Let's talk about the Sunderland game

[Alan Southstand]

Well, something's definately not right - 7 conceded in 2 home games, with so few shots on target and against pretty ordinary sides. Is there an element of 'not being switched on' when we play teams who we think we should beat?

It's got to be a combination of things, obviously, but there have been some glaring errors made, bordering on the lackadaisical which takes me back to the point I'm making above.

[Pancho Regan]

I can sum up Tuesday in one word:

Cattermole

If he doesn't cripple someone in our middle 3 before half time, then we'll be lucky. Got yet another yellow today at Shrewsbury. Let's hope, for once, we have a good ref.

Number of issues for me:
Will we start to take our chances?
Will we defend better, particularly from set pieces?
Will Copps find it one game too many?

Lose on Tuesday and we could drop out the top 6 and we could find it difficult getting back up there.
Win and it's a whole new ball game and morale booster.

A number of answers to your issues:

We have scored six goals in the last 2 games;
All teams concede goals from set pieces, we are no worse than any other team;
Copps is on fire, arguably showing the best form of his amazing career.

Lose on Tuesday would be no cause for shame - Sunderland are the favourites to win this league and some people (no names) thought we didn’t have a strong squad at the start of this season. We might drop out of the top six but I’m optimistic we could get back in there.

Next?

[hoolahoop]

Next ......Is to win this match on Tuesday and for the lads not to freeze because of the name we are playing . It's Sunderland - to be respected , decent fans but let's face it they've done nowt for years .

[drfchound]

We didn’t freeze when we used to play the weeds in L1 and they (allegedly) are a much bigger name in football.
We have no reason to fear Sunderland any more than any other team in our division.
Anyone can beat anyone.

[selby]

 Agree Hound, games like this should inspire the team and supporters, if they don't there is something wrong.

[Donnywolf]

.... and as Richie Wellens put it at Elland Road when that "weasel" Wise said "we would freeze like Rabbits in Headlights" - we are 11 men playing 11 Men and the 30000 plus in the Ground can make as much noise and be as hostile as they like but WE are simply playing 11 men not all of them !

We did well too - great result and a greta performance !

[selby]

  one of the best laughs ever Wolfie, when  Wise tried to stare our team down as they came out of the tunnel, and Greeny I think patted his head.

[Alan Southstand]

Thanks for the answers, Pancho, but who's questions were you answering?

I'm well aware that we have scored 6 goals in our last 2 games, but that doesn't answer the first question. I was referring to our chances to goals scored and, although I didn't make it clear, I was referring more to our home games.

The stats of most teams above us would appear to contradict your answer to the second question.

And, for the third, I never asked whether Copps was on fire, I asked if Tuesday would prove a game too many for him. As I keep saying, he's only human, after all.

And I never inferred there would be any shame in losing on Tuesday.

[Campsall rover]

  one of the best laughs ever Wolfie, when  Wise tried to stare our team down as they came out of the tunnel, and Greeny I think patted his head.

He was a Chelsea weasel along with the then Chairman Ken Bates. Can’t believe they got any where near Leeds as there was no love lost between the two clubs in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

[vaya]

Thanks for the answers, Pancho, but who's questions were you answering?

I'm well aware that we have scored 6 goals in our last 2 games, but that doesn't answer the first question. I was referring to our chances to goals scored and, although I didn't make it clear, I was referring more to our home games.

The stats of most teams above us would appear to contradict your answer to the second question.

And, for the third, I never asked whether Copps was on fire, I asked if Tuesday would prove a game too many for him. As I keep saying, he's only human, after all.

And I never inferred there would be any shame in losing on Tuesday.

How many goals have the teams above us conceded from set pieces Alan, compared to how many we've conceded?

[Alan Southstand]

Vaya, how the hell do you expect me to answer that? Which makes a mockery of the original answer, also.

Where I am coming from, most of the team's above us have conceded fewer, therefore the probability is that they have conceded fewer from set pieces.

Look, let's not make a big thing of this one point - it's a discussion. Have a go at answering the three questions yourself.

[selby]

  Alan, part of the attraction of our team this season is how good the games have been. I can see like me that you have enjoyed watching us this season, and part of the attraction is we have a rick in us.
  Even the fleetwood game, we got mullered with the score, but not on the field. I think this season has been great to watch, and would have snatched your hand off to be where we are at the start of the season at this juncture.

[GazLaz]

I can sum up Tuesday in one word:

Cattermole

If he doesn't cripple someone in our middle 3 before half time, then we'll be lucky. Got yet another yellow today at Shrewsbury. Let's hope, for once, we have a good ref.

