For once it seems wise to leave proper comment to Pete Sixsmith. He was there, Monsieur Salut was not. Good as Barnes and Bennett are on BBC Radio Newcastle, radio commentary is no substitute for seeing the game in the stadium. Pete’s three-word verdict can be seen above. His seven-word verdict, quoted below woth heavy heart, will be followed in due course by his fuller assessment of what sounded like a cautious, unadventurous evening playing lowly QPR…
Nov 27 2012 SAFC (0) 0 Queens Park Rangers (0) 0 Won’t see a poorer game all season
Nov 23 2012 SAFC (0) 2 West Bromwich Albion (2) 4 Ridiculous scoreline but too many basic errors
Nov 18 2012 Fulham 1 (0) SAFC 3 (0) Good goals, better performance, 3 important points
Nov 10 2012 Everton (0) 2 SAFC (1) 1 Chances created, which is progress. Much better
Nov 3 2012 SAFC 0 (0) Aston Villa 1 (0) Another abject performance. A long winter looms
Oct 30 2012 Capital One Cup Fourth Round: SAFC 0 (0) Middlesbrough 1 (1) Plan B even worse than plan A
Oct 27 2012 Stoke City (0) 0 SAFC (0) 0 Don’t bother with MoTD: a real stinker
Oct 21 2012 SAFC (0) 1 Newcastle United (1) 1 Got out of jail. Just about deserved
Oct 6 2012 Manchester City (1) 3 SAFC (0) 0 Never gave up but City simply better.
Sept 29 2012 SAFC (0) 1 Wigan Athletic (0) 0 Scrappy performance but a win’s a win
Sept 25 2012 Capital One Cup 3rd Round: MK Dons (0) 0 SAFC (0) 2 Second goal settles nerves for comfortable win
Sept 22 2012 West Ham United (0) 1 SAFC (1) 1 Need to be more positive when ahead
Sept 15 2012 SAFC (1) Liverpool (0) 1 More than happy to take a point
Sept 1 2012 Swansea City (1) 2 SAFC (2) 2 *Lack of ambition against 10 cost points
Aug 28 2012 Capital One Cup Round 2: SAFC (1) 2 Morecambe (0) 0 Shrimps potted as we stroll to victory
Aug 18 2012 Arsenal (0) 0 SAFC (0) 0 Gritty, determined and a well earned point
To see Sixer’s Sevens in full, click here.
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Well to davey, ifos, and the rest of you that has one red eye and one white eye wake up not one of yous have told me what colback brings to the side or any use he is you lot keep dreaming thinking it will get better unless we buy a new midfield that can impose them selves and create some movement we are heading for one place and believe me it’s not the champions league we also need some one like shawcross from stoke a young and promising centre half that will push up instead of sitting on our own 18 yard area when the ball goes forward
Oh dear, some people do like to exaggerate. Worst team for 40 years?! I really don’t think so. 15 points! Think about it. Apparently Larsson hasn’t put 1 decent pass or cross in…except for the world class pass for the goal at West Ham and the whipped in cross that Ba put into his own net, never mind the great crosses he’s put in that our 1 man in the box can’t win.
Was it me, or did Fletcher suddenly manage to get some space to play in when Saha came on and the defenders actually had 2 players to think about rather than 1? Fletcher really isn’t a lone forward, and I was extremely disappointed that Saha didn’t come on with at least half an hour to go, never mind start. I was delighted when MON was appointed, but he needs to start playing 2 forwards in home games before things get even worse.
We are missing Catts now so I would hope that MON is on the phone getting Meyler back from his continued recuperation on Humberside.
Fletcher is getting some stick but this lad is a great finisher who is getting precious little service or support. Target men who are good in the air need service and a bloke to play off him. He scored more goals with his head last season than anyone else in the PL. This season so far……………. Nada!
At the weekend it would be worth trying McClean (who looked more invigorated than he has for months) alongside him with the strict instruction not to wander more than 10-12 yards away from Fletcher and to get on the end of his knock downs. Leave Johnson out and put Colback in at LB pushing Rose further forward on the left. Meyler comes in for Clatter ’em all and Larsson moves back to his more comfortable right wing positon. Something has to change and it has to change soon. We have a limited set of options and MON seems reluctant to even try these out.
“It’s not anything like the worst team in 40 years” Alan must have obliterated the memory of Mick Buxton from his grey matter.
