With great respect to Vito Mannone, who has had fine moments in goal for Sunderland and is quite capable of stepping back successfully into first team action, the loss of Jordan Pickford for up to two months can be seen only as a cruel and massive setback.
“We’re looking at 6-8 weeks, it’s a major disappointment for him and for us because he’s been saving us points.”
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 29, 2016
No need to add much to David Moyes’s assessment, or to be so impertinent as to ask why on earth anyone, even a football manager, feels he must have a £30,000 watch.
Pickford has won points, as the boss says, and stopped narrow defeats being humiliating ones. He is already an excellent keeper, one of the best two or three in the Premier League, and has a potentially glittering career ahead of him.
All we can do is pin our hopes on Mannone to reproduce the form we know he is capable of, be a lot more careful with distribution (one of Pickford’s many strong points, of course) and make light of the latest injury blow to afflict SAFC. And, of course, to wish Pickford a strong recovery.
Also from today’s press conference given by Moyes, there is better news on some of our other injuries: Jack Rodwell is training and Steven Pienaar and Javier Manquillo “have also been involved”. More from the Moyes press conference can be seen at the Twitter link you see above or at the Sunderland Echo site.
And catch our Burnley vs Sunderland buildup by visiting the Salut! Sunderland home page and navigating easily from there.
Jack Rodwell back in training? I’m underwhelmed. Hopefully we can sell him, rather than put him on the pitch.
A £30,000 watch? Ridiculous. More money than sense. Mine cost £8 at Argos.
Rodwell back in training? Will the bad news never cease?
I can remember him scoring but I can’t remember him giving the ball away a la Ndong
Equally relevant, why does the Mail think this watch thing is of any sporting interest?
Let us hope Moyes gets more out of Rodwell than other managers have, just like he has with Big Vic.
Never known a season like this for injuries.
As Paul says Vito is more than capable. I remember some people panicking and calling for us to sign Joe Hart when he got injured. We signed a back up keeper then and he can warm the bench. Stryjek too is good enough as a sub though I’m not sure he’s ready for a long run were Vito to face another lay off.
I’m more worried about who we’ll lose in the window and the fact we may have a Rodwell/Denayar centre back partnership in January.
(Via Facebook)
Vito has never let us down in the past. If you recall, Pickford only got into the side after first choice Mannone was injured.
This is why you always need at least 2 quality keepers on your books.
Silver lining is that JP will dodge the transfer window and remain at the club till summer at least.
We will welcome him back late February, and hopefully Vito will have made it hard to get back in.