Earlier this week Gus Poyet, in his post-Man Utd e-mail, identified the arrival of Adam Johnson, our purchase from Manchester’s stronger club, as the match-changing moment of a heartening cup victory. That was just a harbinger of an even better performance from the man of the moment.
Dear Colin,
It’s difficult to compare this to other games. There’s been the Newcastle win, the Man City win, the Everton win and the Cup victories, but it is a very satisfying result.
It leaves a very good feeling and we’ve done it at the right time, we’ve been waiting awhile for a result like this – and what a way to do it, away from home, against a rival who is close to us in the table.
Three goals from Adam Johnson, you cannot get much better, you know how expensive goals are! A player like Adam needs to be played in the right way and we’ve been trying to make sure the team play in a way that suits him to make the difference. The last two or three weeks I think he’s been outstanding and if he can maintain this level and consistency he’s going to be a great help. Everything he did today went right, and the team for that matter, our decision making was much better. He is the type of player who can make a difference and I’m looking forward to watching him over the next couple of weeks.
This team is now much stronger mentally; when I look back to my first game in charge at Swansea I can see that.
After we conceded today we went looking to score more and we did, we were good on the break and we finished well; it was a very good performance. I think this win could be the key game that sees the season change. We won today in a very good way, against a team lower in the league, something we have had trouble with this season.
We need to stay calm and maintain this consistency.
All the best,
Gus Poyet
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Mannone has won a few friends since he came in. I’m still not convinced by him and I don’t think that Poyet is either.
He has set his sights on a goalkeeper and if he gets the lad from Catania then expect Mannone to be back on the bench.
4-1! Ain’t that a thing of beauty!!!
Hats off to Sunderland for a job well done. Gus has slowly but surely forged a ‘team’ out of a pack of dissolute individuals, and now the results are starting to show. About a month ago, we stopped leaking goals at the back, and if the results of the past week are any indication, we’re now capable of scoring a bagful ourselves. Whereas we were once viewed by our opponents as an easy three points in the bank, we are fast becoming a dangerous proposition.
I don’t mean to get carried away on a wave of optimism. I realize this is going to be a close run thing, but I’m beginning to feel Sunderland is definitely not going to be circling the relegation drain come spring.
Also relegation dogfights are nothing new to us. As a team and fans we can hold our nerve as long as any. If it goes to the wire we’ll be there with them, urging and cheering them on.
Hey Drummer – a certain pain in the backside has been notable for his absence these past couple of weeks. Do you think we should start a game of “Where’s (the) Wally”?
Maybe he’s got a bit bored, saying that his team “Middlesbrough ” are doing well, he could be on a Boro site…… Cough
I think perhaps that warning shot across the bow, from the site moderator a couple of weeks ago, sent him scurrying down his hole.
The fact The Lads have been winning and the Mags haven’t gives him (I assume it’s a him) nothing to gloat about so as Drummer quite rightly said the worm has probably crawled back into his home.
Maybe Short wants somebody to look after his cash who he feels he can trust. Enormous amounts have been wasted.
Very true.
Let’s not get too carried away. Yes, a great performance both as a team and a couple of stand-out individuals, but it was against the worst defence in the league and possibly the worst overall team. We played well when afforded space to do so, and that’s been our problem at home, when other relegation candidates come to the SOL they play in banks of 5 and 4 and wait to be broken down, something we simply haven’t been good enough to do and something an in-form Johnson can make happen. I think we’ll get a result against the saints as they’ll come and play, but I don’t think we’ll play a team as bad as Fulham again this season.
For all that I still think we’ll stay up.
Poyet is an inpired manager.He has an knack of identifying just who to remove from a game and who to bring on.His substitutions always make a positive difference.
Yesterday he takes Fletcher off at 2-1 up and as a Sunderland fan you maybe expect its a backs to the wall finish…but we end up winning 4-1.
Gus is nothing short of a miracle worker.
