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Post by thegrud1 on Feb 20, 2018 13:22:14 GMT
I truly believe this game will be a major factor if we avoid relegation. Its a MASSIVE must win for me Win we open a gap(if results go for us)..lose ..I dont think we will recover We got to get behind the team tonight for a full 90 mins
COYW
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Post by Pedro on Feb 20, 2018 15:22:18 GMT
We need a proven goalscorer. We DO have one! Time to give Connor Hall at least 30 mins. He is one of the few I would guarantee to get a Morais cross in the back of the net too. His heading ability is superb compared to all first teamers. Two or three of the U23's also have more creativity, pace and accurate passing ability in their little fingers than our tired journeyman donkeys.
Come to the Macron tomorrow night and see for yourselves when they face Burnley. KO 7pm
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Post by davidm on Feb 20, 2018 16:42:23 GMT
For some reason, I am worried about this match - more so than normal.
I think it's because of the last 2 lifeless away performances.
A win is essential to get some space between us and the bottom three. Barnsley also play Burton so someone will get points.
I hope (probably forlornly) that we choose to attack - 3 from Clough, Le Fondre, Walker & Ameobi must start.
We don't need 2 defensive midfielders tonight either.
Fingers crossed for a win.
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Post by OohMac on Feb 20, 2018 17:10:42 GMT
I'm worried about this one too. As I think it can, and will, derail all the catch up work we've done.
I think the reason why we have lost so many away games is that when other teams try and beat us they usually do. So the only chance we have is when teams turn up at Macron happy to get a point.
As the teams get more desperate they will have no choice to come to attack us and when they do they will get their rewards.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2018 19:29:40 GMT
Desperate for a win and he plays will brown I really don't know what Alf has to do to start games or the young lad Conner it's hard being a wanderers fan COYWM 😀
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Post by riochforthereebok on Feb 20, 2018 21:29:53 GMT
Clough off Derik on... 30 mins left, ALF on the bench, Sunderland having good possession and Parky looking to protect a fractious 1-0 lead 😬😬😬 COYWM
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Post by Alptrotter on Feb 20, 2018 22:14:16 GMT
Thank God we got over the line! I thought we would win this comfortably and started reasonably well, only to surrender possession more and more after Clough‘s goal. I don‘t think it worked having Wilbraham up top. He‘s immobile and won surprisingly few headers. A faster player like Walker might have prospered more and definitely should have come on rather than ALF when they were chasing the game. Karacan added something to midfield -a pity he missed a sitter which would have calmed our nerves a lot. Taylor improved as the game went on and Morais ran himself into the ground. The central defence for sure has some hairy moments, but survived thanks in no small part to Alnwick actually catching a few crosses, as well as making a terrific save.
Not a night for moaning. I think we may have sent them down. Let‘s hope we do the same with two from Burton, Barnsley or Birminghsm
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Post by andyl on Feb 20, 2018 22:53:43 GMT
Another white knuckle ride! Yet again we were completely outplayed in terms of possession and we gave the ball away ad infinitum. Somehow we stabbed in a goal and held on. They missed one sitter in the first half but otherwise offered little. We looked one short in midfield and Karacan was hopelessly lightweight in central midfield.. With Taylor in situ we had closed down any prospect of a left sided attack.
I thought Morais and Ameobi were linking well. Wilbraham covered quite a lot of ground but was ineffectual in the air. Clough was anonymous.
In the second half we looked to be in trouble but an excellent double substitution steadied things down with Derik now able to support Henry aggressively and just as importantly Karacan was moved to his left flank position and as the game wore on caught up the pace and was instrumental in our seeing the game out
Le Fondre missed a point blank header saved by Camp and Karacan crashed the follow up against the bar. After this shot period of threat we relapsed into defence and did well to survive some set pieces. Alnwick pulled off a brilliant save to win the points
In truth Sunderland were poor. A priceless win not really deserved and not especially inspiring but a win. Strengths- Morais dug in well and Ameobi offers an out ball. His control and ball retention is what keeps us in games. Weaknesses- A marked decline of Beevers. I don't think he won a ball in the air?
Alnwick 8 Morais 7 Dervite 6 Wheater 6 Beevers 4 Taylor 5 Karacan 5 Henry 6 Ameobi 7 Wilbraham 4 Clough 4 Derik 6 Le Fondre 6
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Post by greydad on Feb 20, 2018 23:01:52 GMT
Never mind the quality feel the points....what a valuable win, but so difficult to watch. As pointed out above the tendency to fall back when ahead allows opponents unnecessary possession, compounded by consistently poor passing, but subs were crucial. Derik's presence allowed Caracan more freedom and Alf occupied their defenders effectively and was unlucky not to score, but this was the poorest Sunderland team I've seen over the last 50 plus years, thankfully, despite their 60% plus possession stats. Again, 3 desperately needed points, if the away form can improve there is every chance of survival if the home fixtures continue to yield points, but it remains a big if!
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Post by riochforthereebok on Feb 20, 2018 23:14:10 GMT
I only hope there’s a ‘buy one get one free’ offer on Just for Men next time I’m in B&M Bargains.. Phew!!! Nowt like making us sweat for the victory eh boys?? Apart from Burton doing Barnsley, all results were in our favour tonight and at this stage of the season, points are all we need, shame there’s no performance that merits the points but a win is a win I guess.. Could argue that City had 81% v Wigan and still lost even with their multi million pound talent so I best not moan about our messily 39% at home against a poor side to much.
