braver with his team selections and certainly how we finish games. Weve lost more points than anyone trying to defend deep in last 10. It doesnt work most weeks and when it does it usually because Patto makes a last ditch save. Today was on RLB and he must learn quick, if we are to try make top two. If Samed needs minutes let him play in u21s and bring him on final 30 or at halftime. Samed has been at fault for 2 big goals in games we have dominated, Stoke in the cup and also today. RLB play your preferred shape and make u21s play that way also. If a top player doesnt fit your shape then move him on. Stop asking players to play out of position when we have a strong bench. Defenders are meant to defend, wing backs can attack when CBs come over to support and attackers track back out of position. To keep saying Cirkin hasnt been great the past few weeks. I just do not see it. If he is our best LB then encourage him to play to his strengths and build a partnership with left winger. Dennis is great in the air, which could be important if defending deep balls in final moments. Trai on the other wing had a solid game today and is solid most weeks. We have three CB and can only pick two. I want my CB to be comfortable defending 1v1 and strong in the air especially defending corners etc especially If Patto reluctant to leave his line. This is 09 major weakness and again today a weak header contributed to a late equaliser. No agenda against 09 but I want my team to get promoted and will say what I see. Nobody has been at fault for more mistakes at the back than 09. Most go unnoticed. This bringing Ballard on late and moving 09 across is puzzling. If Dennis not able to complete 90 mins after 6 weeks back from injury, why not ? Midfield too many to mention, but I think Dan and Jobe are exceptional talents and we should play to their strengths. Rigg is going to be a superstar but he is only 17. Manage him carefully. Enzo play him in the middle and lets see him open teams up. His first touch is exceptional and Ive no doubt he will play a big part going forward. Strikers are exciting and can run at pace when unleashed into open space. They have had a few moments and we can see potential. Can we learn the basics, follow everything in and react whenever the keeper parries the ball , this happened a few times today. Give me a striker who scores the simple goals and makes the game look easy because he plays on instincts. I think top 6 is already secured so lets not miss top two because we were not brave enough. RLB let the young lads attack and see if they are good enough. You say you like players to solve problems on the pitch. Today and in other games its like your micro managing, finishing with 5 defenders against Plymouth was you trying to solve the puzzle not the players. Be brave and the fans will love you even more. We have the talent, let the young lads play on instinct and trust them.
I think we played that game exactly how Plymouth wanted us too. They had a plan to swamp the middle of the park and defend the box and 2nd balls like terriers. We made this easier by playing an extra CM and effectively helping them ensure the midfield was packed and nothing was going through it. This led to us having to go wide to find space where they were happy to defend our wingers 1v1 with quick full backs. The only times we looked threatening as a result was when our full backs overlapped but they then backed themselves to defend the ball in which in the main they did. Our equaliser came from Hume putting a cross in early from deep which we didn't really do all game hence they were caught out and not set for it. Our 2nd whilst a great finish was pretty scrappy in the creation think it was a second ball from a set piece happy to be proved wrong though. Then when we actually looked like we might get away with it we threw defender after defender on and literally invited them to throw the ball into our box. They wanted a bit of carnage and they got a bit of carnage with the equaliser coming from the 3rd or 4th cross into our box within 30 seconds. I can forgive everything RLB tried to do today bar taking of Isidor and replacing him with Hjelde. If Hjelde had gone straight into the back line then fair enough but to play him basically left wing was a joke seriously what was the point in this. They were pushing we needed pace to hit them and we took it off inviting even more pressure as they knew we no longer had an out ball. Despite everything if 5 or 6 of our players had an average day instead of a poor day today we would have still won that game.
