John McCormick writes:Time will tell whether or not Gus got this one right. I knew he’d make changes. I knew he’d start Scorchio. I expected Fletch to get more time on the clock. But I didn’t expect the Gaffer to say to Catts:
“We can’t afford a replay. Even if you get a booking I’m keeping you on the pitch and, if there’s any chance of a draw, I want you to give them a couple of goals”
That’s what it looks like he did. What else can explain this display and, especially, the last 20 minutes against a side that epitomised humdrum, narky, petultant football? I was envisaging booking train tickets this evening but Hull are at Wembley. Well, we can’t complain, we didn’t deserve anything, so good luck to them.
That’s my explanation. Maybe I’ve got it wrong. Maybe you’ll disagree with me. Will you also disagree with the gaffer? Here, in his personal post-match missive to M Salut (and many, many others), he gives us the lowdown on a troublesome fixture:
Dear Colin,
I’m not going to go too deep into this, we weren’t good enough, we didn’t create enough and we didn’t adapt to the game or the circumstances.
The only way to get something from a game when things aren’t going your way is to defend well and we did not do that – especially for their first goal.
The goal changed the game; we didn’t come to hold the game we wanted to win it.
I brought players on who are regularly in the team for us; the fans were very happy to see Fabio and Johnno come on and then two minutes later we conceded a goal.
Sometimes the decisions you make work and sometimes they don’t. They [Borini and Johnson] are not responsible for the goal, but the game changed at that point.
We’ve been talking about cup games for weeks and then maybe a return to Wembley; it’s over now. No more talking or analysis, it’s all about the Barclays Premier League.
Next week is where our battle starts. We need to go out and create more; we’re at home so we need to take the game to Crystal Palace.
We need to concentrate on the league, sometimes I don’t like to make out that a game is like a cup final but I think it’s the only way we can approach our remaining games.
We cannot give any more points away, we can’t complain any more, we need to go out and be man enough to win our games.
All the best,
Gus Poyet
Join the Salut! Sunderland Facebook group – click anywhere along this line
And follow us on Twitter: @salutsunderland … click along this line
- Jake flags the new feature allowing you to have your say on topic or off
Fancy leaving a comment? Not sure what you have to say fits this post? Go to the new feature – https://safc.blog/2013/07/s
Fancy leaving a comment? Not sure what you have to say fits this post? Go to the new feature – https://safc.blog/2013/07/salut-sunderland-the-way-it-is/ – and say it there.
We were not playing Real Madrid Gus, as you pointed out – but we were playing a side that had beaten us twice this season
It’s very worrying that we only seem to perform when Gus can pick the best 11. At a Premier League club the squad should be good enough for other players to step in and do a job. With the run of fixtures we’ve had, and the backlog to catch up, not to mention players being away on international duty, it’s impossible for the same 11 to start every match, even without injuries. He’s had an unenviable juggling job to do.
I am awaiting a tweety thing from the MP for Hull to thank our fans for dumping 5 tons of rubbish in the town centre. Apparently it has improved it.
Drummer is right. It’s an own goal. Staying in the Premier is vital and more important to the club long-term. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take an FA quarter-final seriously. Even the big clubs get serious at this stage – because it’s a bona fide competition with a Euro place at the end of it (even sometimes if you lose in the final to the right team).
It’s not like we had a league game on Wednesday and had to prioritise selection.The Palace game was a week away. And, after Hull, the next cup game was a whole month away, so we could forget about it and concentrate on the other games coming up.
It’s an old cliche but success breeds success and winning breeds confidence. So, since this was the only game on our calendar this week, why not try and win it?
The assumption is that we’lll put our best team out against Palace and they’ll do the business – just because they have to. But we’re now on a 3 game losing streak and have conceded 10 goals in the process. We’ll still have all the pressure, but where’s the confidence coming from?
Spot on. I remember when Liverpool won the old first division using only 14 players all season. Switching players and formations is a stupid idea, other than for teams who are involved in 3 or 4 different competitions simultaneously.
By now, Poyet should know his best 11, and changes should only be for injuries, suspensions or obvious loss of form.
Quite frankly we haven’t got enough PL quality players to make sweeping changes. I’m afraid Poyet got this one seriously wrong, and I think he will live to regret it. As you rightly say, success does breed success, but losing becomes a habit, and we have now lost three on the bounce.
Well said Sir, couldn’t agree more.
I don’t think Gus or the players “threw” the game but I do suspect the boss, at least, slept soundly last night. Anyone who made the journey and spent money on the ticket is entitled to feel short-changed. That takes nothing away from the achievements Gus has made since jump on board a fast-sinking ship
The insinuation that the team threw the game is childish and I expect more rationale debate from this website.
After everything Gus has achieved in less than 20 odd games how can you question his integrity and that of his players.
No doubt you will be one of the first to cry in his beer when Gus eventually leaves for a bigger job knowing that football is so fickle you can bring the best cup achievement in 22 years but the following week be told you don’t care about cups and have cheated the clubs fans.
Er, I’m a Poyet fan , but on this occasion he got it wrong . I’m not a disciple , the man is fallible like the rest of us. It’s understandable that the management structure value the premier league over everything . The rest of us properly believe this as well, but this was a wasted golden opportunity for Europe and a winners medal . If we stop up , I’ll hold my hands up. If we go down I will forever say this was a criminally wasted opportunity .
Why did he change the team formation and tactics Dossena is pants Vergini and Scocco are not up to it yet every time we do something good he changes it the next game and we then become rubbish. I like Gus but can’t help wondering why he keeps doing this. Stick with a settled team and formation why oh why 5 changes if the players who can’t get into the team then they must do better in training and Gus says he is going to get rid of the deadwood the sooner the better. I feel sorry for the lads that bust a gut one week then get dropped the next game it has me baffled
Can’t explain it most weeks , but yesterday we ( management and above)wanted out, simple as. We don’t play Palace till Saturday , how not to build up the pressure for that one eh ?. Massive own goal !
Sounds like Poyets glad we’re out. Had our little day out last week , enjoyed ourselves for once and now we can return to our endless ,repetitive ,season after season relegation battle. This tactic better work as we’ve thrown away a golden opportunity of a final appearance and even a trophy win due to the semi final draw and City losing. But glory doesn’t matter when premiership moneys at stake it seems. I know its vital to the welfare and financial health of the club but sorry , it doesn’t excite me like a cup final.
Abject sh*te. If that’s our squad then it’s simply not good enough.
we gifted Hull three goals they would never had scored if they played all night. Mind you neither would we but at least we would be looking at a replay