Match Thread Sunderland - Coventry City Match Thread - Tuesday 13th May (66 Viewers)

[mmttww]

" we get results because of 1 player "

Not said anything close to that. Just not sold on the idea that anyone else through the middle in this system has shown much else from the start of games other than Haji vs. Sunderland.

 

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[Evo1883]

Not said anything close to that. Just not sold on the idea that anyone else through the middle in this system has shown much else from the start of games other than Haji vs. Sunderland.

Haji is a better striker full stop , with the amount of high quality balls we deliver into the area its a travesty that we are relying on late arrivals from rudoni to score goals .

That being said id start simms over asante if thats how we want to play

 

[mmttww]

He isn’t what we need

If we're gonna persist with this system then I agree. He's not found a way to be particularly effective individually in that role and I've said I'd be fine selling him and getting someone better. Also open to Haji playing there on Tue with EMC wide.

 

[mmttww]

simms over asante if thats how we want to play

Sounds like we see things the exact same way, then.

 

[Evo1883]

Sounds like we see things the exact same way, then.

I do but generally I dont think asante was any worse than anything weve seen from ellis lately

 

[mmttww]

I dont think asante was any worse...

Me neither. No one we have has been able to make much of that role consistently either with goals, really good link up play or assists. Need an upgrade or a tactical tweak (or both!).

 

[SkyblueTexan]

To beat the low block and destabilise the opposing defence, you need to:
1) Raise the tempo and play quick 1 or 2 touch passes in triangles around opposing players or play direct forward passes to exploit half spaces behind opposing players
2) Players must move quickly forward or sideways (to create an overload on one side) to pin opposing players back and/or draw opposing players to one side to free up space on the other side to be exploited
3) Effectively press the opponents into making errors

The key word is "quick" as highlighted above. If you watch Leeds this season, they implement this strategy very effectively. The problem is we are too ponderous and just keep moving sideways and backwards without any forward thrust. Our press is poor and easily bypassed with minimal fuss. There were moments yesterday where I could clearly see half spaces where Rudoni had taken up position and was signaling for the ball to be played to his feet, but we didn't risk it.

We cannot afford to dawdle on the ball and let them sit back and set up. We need to move quickly and show some urgency. All players must be in constant motion, know how to take up positions, know where to be for passes, know how to win back the ball and/or recycle the play if we are thwarted in our initial forays.

 

[Hobo]

We had lots of possession without really creating any clear cut chances.

Sunderland got one chance and were gifted another chance; finished both really well.

 

[skybluecb]

Rather be us than Bristol City, at least we still have a chance.

 

[alexccfc99]

Weve got a horrendous recent record of extra time and pens so I'd rather avoid that

You’d probably take it now if offered it mind

 

[Nick]

An actual paid and supposedly respected journalist by the way… they are fucking vile that lot

Soon as the shoe is on the foot though they are crying to the media asking for our away fans to be banned from their ground

Isn't he that gimp who goes on Good Morning Britain and chats shit?

Yeah he's an absolute bellend.

 

[Sick Boy]

An actual paid and supposedly respected journalist by the way… they are fucking vile that lot

Soon as the shoe is on the foot though they are crying to the media asking for our away fans to be banned from their ground

I’m sure most of their fans are decent but they do seem to have a sizeable number that are very strange.

 

[alexccfc99]

I’m sure most of their fans are decent but they do seem to have a sizeable number that are very strange.

I’ve no time for them, I actively avoided the pub last night as there were a few in there and it’ll be an in and out job on Tuesday - I don’t want to be around them

I dislike them more than I’ll ever dislike Villa or Blues, they are only second to Leicester for me

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

Even if we had won 1.0, I wouldn't fancy our chances, our away record is appalling.

Just can't keep clean sheets.

 

[Sick Boy]

Even if we had won 1.0, I wouldn't fancy our chances, our away record is appalling.

Just can't keep clean sheets.

They’d lost 5 games in a row before last night. It’s a one off game that were more than capable of winning.

 

[COVKIDSNEVERQUIT]

They’d lost 5 games in a row before last night. It’s a one off game that were more than capable of winning.

I hope you're right.

 

[SBT]

That’s my view. We do only need to win by one goal to force extra time but yeah it’s just a total hammer blow to lose in that manner. Too much to do from here

We’re a goal down at HT. That’s it. The defeatism is absolutely insane.

