I agree with Sam, from The Sunderland Echo

[nowtgoodeverhappens]

Some of them do struggle. The two fullbacks especially. We have very few players who strengths are retaining the ball.

I've banged on for years about the importance of retaining possession, but players who were capable of this such as Arca and Malbranque are regularly rounded upon on these pages for having no end product. Certain midfielders are worshipped on here who provide neither quality.

 

[HutchSafc]

I've banged on for years about the importance of retaining possession, but players who were capable of this such as Arca and Malbranque are regularly rounded upon on these pages for having no end product. Certain midfielders are worshipped on here who provide neither quality.

Its hard to find a more popular midfielder than Malbranque amongst Sunderland fans to be fair.

 

[nowtgoodeverhappens]

Its hard to find a more popular midfielder than Malbranque amongst Sunderland fans to be fair.

Blimey, not sure on these pages sometimes!

 

[HutchSafc]

Blimey, not sure on these pages sometimes!

You read all sorts of shite on hear!

And we're all guilty of posting some shite anarl.

 

[nowtgoodeverhappens]

You read all sorts of shite on hear!

And we're all guilty of posting some shite anarl.

Only when I'm pissed mate.

 

[Maximus]

Confirmation,as if it were needed, that most of these players don't have either the brains to follow a game plan or the skill to carry it out at this level. No surprise there. And,I would venture that when Allardyce seems to delay the changes,it's because of the doubts he has about the players' ability to adapt.

So do you see Allardyce as blameless mate?

 

[G Force]

I don’t understand why he keeps mentioning "fear". Firmino aside perhaps, there was absolutely nothing to fear from that Liverpool side.
Get the soft shites telt before Saturday please Sam. No f***ing fear, reet? rant over.

I read it as "fear of our current situation' rather than fear of Liverpool. Agree with your sentiment mind. Let's get stuck into Man U on Saturday...

 

[Baccyboozenbullets]

Ecactly.

If this wasn't true, we wouldn't have had 10 behind the ball in our own third so much.

Bus wasn't even idling. It was parked.

Not that i'm shocked by that given Sam's history / tactics on away games against top table teams , but why fib about the strategy in the press??

Is he embarrassed to admit it publicly?

I mean...so the players get wind of this... they did what they were told by sam to do and then he tells the echo that he never planned those tactics / nor told them to do it and the players can't pass / are shite. That makes zero sense either to keep a settled dressing room...

So, I am going to believe Sam here... he wanted them to do more and the players tactically went into a bunker shell on their own and teed up hoofballs.

Plus Sam has presented a pretty honest facade in interviews up to this point. I doubt he's changed his tact on that here.

I watch the game again on Sky's match of the day and bar the kick-off we had 6-7 across the back with and without the ball. If like he says it wasn't what he wanted to be overly defensive why then start with 3 DMIDS in Catt's kickhoff and Yann it's bullshit. Just add say you got it wrong and be done with it. Any one watching the EPL this season should no live are utter crap defensively and Migs should of been targeted with crosses in to the box Aj's goal alone tells us he's low confidence wise look at the Norwich game against them. Everyone knows we aren't capable of keeping a clean sheet just have a go rather than wait for the inevitable defensive fuck up. I'm behind Sam JUST but he has to take responsibility for the tactics. I'm not asking for gung-ho tactics just a little bit more on the offensive side of things.

 

[SAFC Wilks]

I've banged on for years about the importance of retaining possession, but players who were capable of this such as Arca and Malbranque are regularly rounded upon on these pages for having no end product. Certain midfielders are worshipped on here who provide neither quality.

Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't both Arca & Malbranque very popular on here?

I can't remember much of Arca except the free kick he scored v Boro but I absolutely loved Steed, an absolute genius at times on the ball

 

[Deleted member 7101]

So do you see Allardyce as blameless mate?

No,I don't see him as not making mistakes. But,I do think he lacks the confidence in some of the players and he's trying to get a balancing act right between what the players need to do and what they're capable of doing. It may improve with time and as the new players settle more,but we don't have a lot of time for that.

 

[Daz1973]

I'm sorry like but that's bullshit from Sam. He can't take any sort of criticism, and to pass it on to his players is poor from him.