Number of issues for me:
Will we start to take our chances?
Will we defend better, particularly from set pieces?
Will Copps find it one game too many?

Lose on Tuesday and we could drop out the top 6 and we could find it difficult getting back up there.
Win and it's a whole new ball game and morale booster.

That’s a bit dramatic. He’s hardly a hatchet man.

[steve@dcfd]

In the last two home games we have conceeded 7 goals.
3 from set pieces, 1 from the penalty spot and 3 from open play.

We have scored three, 2 from set pieces and one from open play.

In both games we have been entertaining we should have scored more goals mostly from open play then instead of 1 point from two home games it should have been 6 points, minimum of 4.

We must try and improve conceding goals from set plays and it’s opposition defenders that scored. On Saturday marked by a striker.
Teams do score from set plays and we may not help ourselves with the overall height of our squad.

Copps was good on Saturday and if he had been more accurate with his shooting should have had two goals. Both chances were fired straight at the keeper. Yet he is providing most assists for the chances we take.
The good thing is the three substitutes on Saturday all contributed to our fight back so if Copps does have to come off on Tuesday night we should be ok. I saw a comment from a poster that we conceeded when he went off again. But really don’t know how he would have stopped the goal from the corner plus we had already conceeded two with him on.

[Donnywolf]

I can sum up Tuesday in one word:

Cattermole

If he doesn't cripple someone in our middle 3 before half time, then we'll be lucky. Got yet another yellow today at Shrewsbury. Let's hope, for once, we have a good ref.

Number of issues for me:
Will we start to take our chances?
Will we defend better, particularly from set pieces?
Will Copps find it one game too many?

Lose on Tuesday and we could drop out the top 6 and we could find it difficult getting back up there.
Win and it's a whole new ball game and morale booster.

That’s a bit dramatic. He’s hardly a hatchet man.

He is officially the "dirtiest" Player in the Premiership era according to this :

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stats-show-sunderlands-lee-cattermole-13901864


Discipline in 271 Games
Yellow cards 88
Red cards 7
Fouls 422

[Alan Southstand]

That’s a bit dramatic. He’s hardly a hatchet man.

Can we revisit this after Tuesday's game?

Not dramatic at all, for me he's the nearest thing to Joey Barton. Can be a game changer but can also be a nasty piece of work. I have knowledge of him from his Middlesbrough days, through a late friend of mine, and I can tell you he was an a**hole then, so why should he be any different now?

[GazLaz]

“Dirty” players these days just aren’t that dirty are they. You can’t get away with it any more.

[selby]

  If it is just down to bookings, I raise you Whiteman.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Seems Herbie's a doubt for the game which isn't ideal so not sure whether Anderson or Crawford will be drafted in.

Both did OK for me in the minutes they had on Saturday. Anderson has a more physical stature and can get about the pitch and Crawford perhaps has more creative guile.

Not sure who I'd go for but whomever McCann puts out there needs to be switched on from the off. Let's go at them and see what happens.

[ravenrover]

Well, something's definately not right - 7 conceded in 2 home games, with so few shots on target and against pretty ordinary sides. Is there an element of 'not being switched on' when we play teams who we think we should beat?

It's got to be a combination of things, obviously, but there have been some glaring errors made, bordering on the lackadaisical which takes me back to the point I'm making above.

Alan going from memory 2 Fleetwood goals were from poor/non existant marking from corners 1 was a pen poor decision by Marco and the other a total cockup by Joe, on Saturday you had a superb strike from 25 yards past an unsighted keeper, a poor attempt at defending by Tom and another bit of poor defending by JM from a corner. I make that 6 out of 7 caused by our poor individual defending. It's not often that that many end up in attempts on or actual goals.
My main concern is as it has been since the days of The Corporal, poor defending from set pieces, but generally we  have defended well so far this season as well as having a bit of luck on our side for a change.

[Colemans Left Hook]

I can sum up Tuesday in one word:

Cattermole

If he doesn't cripple someone in our middle 3 before half time, then we'll be lucky. Got yet another yellow today at Shrewsbury. Let's hope, for once, we have a good ref.

Number of issues for me:
Will we start to take our chances?
Will we defend better, particularly from set pieces?
Will Copps find it one game too many?

Lose on Tuesday and we could drop out the top 6 and we could find it difficult getting back up there.
Win and it's a whole new ball game and morale booster.

just checked Cattermole out he's had 7 yellow cards in his last 9 league games   so we could have had a sweep on what minute he gets booked

he's scored 3 goals all way from home this season 2 in one game which caused Jeff Stelling to have an orgasm on TV when he scored 2 in one game -- before that he had scored 2 in nearly 200 games

strangely Slumberland's last 3 league matches have all been away so this will be 4 in a row so to put it mildly they will all know their jobs

https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=43076

just wonder if these 2 might have a date somewhere in London in May ?