It’s says in the latest WMS podcast that since Gus took over we are eleventh or twelfth the form league. If we maintain that form, gradually we’ll rise out of the bottom three.Plenty of games left in the league to complete a remarkable turn around.We’ve looked on the edge of being cast adrift on a few occasions and each time we’ve managed to fight our way back into contention.Its being one and a half steps forward one step back but we are getting there. Gus has transformed this club and what were the club thinking letting Di Canio take us into the season when this man was available? There’s being no ” new manager ” bounce with Gus but something infinitely better instead. Steady, sustainable improvement on the pitch, an increase in confidence in both the team and fans , better football played and most importantly the belief is back.We can do this!
Three points against Southampton vital. I thought that against Villa too but the team must grab that opportunity. None of the bottom ten are safe and almost every match is the clichéd six pointer.
Correct Malcolm , we now have to step it up a gear again and get two wins on the trot in the league. Four points at least from our next two games would turn our season around.
Having one point when he took over the turnaround under Poyet has been miraculous, but I agree the players are of the correct quality. The much maligned Di Fanti is also due some credit even though not all the players have been a success. Where would we be without Mannone, if Roberge and Diakete had not been purchased could we have weathered the loss of O’Shea and Brown, Borini was a great loan and I really hope we keep him. Yesterday Larsson and Giacherini were on the bench and we won 4-1, our squad can’t be that poor. Our current form is enough to see us survive but we need to maintain it. alonso has fitted in well and Altidore gives us options upfront, let’s get behind the team and the manager and see Premier League football at the SoL. Well done Senor Poyet and keep us moving forward and you will become a hero
I agree Keith, but am concerned that the club is becoming too reliant on loan players, who return to their parent clubs, leaving the club seeking replacements and the coach having to bed in new players. If we don’t keep Ki, Borini and Alonso, who made a big difference yesterday, we’ll be back at square one, missing players in vital positions, just like when we had to send Danny Rose back.
Short must be worried about the money wasted on players who are signed and then sent packing. Graham, N’Diaye, Cabral, Saha, Wickham, Ji, all spring to mind.
If De Fanti wasn’t an ex agent who is also the son of one of Ellis Shorts friends he mightn’t be viewed with so much suspicion. Saying that, if these are he’s only qualifications to be our director of football ,then I for one am very much suspicious regarding he’s suitability for the job.The jury is very much out at the moment. He is in a privileged position , he needs to justify it .
Poyet’s satisfaction rating amongst supporters is so high, that if there were any conflict with de Fanti (and I’m not suggesting there is) Short would be mad not to back Poyet, so he’s in a strong position.
Short knows the man and wants the opinion of somebody that knows football before shelling out huge sums of money. That is his motivation, Poyet will get who he wants but Di Fanti is there to protect Shorts interests
Mannone is rapidly proving more than an adequate replacement for Mignolet. I do feel for Westwood – looks like he may have to wait for his opportunity again when fit, as Mannone has been impressive.
There will be changes Malcolm before the window closes. He has sketched a reasonable side (when they do perform), from the wreckage of the summer madness of Di Fanti. There’s a lot of encouragement to be gained from the sorts of players that he is trying to bring in right now.
The truth is that he is having to pick from players who he probably wouldn’t touch with a barge pole given the choice so the credit he deserves is enormous.
Gus Poyet has done wonders with a very poor set of players that he inherited. Poyet handles the media well and the praise/kick up the backside that he gave Johnson last week is a brilliant example of his style of management, which also show how savvy he is with his use of the media.
Gus is a class act. Deserves the points and plaudits today. It’s a turning point because of the performance as well as the points. Fantastic!
Agree totally – and we now have some winnable games coming up, whereas some other relegation candidates have some tough one’s.
Could this be the start of ” The Great Escape “?
Whilst I agree that Poyet is doing wonders with the squad he has, I have said before and still maintain the squad is good enough to stay up and as good as, or better than most of the teams around us. Poyet is organising them, building their self belief and turning things around. There’s still a mountain to climb but if we get results against the other teams around us we’ll be OK.
Then the rebuilding can start again.
And as we’ve seen Adam Johnson revive under Poyet, then I take it he is probably the sort of manager that players want to play under – brings the best out of them. So hopefully he may be able to hang onto the ones he wants (providing we avoid relegation).