There is no doubt that he set us up like that. We were perhaps a bit deeper due to Liverpool's pressing but the strategy of hitting long balls constantly in an attempt to get Defoe in behind is all his doing.

It was obvious that he's drilled it into the players to play that ball as soon as they get a chance, regardless of other options. That's why we kept giving the ball away.

MVila is regularly 80%+ pass completion, I'm sure kirchoff would be too. Add Khazri, Johnson, Borini and Defoe and there's players capable of more than that horrible hit and hope tactic.

 

[Robanner]

If the players he started with weren't good enough then BSA should have started with other better players such as AJ. If the squad isn't good enough then BSA is bullshitting us all by indicating he believes we're good enough to stop up. And if that's the case I'd also question why we didn't replace some of the obvious rubbish that remains in the squad with better players in the window. It might be hard for us to attract new talent to the squad but it's not impossible and we do have a billionaire owner.

Instead we drift on in the BSA roadshow. Play badly or lose he blames all but himself. If we win another game this season he'll be grinning and crowing like he's a genius.

Hard to be a BSA fan isn't it? Other clubs took a few years to get to that stage he might only have a few games left if relegation becomes confirmed.

 

[Deleted member 7101]

I'm sorry like but that's bullshit from Sam. He can't take any sort of criticism, and to pass it on to his players is poor from him.

There is no doubt that he set us up like that. We were perhaps a bit deeper due to Liverpool's pressing but the strategy of hitting long balls constantly in an attempt to get Defoe in behind is all his doing.

It was obvious that he's drilled it into the players to play that ball as soon as they get a chance, regardless of other options. That's why we kept giving the ball away.

MVila is regularly 80%+ pass completion, I'm sure kirchoff would be too. Add Khazri, Johnson, Borini and Defoe and there's players capable of more than that horrible hit and hope tactic.

I think that's because he knows they don't have the ability to play with the ball when they do get it and he doesn't want them to get caught....which is what happened to Jones. The likes of JoS,Jones and,lately,Cattermole just seem unable to play the correct pass.

 

[zebediah]

Canny crap, footballers who cant pass to their own team

More a case of no options.
Our players seem to think they can have a break when they don't have the ball.
Every time a defender has to launch a ball up field, the midfield have failed in their job.

 

[Wayne The Punk]

More a case of no options.
Our players seem to think they can have a break when they don't have the ball.
Every time a defender has to launch a ball up field, the midfield have failed in their job.

Agreed, the fact virtually no one moves into space makes it tricky

 

[zebediah]

Agreed, the fact virtually no one moves into space makes it tricky

I would bring in a fine system, each player has 2 people that HAVE to be available when he has the ball.
e.g. right back has the ball, right side centre half, and right midfield must make themselves available for a pass.
When caught standing by an opposition player they give £100 to charity.
Some players would end up broke mind!

 

[Derbys Exile]

I'm sorry like but that's bullshit from Sam. He can't take any sort of criticism, and to pass it on to his players is poor from him.

There is no doubt that he set us up like that. We were perhaps a bit deeper due to Liverpool's pressing but the strategy of hitting long balls constantly in an attempt to get Defoe in behind is all his doing.

It was obvious that he's drilled it into the players to play that ball as soon as they get a chance, regardless of other options. That's why we kept giving the ball away.

MVila is regularly 80%+ pass completion, I'm sure kirchoff would be too. Add Khazri, Johnson, Borini and Defoe and there's players capable of more than that horrible hit and hope tactic.

It's awful like. Watching this on Saturday was painful.

 

[Maximus]

No,I don't see him as not making mistakes. But,I do think he lacks the confidence in some of the players and he's trying to get a balancing act right between what the players need to do and what they're capable of doing. It may improve with time and as the new players settle more,but we don't have a lot of time for that.

Fair comment. He's had time. He even had us out of the bottom three but ultimately I think his cautious approach may cost us. It may have already. Will be an interesting summer re-build - either way.

 

[tooliohelmet]

Worrying if the players aren't listening to the manager with 12 games left

Listening and having the ability to do carry out instructions are two different things....I just think we've got pretty limited footballers who aren't up to scratch.

 

[Deleted member 7101]

Fair comment. He's had time. He even had us out of the bottom three but ultimately I think his cautious approach may cost us. It may have already. Will be an interesting summer re-build - either way.

You're right,mate.....yet another one!!