Alan ,
He’s not the greatest player we’ve got but he gives 100% . I was all for him being dropped yesterday but that didn’t turn out very well with Catts injury – why Vaughan wasn’t brought on I don’t know – I assume he was on the bench ? But to say he’s rubbish is wrong – I saw him play some very good games last year . He won some good tackles last night – on the one occasion he surged forward he won a free kick in a great position – so yes I concede he should do this more often
You obviously don’t like him – I think in the right set up he’s quite an asset.
Yes davey you got that right in the right set up so I hope he finds it with a different club because he is not good enough for safc and that was brill I asked you his good points you pointed out that he made 1 surge forward and won a free kick1 run forward in 85 mins is no where near good enough for what you say is a prem player don’t make me laugh
Alan ,
folks give you the thumbs down , because after making a couple of valid points , you then make a few silly ones – re Colback tiddlywinks etc . No player playing at that level is rubbish .
We aren’t making enough forward runs – a few instances last night when Bardsley was breaking down the right – there was no one at all in front of him – 2 or 3 midfielders ran towards him – that’s ok if the midfielder is Messi – who can then turn and beat 3 players – but our midfielders turn and pass back !
McClean looked a lot more of a threat than Johnson – what on earth’s happened to Johnson , he was dire last Saturday , at fault for 2 goals and no better last night . Saha is either getting on the pitch too late or he’s not good enough now , surely it’s time to try Whickham or Ji
Not sure Whickham or Ji would improve things ability wise but they may have a point to prove and be more willing to work off the ball. I have said all season that to my layman’s eyes, and I heard the same comments all around the stadium last night, there is absolutely no movement off the ball when we have possession.
We can blame Johnson, Colback, Larsson whoever for what we see as poor performances when they have the ball, but equally what the midfield and forwards and overlapping fullbacks do when another player in red and white has the ball is crucial. This is down to tactics, the overall game plan and associated coaching methods surely.
MON says he could see us scoring at any time last night. I couldn’t. In fact I haven’t felt all season that we looked like scoring in a home game.
And whose decision was it to start with Cattermole? Whilst he has been our most influential midfielder this season in my opinion, he was obviously a risk and any aggravation to an injury could result in him missing even more games than he would have done for the sake of five minutes against the league’s bottom team. Makes no sense to me.
Davey you tell me what colback brings to the team first ile tell you what he doesn’t cant Tacle to weak cant create not clever enough doesn’t get forward no stamina negative passing cant carry the ball no skill can’t head the ball and simply not phisicaly strong enough in the premier if I’ve missed anything ime sure people can write it good points 0 points lets see what good points you can tell me…
Think your being a bit Harsh on Jack, he was no better but no worse than anyone else in the midfield last night.
I still regard Colbeck as having potential, he is still young and it is up to the Club to bring out the best in him by the correct coaching.
However, we do not know what the team orders are for him, depressingly so it appeared that they were similar to Saturday, same as for the rest of the team. This single plan approach needs to be expanded big time if we are to give players the opportunity to express themselves.
Interestingly last night several of the midfield kept getting caught in possession, they were looking for the pass, but as we all know movement off the ball, Fletcher excluded, has and is terrible. This resulted in players having to keep possession and run up blind alleys or the dreaded pass it back up the field.
It increasingly looks to me that certain individuals are being restricted to operate within certain zones and in relation to the back four. If the back four do not push up then the midfield protection has to sit back with them. This makes our approach play predictable and allows the opposition to double up on the wingers With only Fletcher to try and pick out, the ball invariably makes it way back up field.
We have to break this problem of sitting too deep and develop play that relies more than just the counter attack.
as a team we just don’t move at all to make space for team mates, if your winger cuts inside he makes space for your fullback etc. we look like a table football team, the spin round a bit and move side to side but they can’t go past each other or move into a new area to help a team mate out. Hardly any wonder we’re so easy to defend against. As we’re not creating it makes little sense for us to go after a striker, and by that i mean please martin don’t buy gary hooper for 10m as some of the papers suggested you would. Might be time to get the prayer mat out and hope thats not true!
Getting worried now, that was as abject performance as I have ever seen from a Sunderland side, same old play, same static midfield, same lack of attacking intent, same lack of imagination and the same team right down to the same predictable subsitutions.
Currently tactics, style of play team selection is not working.