 

[SBT]

We were two goals down at the Stadium of Light back in November with only half an hour to go, plus Brad Collins in goal and Rhys Carr in the dugout. What a hopeless situation! Should have just ended the season there!

 

[clint van damme]

We were two goals down at the Stadium of Light back in November with only half an hour to go, plus Brad Collins in goal and Rhys Carr in the dugout. What a hopeless situation! Should have just ended the season there!

If we're looking to that game for inspiration let's hope we play the same formation

 

[Mucca Mad Boys]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

We don’t necessarily have to win by 2. We can always force extra time and penalties.

Lampard played some decent mind games post-match by sowing the seed of doubt for how Sunderland will approach the next leg. Do they keep with the same approach or do they try to kick on and extend the lead!?

If they play as they did in the first leg, we’ll beat them imo. I thought they offered nothing and we gave away two poor goals. Thankfully, the team has the chance to make amends.

 

[mmttww]

How do we force the issue and score first? Not sold on our normal approach getting the first half lead we probably have to get to win it in 90 mins.

One thing I never see us do is find a way to get shots off early from further out. Haji strikes the ball as well as anyone, Rudoni can hit them, Sakamoto maybe.

Assume it's a data-led thing (focus on higher xG chances) and it's worked plenty. Just can't shake the feeling we sleep walk into a loss if we don't vary it.

 

[quinn1971]

If we can’t get past these on Tuesday then we’d have no chance against Sheff Utd, one off game, massive ask to win it but we’ve been here before, and what a place to do it in, 40000 mackems in tears,

 

[Grendel]

I’m sure most of their fans are decent but they do seem to have a sizeable number that are very strange.

Maguire is a passionate socialist - why should we be surprised

 

[Covcraig@bury]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

Wash your 🫵 mouth out non believer

 

[Covcraig@bury]

3-1 city . MVE to score , get your house on it x

 

[AOM]

Obvious statement but it's whoever scores the next goal and if early will determine how they match pans out.

Yeah, early goal for them and it's pretty much it.
If we get an early goal though, think they'll really start to feel the pressure

 

[clint van damme]

Yeah, early goal for them and it's pretty much it.
If we get an early goal though, think they'll really start to feel the pressure

Even if we dont get an early goal, if we can create a decent chance or 2 and start to sow some seeds of doubt

 

[quinn1971]

think we’ll be more up for this one than yesterday, pressures all on them this time, all their fans saying they’ve switched back on, they just defended for 90mins and got lucky they’ll try the same again won’t they ?

 

[Adge]

First goal in this game is key. If it’s us it’s game on, if it’s them then it’s good night Irene.

 

[blunted]

We have been pants away from home for a while now.
Sunderland big favourites to go through now and it is their game to lose.
I expect us to be starting in the Championship next season. However, to quote Jimmy Greaves, "Football is a funny old game" so you never know.

 

[Flying Fokker]

We have been pants away from home for a while now.
Sunderland big favourites to go through now and it is their game to lose.
I expect us to be starting in the Championship next season. However, to quote Jimmy Greaves, "Football is a funny old game" so you never know.

Like Sunderland’s run of losses…

We have a cunning plan….

 

[quinn1971]

We have been pants away from home for a while now.
Sunderland big favourites to go through now and it is their game to lose.
I expect us to be starting in the Championship next season. However, to quote Jimmy Greaves, "Football is a funny old game" so you never know.

just got that sick feeling that 2nd goals done us, we just set up the same away and just hope we score more, we need To try something different but we won’t, 433 again

 

[napolimp]

Le-bris will play exactly the same way! Why would he change a winning formulae? We have got To go two upfront and start getting the ball in earlier, obviously try getting around the back when you can but Tat's diagonal balls into the box are far more effective as are EMC's get two players on the edge of their box to pickup 2nd balls

Lampard's got to make a decision from a tactical standpoint, and it's going to be a gamble either way. He either assumes Sunderland will set up the same way, in which case he has to change it up and find a way to break them down, or he assumes they set-up more attacking at home, in which case sticking could work for us.

 

[quinn1971]

Like Sunderland’s run of losses…

We have a cunning plan….

like It let them have their over due win then do them at their place, it’s going to be epic

 

[clint van damme]

Lampard's got to make a decision from a tactical standpoint, and it's going to be a gamble either way. He either assumes Sunderland will set up the same way, in which case he has to change it up and find a way to break them down, or he assumes they set-up more attacking at home, in which case sticking could work for us.

Ideally he prepares the team for both eventualities and we're able to switch accordingly.