Quite a poor performance all round really. I was shocked to see the team sheet as it looked unbalanced. We played like it too. Two poor performances in a week now. 4 points though. I think Regis may be trying too hard to shoehorn players into the side, rather than selecting the best 'team'. No idea why you would change Neils position today, other than to shoehorn Samed in. Samed looked too slow in possession, and we lost a level of control as a result. For me anyway. Neil is an out and out 6, dont faff around with it. Roberts out wide created a lopsided approach without another wide man. Rigg should have kept his spot. Despite the goal Wilson was a bit of a passenger. Hard for him when there is little coming his way, but I have said this before he needs to show for it more. Le Fee was flashes again, but not the superstar we think he is. If he is a central player as folk say, then get him in there and prove he is better than Jobe or Rigg. Feela like we are letting him get up to speed out wide, and dare I say it is hindering the team? Adil was playing well enough out there. Some of our defending today was miles off too. Patto at fault for equaliser. It was just all round flat and sub-standard. Then having 3cbs on at the end is just a no no for me. Not like me, but I feel a bit flat myself after it. Roll on boro. They look beatable, but we have to raise our level back to where it has been before. We can.
By God that was a **** watch, not as bad as Preston, but the result was worse. I was shocked when I heard Samed was starting, tbh I was excited about Neil further forward enough, I understood dropping Mayenda in a way, because you do want Roberts in against a low block. But it ended up being a poor decision, even though I felt Neil played well for the 90. Samed was way too lax, looked good but just no urgency, the full side were like that, I felt Jobe was quiet and not as imposing as you'd expect. Le Fee looks very good again but out of position and fading later due to the graft, tried too hard. Isidor didn't have a touch till his goal, which was a lovely goal, as was Hume's. Mepham was poor and not many will say it. He was poor against Preston too. The way we played was summed up by the one shot on target in the first half. My mate makes a good point everytime that we struggle against a back 3. This needs combating with two forwards. Patta made errors, but I think it's a bit unfair calling out his habits and hobbies, 90% of us love a drink after work, that's not why he's been ****e at times. He also got us over the line recently.
Bad day at the office. You can’t win games when the majority of your players are below their usual levels. Is what it is, don’t think it needs the usual microscopic analysis, we just had a bad day and that includes the Head Coach. Onwards to Middlesbrough
Knew after 10 minutes we’d struggle to win. Watched us enough this season to know when we’re at it or not. Far too predictable and laboured.
I'd add Jobe and Roberts to that list. And I usually love those 2. Whilst I don't think Le Fee was great today he wasn't helped by those around him. Also he simply isn't a winger. He's not gonna skin his full back and put crosses in it's simply not his game. He needs to be played central. Despite this he was our most creative player first half and should have had his first assist if it wasn't for Neil megging himself. I know it came at pace and slightly off the deck but he should be making some contact with it and it would have been a goal if he had.
My expectation when I saw the side was that Samed playing would give us two anchoring midfield and two fullbacks bombing on to give us width and Jobe, Le Fee and Roberts pressing high. Then Neil appeared ahead of Samed and it seemed messy. We didn’t intercept high up the field and Cirkin largely couldn’t get behind their right fullback (who I thought was canny mind). To add to that we kept gifting the ball in midfield and struggled all game with the most basic of hoofs.
RLB hasn't got much wrong this season but today he got it massively wrong. I didn't think Samed was bad, thought he was fine as the metronome in midfield, but you can't play him, Jobe and Neil in a game where you are expected to win. Jobe has been excellent recently at picking the ball up deep and driving forward, he couldn't do that today because his starting position was too high. Neil is NOT an 8, he was exposed today and his lack of ball carrying and creativity cost us. Play him as the 6. ELF is not a winger in the 433 formation, think it's fine in the 442 but even then i'd rather not. Fullbacks were poor again, and I thought Mepham was dreadful. Patterson needs a wakeup call. That simply has to be the worst performance between now and the end of the season. Onto Boro.
If I've learned anything from this team, it's that we're better when having to attack. Results have shown that we are a team that likes to be on the front foot. I was more disappointed in that 2-2 where we were hanging on, than I was when we lost down there ,trying to win it. So there it is. Just go for it from now on, none of the listening Dodds bollox on the line.
If Samed is a champions league cdm, can we all appreciate how good Dan Neil has been as our Cdm or is that not allowed?
