Gus Poyet has to calm down, and Sunderland must go on the attack against Aston Villa next weekend if satefy is to be guaranteed soon please log in to view this image PA Wire Sunderland manager, Gus Poyet is sent to the stands by referee Mike Dean And you thought last season was exciting. For Sunderland, this one has been, well, different. Now, the Black Cats prowl into its 10-game last leg two places and four points above the Premier League drop zone. So, with a weekend off while the FA Cup takes centre stage, what are the big issues burning brightest on Wearside? 1 Chillaxify, Gustavo. Gus Poyet’s been on one, lately. Simultaneously playing the ‘Be patient’, cautious card AND expressing publicly his frustration at the slow pace of progress shown by his side, he has railed against his head coach status (as opposed to that of a more autonomous manager), supporters he reckons to be stuck in the past, the Press and, this past week, a stack of inanimate objects. Ergo, an FA charge looms. Meanwhile, Sunderland need their leader, leading. For the next 10 weeks or so, Poyet needs to stop seeking enemies, and focus on plotting the odd victory. 2 Attack, attack, attack, attack...defend. It has been observed in these parts for some time that draws – all 412 of them – will keep Sunderland up this season. Best league in the world, my bum. But if the gut-wrenching histrionic’s of last year’s ‘Great Escape’ are to be avoided, a win or two wouldn’t go amiss. Sunderland actually control games quite well. (Better than Newcastle United. Might explain the derbies...) Limiting damage, they do not dominate them. Strike a better balance with a bolder concession to attacking improvisation, to entertainment, without totally abandoning sobriety, and now we’re talking. 3 Start against Aston Villa, and start sharp Aston Villa are dreadful. They only lost by a single goal at St James’ Park because Newcastle aren’t currently much better, and how they beat West Brom... My Sunday team could give Villa a run for their money. And we’ve had a wobbly couple of weeks. Tim Sherwood may need longer in football management than five minutes to turn his newest ship around. So Sunderland should go for the jugular, from the off. The longer Villa hold out, the longer they’ll believe they can, the longer they ultimately will. This isn’t a must-win, just a should-win. So just win. 4 Get safe... Last season was a blast for all sorts of reasons. The Capital One Cup run, just less so in the FA Cup, the derbies especially and league results at Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. It wouldn’t have killed if the ‘Escape’ hadn’t had to be so ‘Great’. So let history repeat itself, just a little less dramatically. Even in this best league in the – etcetera, Sunderland have seriously winnable home games, and their road isn’t shrouded by too daunting a hue. So, get safe soon . . . 5 . . . then it’s over to you, Ellis Lee Congerton, too. Now there’s no doubt Poyet gets some say in transfers, but how much? Enough? Without ever having actually criticised publicly Sunderland’s policy of employing over him whatever a ‘sporting director’ is, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist – I’d love to be a rocket scientist! – to read between the Uruguayan’s lines and gauge he ain’t exactly over-enamoured by effectively having one hand tied behind his back. Impressed nonetheless by what he’s managed – sorry, head coached – so far, I’d give him bigger input on this summer’s business... Then, at least if it all does go wrong, he’ll have one less ‘It wasn’t me’ excuse. 6 Sorry, there are never exactly the right number of points to make you know So, hit this for six if you wish but, please, please Sunderland, restore the post-match cans of lager – replaced more recently by Coke; don’t you know it’s bad for your heath – to the Stadium of Light Press Room fridge. By way of consolation after some of this season’s ‘excitement’, it’s smallbeer . . .
A lot of superfluous commas there. Nothing we haven't heard before really! Gus will pull through this difficult spell and we will pull clear and not get really involved in a scrap. I do agree villa is a should-win and a must-not-lose
We're at the sharp end of the season now, just ten games to go. We have just 5 home games left, in order, and none are easy, for differing reasons. Villa, Mags, Palace, Southampton, Leicester. That's why, for me, this game is so, so big. Yes they're all big but, with QPR at Palace and Hull playing City, 3 points against Villa could put us 7 points plus goal difference ahead of the bottom 3 whilst kicking Villa into real trouble. We could create a significant points plus GD from the bottom 4 and put us just 4 points for what I think will be safe this season, 33 points. I can't see QPR or Burnley getting another 10 points. Can anyone else?
We defo need the 3 but anything other than a loss would help, need a few names to put it on the line over the next few weeks