Plan ‘B’ I formally concede you were right in your previous posting regarding MON sticking to the same game plan, MON is living up to Villa fans predictions as well.
I am not even sure that the January transfer window will save us.
I’m lost for words mate, it’s got so bad I didn’t even look at a draw as a bad result. It’s not anything like the worst team in 40 years as Alan said, but the performances are surely up there 🙁 I’d like to see him throw Sess on the right and go 2 up top, to benefit from McClean’s newly discovered right foot crosses! But, again, will he?
Look, we’re simply not getting players making forward runs and getting in and around the box. Simple as that.
We have no-one who can take control of midfield. Catts is a great break-up player and I think we missed him tonight.
Please, I hope he is not too badly injured because without him we can simply be bossed in midfield.
Bottom line: we simply have to get more people making positive runs forward. Otherwise we’re not going to make it.
I might have put Vaughn on in place of Colback. And McClean for AJ I would not have done unless AJ was injured.
Salut needs to stop this nonsense with people posting thumbs down and then disappearing into the ether.
How can any body give my comment a thumbs down we have won two games out of 21 yes that’s right 21 and they were against 10 men get your heads out of the sand and smell the coffee we are terrible and a laughing stock the midfield is none existent and I say again and again no creativity I would not let colback play tiddlywinks never mind let him on a football pitch he is useless the best player that plays for Sunderland at the minute and not even ours is Danny rose played well again on Tuesday well done Danny toy put the rest of the rubish to shame…
“I’d take Danny Dichio back at this rate!!!!” By that I saw from the bloke with 21 on his back I was sure Tony Cullen was back.
We don’t need Bent. Fletcher has shown he can put chances away, but he’s not getting any! The midfield has been woeful this season. Larsson hasn’t delivered a decent pass or setpiece all season, Jack (I had high hopes for you Jack) Colback has been tentative and negative, Sess and McClean look nervous and miserable. Should I go on? Oh yes, Adam Johnson. I was really excited when we signed him, a local lad coming home should be keen as mustard. He got plenty of games for the champions last season, he’s got a dozen England caps. All reports said he goes past defenders, delivers killer crosses, a very dangerous player. He comes here and he looks like a rabbit in the headlights, absolutely terrified! It’s totally mystifying! Come on Adam, we all want you to do well, head down, and show us what you can do!
Was awful to watch,we have no spark at all and sadly no one willing or able to bring the game to life.Mignolet made 2 vital saves otherwise it could well have been worse.
Pluses were hard to find,Cuellar,Mignolet and Rose had decent games….pick your worse from the rest.
Kilgallon did OK I thought.
A dower uninspired performance with little to get excited by for the future. Where was the spirit we had last season, why has the promise of the MON era dissapaited to nothing. Question are we missing Nial Quinn, has the direction of the club shifted?. The Physio who is not to blame for performances sends out Cattermole for 5 minutes surely he knew he wasn’t fit. So many questions not enough answers my head is spinning. The management team seems to lack leadership, can this be true. I don’t know anymore
If we didn’t know it before tonight then we know it now,. We are in a relegation dogfight again.
I honestly fear the worst as this lot haven’t got the attitude , fight or desire to get us out of it. That was another clueless display against a team that were almost as bad as us.
It’s hard to know where to start but a bit of pace and urgency about our play would be a start. We are turgid and stale,we don’t get bodies forward quickly enough and we look unimaginative when in posession.
I still have faith in MON as the man to get us out of this but he needs to get it right in the transfer window for us to have any chance of avoiding a return to the seaside league.
Just left ground and I have never seen a worse Sunderland team in 40 years watching Sunderland they are so so negative and borring it was like watching paint dry borring borring borring see you in the championship because that’s where we are going god help us….
The mystery to me is that people keep talking about what a decent squad we have. Where are they? IMO only Mignolet and Fletcher are genuine PL standard. I might include Rose, although he isn’t really our player.The rest look like deadbeats.
I am really beginning to doubt O’Neill’s ability to lift this lot. His tactics seem outdated, and he seems to have lost any motivational power he once had. Does he really believe that Sessegnon is a striker?
The only hope I can see is the January window.
Q. Would you take Darren Bent back?
I’d take Danny Dichio back at this rate!!!!
Maybe even Wayne Entwhistle
Wayne won’t be able to get time off from his gig in a Sex Pistols tribute band.
I wish we’d never let him go … have missed him sorely