Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Wycombe Wanderers FC – Saturday 21st May 2022 - KO 15:00

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Your prediction:


  • Total voters
    88
  • Poll closed .
Spot on Tees, in my opinion Neil is a level above the managers we have had recently.

I remember when Johnson came and he said that he would play attacking football, he even said that we would win a lot of games by 3 or 4 goals but we would also lose a few by 3 or 4 goals. At one time under Johnson we were the highest scoring team in all four divisions but had a poor goal difference. Neil spotted our weaknesses within a couple of games and tightened us up at the back, we don't score as many goals now but we have many more clean sheets.

I know it is a controversial thing to say about a club the size of Sunderland in League 1, but I reckon Neil sets his tactics to stifle the opposition and uses his plans B, C & D to beat them from formation changes and from the bench.

Yep as many teams and managers have to keep re-learning.. you start to win games by not losing... might not be the best spectacle but its a winning tactic... which trumps everything!
 
Spot on Tees, in my opinion Neil is a level above the managers we have had recently.

I remember when Johnson came and he said that he would play attacking football, he even said that we would win a lot of games by 3 or 4 goals but we would also lose a few by 3 or 4 goals. At one time under Johnson we were the highest scoring team in all four divisions but had a poor goal difference. Neil spotted our weaknesses within a couple of games and tightened us up at the back, we don't score as many goals now but we have many more clean sheets.

I know it is a controversial thing to say about a club the size of Sunderland in League 1, but I reckon Neil sets his tactics to stifle the opposition and uses his plans B, C & D to beat them from formation changes and from the bench.

100% mate.
I loved his interview yesterday whenhe said he didn't really want to manage in League 1 when he signed, so he came to us and got us promoted to get away from being a 3rd tier manager
 
Just back what a weekend and what a result. We have a team a manager and fans to be proud of
First post for a while. Thought I’d take a break and coincided with our unbeaten run. My ridiculous OCD self decided if I post we will lose Have I now jinxed next season Who knows but can’t wait to find out Can’t believe at my age still absolutely buzzing Watched the lads home and away since early 70’s this was without doubt one of my best and proudest weekends as a Sunderland fan
 
Watched the match at my daughters and her fellas place, we had a great pre match BBQ and then the game started. The way we went at them from the off settled my nerves, I used to watch us these last couple of seasons from behind the sofa but AN has put an end to all that nonsense.

I was totally confident we would beat them, that's how much we have come on in the last 16 games under AN.

Our fans were great, looked great and made a lot of noise. At times the hairs on the back of my neck were sticking up, it was a breath taking example of our fans at their best. At the end of the game Peter Reid said to another fan "Wow" when you all started singing "Wise me say" It was full of emotion. I was proud of everyone of you.

I would loved to have been there but there's no chance of me going to games now.

Well done the Lads and the manager but most of all you lot. Absolute credit to the club and the North East.
 
Watched the highlights on Quest this morning and one thing I noticed when they were lining up in the tunnel is how focused Alex Neil and the team were. No nerves whatsoever, just staring straight ahead. Whereas Wyncombe looked fidgety, nervously joking. Then watching Ainsworth biting his fingernails on the sidelines basically summed up his and his teams performance during the first half
 
Thinking about the game yesterday there were a couple of key tactical decisions which shows how good. Alex Neil is.

First Wycombe carry their greatest threat from crosses especially corners and free kicks from wide positions with in about 20 yards of the by line. This is where they can mount maximum pressure with their pressure on the keeper and score a lot of their goals. We were clearly aware of this and on a number of occasions you see our defenders busting a gut to get the ball out for a throw in rather than a corner. It ad the 85th min before they got a corner, which totally nullified the main threat.

The other one was the substitution of Clarke for Embo, this came after Cirkin had just been booked and given away a free kick in a dangerous wide position. Watching the shape of the team there was very little in front of Cirkin so he was getting exposed and was in danger of a red card. Clarke, although he didn’t do a lot of defensive work, he occupied the space in front of Cirkin which cut off what was possibly a dangerous line of attack by Wycombe.

Both of these decisions, for me, show the difference between Neil and our last few managers.
 
Thinking about the game yesterday there were a couple of key tactical decisions which shows how good. Alex Neil is.

First Wycombe carry their greatest threat from crosses especially corners and free kicks from wide positions with in about 20 yards of the by line. This is where they can mount maximum pressure with their pressure on the keeper and score a lot of their goals. We were clearly aware of this and on a number of occasions you see our defenders busting a gut to get the ball out for a throw in rather than a corner. It ad the 85th min before they got a corner, which totally nullified the main threat.

The other one was the substitution of Clarke for Embo, this came after Cirkin had just been booked and given away a free kick in a dangerous wide position. Watching the shape of the team there was very little in front of Cirkin so he was getting exposed and was in danger of a red card. Clarke, although he didn’t do a lot of defensive work, he occupied the space in front of Cirkin which cut off what was possibly a dangerous line of attack by Wycombe.

Both of these decisions, for me, show the difference between Neil and our last few managers.
His attention to detail is absolutely superb. That's one of the reasons he has done so well in L1 imo. It's a step up for us to the championship next season but it's not a step up for him, that's where he is used to being. I think we will be fine next year.