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Post by Pedro on Feb 20, 2018 23:59:54 GMT
3 magic points from a terrible game but so pleased to see that Alnwick reads our forum! What a difference when he comes out and catches the bloody ball! Great to see Karacan given a chance. Played his socks off and was mostly effective, he will only improve with gametime as opposed to Beevers - what is happening to him? Hope Morais wasn't injured as he looked to be in a lot of pain and is no faker. Checkout Will Brown's stats: 16 hoofs to him, won 6 (I would not have thought he won that many) but only managed one pass to a Bolton player Anyway, don't forget, if you want to be excited for 90 mins and see some Bolton skill, pace, creativity, passing accurately to a white shirt and very little hoofball plus skillful goals from well drilled, accurate shots and accurate, technically brilliant headers, bring your season tickets along for a free game tomorrow night against Burnley U23's. KO 7pm. They would wipe the floor with the first team who would maybe get about 19% possession Ref stats are interesting too: the second game recently where we have had double the fouls of the opposition. 37% Away63% Shots Home8 Away15 Shots on Target Home4 Away3 Corners Home3 Away7 Fouls Home18 Away9
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Post by bonaparte on Feb 21, 2018 0:10:14 GMT
Terrible game of head tennis. Ameobi best of a bad lot, but not at his best. Perhaps the inclusion of a psuedo Madine, so that he got pushed out to the left made him wonder whether to bother. Karacan had a reasonable game, better than Vela's recent form and did look and acted interested. Return to plan A, big hoof, obvious until the early substitutions. But we got the 3 points.
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Post by davidm on Feb 21, 2018 9:53:20 GMT
The 3 points were the most important part of last night.
Which was a good job because the standard of football was appalling.
After a few games without a big lump up front, we reverted to Plan A with Wilbraham upfront. Our game consisted of endless high balls and little decent football. But Sunderland were dreadful. They had loads of possession (probably 90% in the second half) but created little.
We set off by sitting back and hardly got into the Sunderland half in the first 10 minutes.
Eventually we had a couple of attacks and then got a real piece of luck. The ball went out of play in a tangle on the touchline. The ref gave Sunderland the throw but, surprisingly, the linesman, some 20 yards away, waved for a free kick to us. Don’t know how we got it as the ref was close by. Morais took an excellent free kick which somehow Clough scored from. How he got it in, I don’t know but we were happy to be ahead.
Apart one 2 minute spell in the second half, that was it. We were in 100% defence mode.
Fletcher beat our cumbersome offside trap and brought a fine save from Alnwick and we just were all over the show defensively. Miskicks, poor headers, panic we had it all but somehow got to half time with a clean sheet.
We had one break just before half time when we broke from a Sunderland corner. Alnwick caught the corner and rolled the ball out to Ameobi. We had Clough and Ameobi against 3 defenders and looked in with a good chance with the ball at Ameobi’s feet. He passed to Clough but was then clobbered. The ref waved play as Clough had the ball but it was now 3 against 1 with Ameobi flattened and the move petered out. Where was the advantage in that decision?
Whatever is said in the dressing room at half time, we always come out the same. We just set out to hold a lead. No intention to attack – just sit back and hold on.
Sunderland had practically all the ball but they are a poor side and couldn’t create.
We had one spell late on when Le Fondre had a header well saved and Karacan hit the bar in the same move. Ameobi had an instinctive shot deflected wide but that was it.
We held on but Sunderland had all the possession and we went further and further back. At one stage Le Fondre was on the edge of our penalty area – the furthest man forward.
We somehow won but a decent team would have thrashed us.
I hate the hoofball tactics. I hate the defensive mentality. I love the 3 points.
Alnwick - 6 Some good saves but also some very average punching/flapping. Good at the end in claiming the ball when we were in panic mode.
Morais - 6 Some positive runs. Good to see him back.
Dervite - 6 Steady in a defence full of mass panic.
Wheater - 5 Strangely got beaten many times in the air and a couple of absolutely farcical howlers which could have cost us.
Beevers - 4 So strange to see him perform so badly. Endlessly lost out in the air. Got into trouble when letting high balls drop. Distribution awful.
Taylor - 6 Steady but, as said in other posts, his attack contribution was negligible.
Henry - 5 I still struggle with Henry in that his passing is awful, he is slow and the opposition midfield have acres of space.
Karacan - 8 Good to see him back. One of the few players who tries to play a forward pass. Should have scored.
Ameobi - 6 Strange performance in that he rarely threatened the Sunderland goal but he held the ball well and occupied the opposition defenders.
Clough - 6 I thought we looked lively in the first half hour with him involved but he faded.
Wilbraham - 3 Awful. He won a few high balls (not many) and rarely combined with his colleagues.
Le Fondre - 6 Looked quite lively when he came on. Had to play all on his own as the rest of the side were playing defence by this time. Should have scored.
Derik - 5 Steadied midfield when he came on.
Burke
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Post by whitesince63 on Feb 21, 2018 10:24:59 GMT
The worst part of suffering 90 minutes at the Macron under Parkinson is the 90 minute journey home afterwards. That was excruciatingly bad, I was both angry and embarrassed at yet another woeful Parkinson performance and I don't know if I can stand it much longer. Certainly, if this excuse for a manager is still there next year, I definitely won't be. That has to be the worst and most disappointing match I can remember since probably Bury and Chesterfield last year. What is Parky saying to the players? The whole of the second half they just looked completely terrified. Just like last year, I really don't know how we keep managing to cobble together the points but somehow we are and manage to bring most teams down to our level. It's putrid, disgraceful stuff completely void of entertainment but will hopefully somehow manage to cobble together enough points to keep us up. Please God let KA find a buyer who will surely ditch this clown because otherwise I'm giving up with football altogether.
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Post by wots on Feb 21, 2018 13:48:37 GMT
I'm giving up with football altogether. Hurrah!!! (just a joke whites )
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