Monsieur Saltut writes: deprived of Sixer – Pete was on Santa duty again – and deputy editor Malcolm Dawson, also absent from the SoL, Salut! Sunderland struggled to follow the game as much as the team struggled against a lively, well-drilled Watford side. There wasn’t even Barnes and Benno on local radio – some technical hitch presumably – but a decent stream was located to show exactly why Sunderland are in such trouble.
Sloppy play all over the pitch let the fans down after a woeful start that the Hornets sting in under four minutes. It improved when Johnson and Defoe came on and there were chances, but Watford might have doubled or trebled their lead as gaps were left, inevitably, at the back. The asterisk denotes the non-Sixer seven-word verdict (it’s mine) …
Dec 12 2015 SAFC 0 (0) Watford (1) 1 * Disappointingly insipid and cannot complain about result
Dec 5 2015 *Arsenal (1) 3 SAFC (1) 1: Deserved better but couldn’t take our chances
Nov 28 2015 SAFC (0) 2 Stoke City (0) 0 Totally unrecognisable from the last home game
Nov 23 2015 *Crystal Palace (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 1: Winning ugly but winning. Sam’s the Man*
Nov 7 2015: SAFC (0) 0 Southampton (0) 1 A truly dismal display that heralds relegation
Nov 1 2015: Everton (2) 6 SAFC (1) 2 The usual post-derby anti-climax knocks us flat or Quite clear why Advocaat decamped to Holland or The defending was like Halloween: absolutely fightening
Oct 25 2015: SAFC (1) 3 Newcastle United (0) 0 West Bromwich Albion Nothing better than the joy of six
Oct 17 2015: West Bromwich Albion (0) 1 SAFC (0) 0 * At least the pies were good quality to which Sixer adds Another Pantilimon error means still no win
Oct 3 2015: SAFC (2) 2 West Ham United (1) 2 Dick can be proud of his (?) players
September 26 2015: Manchester United (1) 3 SAFC (0) 0 Routine for United thanks to defensive errors
September 22 2015: League Cup: SAFC (0) 1 Manchester City (4) City’s brilliance aided by pathetic Sunderland defending or Defence horribly exposed by a rampant City or Not on the same planet as City
September 19 2015: AFC Bournemouth (2) 2 SAFC (0) 0 Couldn’t recover from a truly abysmal start
September 13 2015: SAFC (0) 0 Tottenham Hotpsur (0) 1 Vastly improved performance not reflected by result
August 29 2015: Aston Villa (2) 2 SAFC (1) 2 * M’Vila and Lens snatch a shaky point
August 25 2015: League Cup 2nd round: SAFC (3) 6 Exeter City (3) 3 Young hearts run free in second half
August 22 2015: SAFC (0) 1 Swansea City (1) 1 Gloom lifting after a more determined performance
August 15 2015: SAFC (0) 1 Norwich City (2) 3 I’ve seen some shockers in my time …
August 8 2015: Leicester City (3) 4 SAFC (0) 2 No encouragement to take from this shocker
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I seldom comment on a game I haven’t attended as the TV image is too restrictive. However, I feel the need to join this discussion as it seems to me too negative. Yes we lost which is of course not only depressing but frustrating but I saw several positives during the 90 minutes. Firstly, I saw, unlike Eric, our players exhibit heart and a “never say die ” attitude. Regarding workrate, aside of Toivenen, who didn’t get mentioned in the TV commentary until the 30th minute, I had no problem with our workrate. As for us not having decent players, I think this seasons squad shows considerable improvement on the last two seasons and we haven’t had a midfield player of the class of M’Vila for years.
Under Big Sam – whose arrival I personally wasn’t thrilled about – we are creating far more goalscoring opportunities. Cast your mind back over the past two seasons. We may have been getting more draws but we never looked like winning because we weren’t scoring. Now, we look a real threat.
I think we need to recognise the difference between what we, naturally enough, feel; which is the huge disappointment of defeat and the reality that is played out on the pitch.
Yesterday we were lacking two outstanding players in Cattermole and Kaboul and yet we still should have won the game, based on the number of real goalscoring chances each side had.
If the players and coaching staff can keep believing, we will be safe.
I hope the 44,000 keep on believing because they can make the difference.
PS And Rodwell has joined the party.
We had chances but so did they . No one to blame but ourselves and we were woefull . The feel good factor from the back to back wins has totally evaporated while we seem to have lost the ability to grind out draws when we’re not on our game . 0-0 kept us up last year , we’re going down this year unless we develop a backbone .