[PDX_Rover]

Well, game just finished. Overall we were the better team. Finishing let us down but having said that Sunderland defending was excellent at times. We ran out of steam a bit the last quarter whereas Sunderland with their mega millions parachute payment, could bring on high quality players to see the game out. Their goal had a slice of luck about it, but we weren’t outclassed and in fact, another day we get a point or more.

Most telling was the fact that we kept 4000 Sunderland fans quiet for the majority of that game. They are a good team and should be promoted. We can match them though.

It was a really good match and I’m dead proud of the lads tonight.

One thing about the ref. He bottled a lot. I think the booking count ended equal or thereabouts but there was some nasty stuff from some of their players. He booked a couple of our lads for really soft things yet missed a lot of cynical pushes and kicks.

Still, there we are. Onwards. We didn’t disgrace ourselves and I’m full of optimism despite the result.

[StocksArmy]

It was a very good performance in terms of effort and committment but, as free scoring as we have been our end product and decision making was shocking. We absolutely bottled that game IMO. Alfie May and Jermaine Anderson 

[PDX_Rover]

Second half we faded but for the first hour we were excellent. You have to consider the team we were up against. They were rattled. I don’t think our decision making was shocking at all. Explain?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

He who hesitates. We hesitated at times and they didn't. Summed up in the way we didn't take our two one on one's and the way they pounced on our mistake.

We also hesitated when in good positions on the edge of their box in the 2nd half.

They have the work ethic, the intelligence, guile and cynicism to be successful. We are not there yet but need to apply the same and learn from how Sunderland managed the game.

[drfchound]

Well, game just finished. Overall we were the better team. Finishing let us down but having said that Sunderland defending was excellent at times. We ran out of steam a bit the last quarter whereas Sunderland with their mega millions parachute payment, could bring on high quality players to see the game out. Their goal had a slice of luck about it, but we weren’t outclassed and in fact, another day we get a point or more.

Most telling was the fact that we kept 4000 Sunderland fans quiet for the majority of that game. They are a good team and should be promoted. We can match them though.

It was a really good match and I’m dead proud of the lads tonight.

One thing about the ref. He bottled a lot. I think the booking count ended equal or thereabouts but there was some nasty stuff from some of their players. He booked a couple of our lads for really soft things yet missed a lot of cynical pushes and kicks.

Still, there we are. Onwards. We didn’t disgrace ourselves and I’m full of optimism despite the result.

That is a pretty fair summary mate.

[RoversAlias]

We played well but i don't think we were the better team. In the second half especially Sunderland kicked on and did a great job of making life difficult for us. Don't get me wrong, I was happy with our performance tonight aside from the finishing but i do think they were a better side overall.

[NickDRFC]

Second half we faded but for the first hour we were excellent. You have to consider the team we were up against. They were rattled. I don’t think our decision making was shocking at all. Explain?

I thought first half we were excellent but second half doubts, nerves or both set in a bit. Coupled with Sunderland tightening up and we never looked like scoring.

[StocksArmy]

Second half we faded but for the first hour we were excellent. You have to consider the team we were up against. They were rattled. I don’t think our decision making was shocking at all. Explain?

He who hesitates. We hesitated at times and they didn't. Summed up in the way we didn't take our two one on one's and the way they pounced on our mistake.

We also hesitated when in good positions on the edge of their box in the 2nd half.

They have the work ethic, the intelligence, guile and cynicism to be successful. We are not there yet but need to apply the same and learn from how Sunderland managed the game.

Exactly what he said. Absolutely cacked ourselves when it mattered. Shooting positions blasted over, one on ones missed, shots scuffed (Marquis) good forwards take at least 2 of those chances. One that sticks in my mind in particular is where Andrew played the ball in behind and put Marquis through, defender behind him yet manages to get a challenge in?

[selby]

  The one on ones, Wilks is the only player with the strength and speed in our side to make that chance, and the pull back on him took two to three yards off him allowing the goalkeeper time to close him down. No foul and he could have gone around the keeper, as it was he did all he could and it was a good save.
   Blair had time and space  to go around the keeper, opened his body up because he didn't trust his left foot, and made it easy for the keeper to go the right way.
  Both had the pace to get away from defenders, but the ease of the chances were totally different in what the  player had to do to score.