Making changes because....

[sha66y]

How many feel we should have persevered with the team and formation that won last week,
and maybe brought on the big guns in this game ....if needed?

Big guns = Whiteman and Marquis

I’m not bashing,
just wondering why we needed to change !

This question doesn’t need answering if you feel you want to comment on other players ......lol

[Spilsby Red]

Wilkes has gone missing today. Has been great all season, sadly not today.

[since-1969]

We definitely need an Andrews replacement he just avarage at best .

[Alan Southstand]

They, and anyone else watching, had Wilks sussed out all game - just keep him off his left foot. Good players find other ways but he just looked totally demoralised in that game. Not one player, however, tried to go round the outside and get in behind. No wonder Marquis' goals have dried up - zero service today.

[RoversAlias]

Bringing an unfit Whiteman in for Crawford was a mistake, and it was proven in the second half. Damage done by that point. Credit to McCann for changing it in the right way at half time but he got it wrong at the start. He's a young manager, let's just hope he learns from it as the players do.

[Alan Southstand]

Changing back to a 4-3-3 was the mistake. IF he'd had Ben and Herbie as the 2, (in the 4-2-3-1) we could have matched them up. Also, Copps' performances were much better when he played the middle of the 3, just behind the 1 up top.

By the time Crawford came on, Sunderland were just happy to let us have the ball and we didn't hurt them at all. I can't remember their keeper having to make a save.

[PDX_Rover]

We definitely need an Andrews replacement he just avarage at best .

He has our best chance with the free kick that hit the post.

[Nudga]

And no point hitting long balls to a striker that doesn't fancy heading the ball.

[southwestexile]

Thought it was ok today and nothing lost in league position

[sha66y]

They, and anyone else watching, had Wilks sussed out all game - just keep him off his left foot. Good players find other ways but he just looked totally demoralised in that game. Not one player, however, tried to go round the outside and get in behind. No wonder Marquis' goals have dried up - zero service today.

Maybe we need to adapt to a style of play that isn’t totally dependant on giving Marquis a few clear cut chances to score then?

This continued reliance is not working,

we have been found “very wanting”  in the “ JM’s gonna get us a winner “  department.....and need to rethink the attacking options..

He has bagged his quota admirably during the first  2/3s of the season

Unfortunately for us the season is made up of 3/3s...and the team as a whole have failed miserably to feed his need and desire to score more goals

[chrisd_123]

Wilkes has gone missing today. Has been great all season, sadly not today.

Don’t think he went missing, he was always trying to do something. Just that they had an international full back and two midfielders on him at all times when he got anywhere near the ball. They’d done their homework, like Bradford did. Only they’re good enough to keep him quiet all game. Didn’t help that others didn’t offer an outlet for him at times either.

His game will continue to improve though and become more varied.

[Alan Southstand]

Didn’t help that others didn’t offer an outlet for him at times either.

There were times when they did, though. It makes no difference to Malik, and it's a part of his game that has not been addressed, as he receives the ball and thinks he can beat the entire world. Even the useless commentator picked it out straight away, saying 'he's got to get his head up, there' referring to one of the times when Malik was closing in on the 18yard box and had 2 or 3 to pick out.

If there's 3 men on him, then by default we have got players who are unmarked! It's not rocket science, is it?

[Bristol Red Rover]

Didn’t help that others didn’t offer an outlet for him at times either.

There were times when they did, though. It makes no difference to Malik, and it's a part of his game that has not been addressed, as he receives the ball and thinks he can beat the entire world. Even the useless commentator picked it out straight away, saying 'he's got to get his head up, there' referring to one of the times when Malik was closing in on the 18yard box and had 2 or 3 to pick out.

If there's 3 men on him, then by default we have got players who are unmarked! It's not rocket science, is it?

 
Bang on the money, Alan.

[ravenrover]

It seems that Malik does not fancy his right foot, their homework was to prevent him coming in on his  left. Oviedo showed him down the line and the backup was the 2nd player just to the right of Oviedo preventing Malik coming inside. The one time he went  down the line he tried to cross it with his left.
Credit the Sunderland coaches on that one

[drfchound]

Changing back to a 4-3-3 was the mistake. IF he'd had Ben and Herbie as the 2, (in the 4-2-3-1) we could have matched them up. Also, Copps' performances were much better when he played the middle of the 3, just behind the 1 up top.

By the time Crawford came on, Sunderland were just happy to let us have the ball and we didn't hurt them at all. I can't remember their keeper having to make a save.

He saved from Alfie May and of course couldn’t get near the Andrew free kick.

[jackthelad]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing...

Had we left Marquis and Whiteman on the bench and were 2-0 down at halftime everybody would’ve said that is was a bonkers descision not to start them.

End of the day, they are arguably our two best players and I don’t think you would find a team in the league who would’ve gone away to Sunderland and started with two of there best players on the bench.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Bringing Whiteman straight back in was a big risk. In such a key position he has to be right on it and it proved he wasn't up to match sharpness.

I don't know what excuses the rest of the team can offer as we played like strangers. That's the big disappointment. It was a game we could have thrown caution to the wind with no fear. Instead, we get a lead legged, fear filled performance. The manager has to take responsibility for not preparing them correctly. Anyway, it's one game that we would expect to get beat so we move on.

[Chris Black come back]

Parallels with Crystal Palace are right. In both games we did not expect to win but we should have been able to expect we would have a go and show the attacking prowess we possess. In both games we were timid, defensive and underwhelming.

[GazLaz]

If we play them again in the play offs I would play a formation that allows Copps to get on the ball inside. We’ve struggled to create in two games against them and have had zero joy out on the flanks especially. The plan would need a rethink.

[The Beast]

At the end of the day we got beat by a good Sunderland team with 30,000 fans and the referee firmly in their corner, I don’t think there’s much shame in that. As a manager you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t, McCann sees the players everyday and on his performance so far I for one have the faith in him to make the right team selection.

[scawsby steve]

If we play them again in the play offs I would play a formation that allows Copps to get on the ball inside. We’ve struggled to create in two games against them and have had zero joy out on the flanks especially. The plan would need a rethink.

I don't agree about the home game Gaz; I can remember 2 absolute clear cut one-on-one chances that should have been buried. In fact, I thought we looked every bit as good as them that night.

All of which highlights what our real problem is; most of the time we're excellent at home, but utter tripe away.

[RoversAlias]

To be honest, those two one-on-one chances aside I feel we had the same problem in the first game as we did on Friday. Showed Sunderland too much respect and didn't create enough. Not sure why as we didn't have this problem against other top teams, such as Portsmouth or Charlton.

[steve@dcfd]

If we play them again in the play offs I would play a formation that allows Copps to get on the ball inside. We’ve struggled to create in two games against them and have had zero joy out on the flanks especially. The plan would need a rethink.

Play 4 2 3 1
Copps in middle of the front three he is better there. Play Rowe left he can go left come inside he can score. GM played Sadlier there and Rowe is a better player. Copps can interchange with Rowe. No different for Wilks he’s on the right. Middle two of Whiteman or Crawford on the right and Kane left but can interchange.

I believe that will give us a better chance against any team but especially the top teams.

[jackthelad]

They were just a better team than us overall and it was game over by the time halftime came. It just seemed to pass us by after 2-0 which obviously suited Sunderland to the ground.

[NewDonny]

Tommy Rowe had a lot of very good things to say about Sadlier in the legends lounge last weekend when he was being interviewed for his MotM, he was saying what an excellent player Sadlier is, his positioning and reading of the game was beyond his years and what a player he was is and is going to be for DRFC and how well he had settled in.