I see the Echo are highlighting our need for another centre back. Doesn’t take a genius to work that out. It took Sam 20 minutes to realise Billy Jones can’t play there. He should have read my comments on here earlier in the week.
I am perplexed by Dick’s and now Sam’s treatment of Roberge and Vergini. Neither might be deemed good enough to play regularly in the Premiership but I still don’t understand the logic of side lining players who offer the only real cover, other than the ageing Wes Brown, in the centre back position. They must surely have a better understanding of the role than Billy Jones.
Bridcutt, Mavrias, Buckley are slightly different as we have no shortage of players in their positions. And then the system that worked so well at Palace and against Stoke relied on Catts and Seb. Their replacements are different types of players who can’t perform the same role effectively.
Starting with Watmore rather than Defoe, was in my view a mistake and a response to the public clamouring for him to start or to keep him happy at the club. Don’t get me wrong, I believe he has potential but he is still naive and inexperienced. I’m not sure what his role was supposed to be yesterday and as I didn’t get through the snow didn’t witness things first hand. Might not Johnson or Gomez have been a better midfield option if that was where he was supposed to be?
I have faith in Borini but he isn’t coming up with the goods, especially in the defensive side of things so to have him start with Watmore confused me. Was he the second striker? Was he in because of doubts about Defoe’s fitness? Was he in because Defoe will be moving on in January?
The squad Sam had available yesterday wasn’t suited to the shape of the team at kick off in my view and it would seem that the coaching staff thought the same after 20 minutes. With Bournemouth winning yesterday escaping the drop is even more of an uphill struggle than I had getting out of Crook yesterday.
Can’t disagree with any of that and the Roberge and especially Vergini mystery is a common bone of contention in our group . I also would start with Defoe in every game , up front , with a partner , he gets the whole team to up a gear .
My day. Get up 8AM. Play some Minecraft, listen to some Music = Status Quo, The Moulettes & The Leisure Society.
Take my wife to work, 11:15AM. Deposit a cheque in one of my accounts from my dad for Christmas presents.
Home again, play some Phone games, and have my fifth coffee of the day (maybe sixth).
Day goes on. Oh yes, at 2PM drudge across town to pick up my son’s game system for Christmas. A Wii U (he is 11). And when I get back it is 3:10. Oh yeah, Sunderland are playing now. Get on the SAFC website and find out about things via online Radio
Time to spoil my day, all wa fine up until that point. OK, only 10 minutes played, I hope they claw it back.
Not a slither of a chance.
Our players are all expensive has beens, except for the cropped Cattermole. Who, always seems to change the way we play, and the outcome. Despite only covering our defense.
Evening, more music, a little bit more Minecraft, design a circuit, and AVOID Match of the Day like the plague. Yes, I may watch on Tuesday, just to see what happened. But, I am fed up of this. Sad to say, I am a Sunderland supporter, and have been for over 40 years. But, other than the Peter Reid years I never had much to happy about.
If you’d gone to the match you could have avoided all that drudgery.
Hi Eric, it seems the match itself was drudgery. The Point I was trying to make. Last match I attended was Aston Villa 0 – 0 Sunderland when the Arsenal cast off, Bendtner scored a perfect goal only to be judged offside. I wonder how things would have gone for Jozy Altidore had his goal against Arsenal been given, or the red card against the Arsenal player been given. It should have been goal to Sunderland, Altidore would have gained so much. But, I think it was Martin Atkinson, and he gave some indirect ridiculous decision.
I will attend another. But, I am nearly 60 years. And not living in the North East as I found work in the Midlands.
I know what it’s like Robin. My life for the past 2 weeks or more has been an endless round of shopping for kids, grandkids, neighbours, friends, even people I don’t particularly like. Then, a bit of time off from the shops (Watford Intu Centre!!), crash on the settee and listen to Barnes & Benno describe another loss. Todays shopping was Harrow as I refused to enter Watford. Tickets have been acquired for Chelsea and my 65 year old bones will be in attendance. Merry Chrimblers.
Bournemouth show how it should done. They have everything we don’t: heart, workrate, a never say die attitude plus decent players. Make no mistake, we are deep in the brown stuff.
This is a depressing result.
Just got a lot worse: first Bournemouth, now Newcastle win. Very disheartening but not surprised. At least Allardyce knows that he has to act in January.
Why not have a sevens competition? Mine: Woeful, wet, wayward and wasteful, Watford win.