John McCormick writes: for a while, watching on TV, I thought I saw glimpses of last season – some skill, some effort and above all, desire. But it counted for nothing in the end as Arsenal stepped up a gear and brought on a sub that is miles better than any of our best players. They were too good for us, and it showed. Our manager seems to agree with these sentiments, judging by the letter he wrote to M Salut, and maybe one or two others, immediately after the game:
Dear Colin,
I think the score line is a little bit harsh on us, I don’t think we deserved to have lost by three goals.
We were never going to be the aggressors in the game because of the quality that Arsenal possess in their side but I thought we did well and deservedly got an equaliser.
There were one or two opportunities just before half time that we should have made more of. We showed good character early in the game, I would have liked to have seen us show the same character to stay in the game after that.
We didn’t defend well on a number of occasions and we paid the price. I thought we defended well initially and kept good shape and we were disciplined but we didn’t see the game out as we should have done.
The players are giving all they have. You can’t question their commitment or their passion and desire.
Thanks for your support,
He might believe in Moyes (although God knows why), but he also believes that the team needs to win at least sometimes. He is setting new records in his failure to achieve that. Gone by Monday and good riddance. He’s shocking.
If he does, he’ll be making a very big mistake, in effect allowing the fans to run the team.In retrospect, we might just have been better off sticking with Bruce, or maybe Martin O’Neill, even if it had meant relegation. We could have had the squad rebuilt and be back – and competitive – in the Premiership.
I certainly think O’Neill could’ve being given longer ,while Bruce’s signings are amazingly still some of our better players . Short should stick to his guns if he truly believes in Moyes , me , I’m just punch drunk with the whole thing .
I have always rated Moyes, and was thrilled when he was appointed. However, you can’t defend the indefensible, and, to date, nothing he has done or said looks convincing.
In his defence, we have had an abnormal injury list, involving some key players. Added to which, Kone looks to me to be going through the motions, whilst waiting for his anticipated move to Everton, and principally, Moyes has inherited a squad of players, who are basically not PL standard.
Against that, his recruits, so far, have been totally ineffective. He has failed to introduce any sort of playing system, and his substitutions are difficult to comprehend.
Has he lost the managerial acumen that placed him in such high regard at Everton, and earlier, Preston? Or has the Sunderland management curse descended on his plate, as it did with our last few [ the list is too depressingly long to remember ] ?
I don’t know, and I really wonder if anyone could do anything much with this squad.
Relegation, and rebuilding might be the solution. Or is it possible that getting players back from injury, and a good January transfer window, could save our season?
I think Mr Short will be very reluctant to change managers yet again, but if this continues, local frustration may force his hand.
If it turns nasty inside the stadium ( which I’m not advocating in any way ) similarly to Bruce’s last game , I think Short will act .
The facts are , we had a good team playing well under Big Sam ,at the tail end off last season . Moyes has come in , let good players go , not signed loans that worked and replaced them with utter rubbish . Who’s fault is that ?
Lets put this into context. We are 10 places and 10 points behind Bournemouth. Yes,……. Bournemouth. Off you go David.
Could be 13 this time next week. Not a hope of staying up.
Insufferable rubbish. This can’t go on any longer.
But it inevitably will. It’s like being an alcoholic; you have to hit rock-bottom before you can begin to recover. It’s not easy, it’s not pleasant and it’s certainly not pretty, but it’s unavoidable.
There’s already talk, no doubt with lots more to come, of the need to replace Moyes. As I said earlier this week, there can’t be a single top-class manager prepared to replace him at a club whose mandate would appear to be, “You have a dozen games at most and if you haven’t produced results, you’re out.”
And whoever did come in would inherit the same squad with the same problems, compounded by the fact that the players would be unsettled by yet another managerial upheaval. Though perhaps that could be avoided if we kissed and made up with Allardyce and brought him back to finish what he started. Not a likely prospect. Nor can I see Ellis Short being prepared to pay out yet again for a terminated contract.
I think, as Colin has said, Moyes has to be given two years to rebuild the team properly and on a firm foundation. Yes, that’s probably going to mean relegation. No, that’s not the end of the world. We’ve come back before and we’ll come back again.
I don’t feel we will, this reminds me of the fear we had watching the team in 1986/87.
Everyone
Everyone has to go!
The substitutions were difficult to understand, we weakend the flanks and allowed Arsenal tp put in cross after cross allowing them to feed Giroud. After working hard to get a foot in the game, we shot ourselves in the foot. Suspect tactics without direction or insight.
Does not bode well if that performance was giving there all.
Commitment, passion, desire….. Januzaj????