A league table is a funny thing...

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We've lost something like 14 points from losing or drawing games from winning positions which is another worrying stat, we always seem most vulnerable when we have (usually surprisingly) taken the lead, manager or players fault? It needs sorting. We shouldn't go down but only due to the form and fixtures of those around us, but then that is always the way, we still need a dozen points mind and nowt is guaranteed - welcome to the Sunderland way!
 
PeruzziWatch said:
We are the hardest team to beat in the bottom half, hence we won't be relegated.

No team has ever been relegated with fewer than 15 defeats. We've been grinding out results all season, I don't see us capitulating all of a sudden.

We've also got points in more games than any other side in the bottom half, that tells you that we are tough opponents. Contrary to what you read on here, we are a difficult team to play. It might not be pretty, but it will keep us in the league.

But yeah, there'll still be people who say we are sleepwalking towards relegation and that we will never win a game again this season. This is just being defeatist.
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West Brom drew loads of games last season and left it late to stay up we need a few wins and quickly

Dexter said:
Do we have a solid foundation though? Goalkeeper is fine, but we've got a 35 year old right back, a centre back pairing with a combined age of about 70 with Brown almost certainly on his way out of the club and massive question marks over Vergini, and a left back who isn't very good at the old defending there mate.

I'd say our defensive stats are somewhat misleading because we rarely try to win games, and focus on not trying to lose. It's not hard to concede fewer goals than other teams if you're more intent on stopping them from scoring than scoring yourself.

And as someone else said, we've looked far more likely to turn those draws into defeats than we have wins most of the time.
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cronnyberg said:
.....we have made significant progress from last season.
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How anyone can come to this conclusion is beyond me. Even allowing for the rancid start we got last season we only have the same amount of points currently as at the same stage last season. Poyet has averaged less points per game, scored less goals per game and conceded more per game this season than in his 31 games in charge last season.

And that's aside from the evidence of your own eyes.

People need to stop making excuses for the fella.....he's out of his depth and his players know it.
 
Who gives a fuck if we scrape survival playing rancid, terrible football? Is that success now, is that what we should dream of?

How about we get to see us put in the odd decent performance, actually try to win rather than set up 'not to lose'. If we'd lost five more of them draws but won two of them wed be on more points now, but by the Ops reckoning we'd be more likely to drop and in a worst state because our loss ratio is worse. There's no point never losing if you're never winning either, football is entertainment and we don't provide any, we're dreadful
 
Looking at the league table before and after a match is all well and good. It's the bit in between that's the concern.

We're the most cowardly, boring team in the division. Sky sports producers must pray we get relegated as we do nowt but tarnish the premier league's global brand with our sleep-inducing football. If I paid twenty odd quid to go to the cinema and the film was that bad I'd be f***ing livid.
 
We might be hard to beat, but that produces football of the most boring kind, don't care too much what division we are in, I want more exciting games, and the expectation of a win, both these things have simply disappeared.
 
Morny said:
Who gives a fuck if we scrape survival playing rancid, terrible football? Is that success now, is that what we should dream of?

How about we get to see us put in the odd decent performance, actually try to win rather than set up 'not to lose'. If we'd lost five more of them draws but won two of them wed be on more points now, but by the Ops reckoning we'd be more likely to drop and in a worst state because our loss ratio is worse. There's no point never losing if you're never winning either, football is entertainment and we don't provide any, we're dreadful
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People seem to be forgetting this. If it wasn't for the pre/post match pints and banter it would be unbearable watching us.
 
The West Ham, Newcastle and Stoke games will make or break us; all are safe now and have nothing to play for.

They'll have taken their foot off the gas and maybe even be chucking in a few youngsters.

Other than that we have 3 games against teams currently chasing europe/titles and 4 games against teams around us (that we've recently proven we'll struggle in)
 
cronnyberg said:
This season has been tough; undoubtedly.

I change my mind how I feel about Poyet almost daily, and it's undeniable that our lack of wins has been nothing short of embarrassing. However, it's very easy to notice when you aren't winning, while its a lot harder to register the idea that we aren't losing either.

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Yes, we have the joint lowest win rate in the league, but we have an excellent loss record, one that puts us on par with the teams in and around 6th-10th.

Considering we spent half of the season with the likes of Jozy up front, had prolonged injuries to much of our attacking midfield (as well as signing fewer midfielders than intended), and have just missed out on many close opportunities to convert draws into wins, it becomes easy to see why we are where we are, and it becomes easier to see that, although it doesn't feel like it, we have made significant progress from last season.

What we need is a couple more attacking players to build on our solid foundation. This season was always going to be transitional, all we can hope is that the long term strategy works.
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The very fact that SAFC have played more games than points won, is a sackable offence.
He needs to correct that before Newcastle, we need to be within touching distance of the Mags by the derby. Then I'll believe he has what it takes.
 
PeruzziWatch said:
We are the hardest team to beat in the bottom half, hence we won't be relegated.

No team has ever been relegated with fewer than 15 defeats. We've been grinding out results all season, I don't see us capitulating all of a sudden.

We've also got points in more games than any other side in the bottom half, that tells you that we are tough opponents. Contrary to what you read on here, we are a difficult team to play. It might not be pretty, but it will keep us in the league.

But yeah, there'll still be people who say we are sleepwalking towards relegation and that we will never win a game again this season. This is just being defeatist.
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No we're not, we're an easy team to play against as we don't win many games or look like doing so, couldn't believe Pulis came for a draw the other week.
 
I'm certain we will stay up (largely down to the ineptitude of others) and the time to take stock is in the summer. The questions that the owner must ask himself are:
  • Has Gus Poyet underachieved?
  • Would replacing the Head Coach improve the quality of play, but most importantly - the results?
  • Who would be willing to come to Sunderland? Are they any better than Poyet?
  • Is the current approach of minimal investment v annual relegation battle really what he wants to be involved in?
I don't expect any changes in the summer, nor do I expect any major investment. Again, we will be told that IF we can get some big wages off the books (Brown, Graham, Fletcher) then there will be "some" money to reinvest. Probably sign Vergini permenently and look for bosmans/loans to bulk up the squad. Whilst this model continues, we will continue to struggle
 
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