Worst Tactical Decision from a Sunderland Manager/Head Coach

Brighton away in the league cup in about 2011 when we were premier league Waitrose shoppers and Brighton were a low championship team.
We got stuffed one nil - were awful and it should have been more.
Steve Bruce played with no striker - Stephane sessegnon upfront in a false 9 iirc
Dreadful. I never wanted to see that formation ever again
SAFCItalia said:
I seem to remember he also played a 6-4-0 formation away in the cup against a lower league team (might have been Brighton) at one point.
Click to expand...
Ah - seb
Yes it was. I went , think it may have gone to extra time (?) Then took me hours to leave the stadium and get a bus back with Brighton supporters to some park and ride from the stadium which was in the middle of no where
 
Last edited:


Mike Beale first team selection and subsequent ones. In actual fact can we just count Mike Beale being employed by the club as the biggest fail ever?
 
That ‘free kick’ under Wilkinson and Cotterill. Three or four of the buggers ran up to the ball and none of them knew if they were supposed to kick it.
So none of them did.
 
I know the mags were light years ahead of us but to still keep on trying to play out from the back with their press and not to change anything until 10 minutes from time, absolutely sums beales time at the club up.
 
Dropping Colin West entirely from the 12 for the Milk Cup final after he'd scored 3 goals in the 2 legged semi final was the worse managerial decision I've seen in over 50 years.

Len Ashurst completely brushed over it in his autobiography saying he hadn't been doing the business in training and absolved himself of blame for his absolutely dreadful decision.

Whether it was tactical to play the dreadful Ian Wallace and the very average David Hodgson ahead of him is debatable? The average Howard Gayle got the last spot on the bench.

Westie wasn't brilliant himself but he'd earned us the right to play in the final. Poor bloke must have been heartbroken.
 
Keith S30S said:
Dropping Colin West entirely from the 12 for the Milk Cup final after he'd scored 3 goals in the 2 legged semi final was the worse managerial decision I've seen in over 50 years.

Len Ashurst completely brushed over it in his autobiography saying he hadn't been doing the business in training and absolved himself of blame for his absolutely dreadful decision.

Whether it was tactical to play the dreadful Ian Wallace and the very average David Hodgson ahead of him is debatable? The average Howard Gayle got the last spot on the bench.

Westie wasn't brilliant himself but he'd earned us the right to play in the final. Poor bloke must have been heartbroken.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of that. West wasn’t a great goal scorer but he was the man of the moment and was outstanding in the semi. He would have given Bruce and Watson a tough time.
 

Back
Top