After losing two consecutive games away from home, the players needed to react and put in a complete performance against strugglers Barnsley. This game was definitely a potential banana skin for the lads but if they play to their potential we’d expect to comfortably beat Barnsley. Loan signing Lewin Nyatanga went straight into the squad and if the lad can kick a ball and tackle then as far as I’m concerned he is already streets ahead of Danny Collins and should be playing. However Cunningham came into the team and took on the captain’s armband, despite being ruled out of the game a few days prior.
The first half started with a lot of expectancy from the home fans, no disrespect to Barnsley, before the game we’d expect to comfortably beat them. This didn’t look like happening from the kick off, we were far from good. We failed to keep the ball, pick out a red and white top or threaten the Barnsley goal. The lads were unable to complete a simple five yard pass, with the exception of Yorke and Whitehead, instead of the easy ball our well under par players decided to lump balls up to Connolly, who despite working hard to try to win and retain the ball, was never going to beat their defenders in the air.
Chris Brown however, would be expected to win balls in the air. Brown seems to have a problem with jumping, so he lost far more than he won and was always looking to get a free-kick rather than whole heartedly trying to win the ball. The only player who could go in at half time and feel they’d played well was Dwight Yorke, who is a class above anything we have at the club. The rest of the team were abysmal, it was an awful first half of ‘football’ to witness.
I’m not sure how the players perform in training, but some of them must work very hard and show potential because if they don’t it’s beyond me how the likes of; Nyron the nugget, Daryl Murphy, Liam Lawrence and Danny Collins can be playing first team football at Sunderland. There is no excuse for these lads; they simply aren’t good enough to be playing at our club.
The second half started with a bit more urgency than the first. We were still poor in the opening ten-fifteen minutes but looked like we could get a goal. Connolly looked very lively when on the ball and worked hard for the team. He created two or three half chances for himself, to which their ‘keeper made good saves. Our players looked very nervous on the ball and the sighs of the crowd to every misplaced pass wouldn’t have inspired the players. Into the last twenty minutes and it was beginning to look like one of those days where we simply wouldn’t score. Until Lawrence broke down the right wing and slipped Nosworthy in, who played a rare sublime ball to Whitehead – who’d made a bursting run from midfield into the box – to coolly knock the ball across the Barnsley ‘keeper, who prior to the goal had been on top form. It was clear to see from the players celebration that the goal had released a lot of built up stress, we looked a lot more confident from that point on.
The substitution of Murphy for Wallace brought a more direct approach to our game. Murphy had been very poor for the whole game and I was surprised he managed to last as long as he did. Wallace showed everything which a winger should have; good ball control, pace and good crossing ability. The latter was shown for the second goal, having beaten his man on the edge of the box, Wallace then slipped, but kept control of the ball and found himself with two men on him. This obviously didn’t faze him, Wallace looked to play the ball in twice and both times it wasn’t on. Then he was given an inch and whipped in a fantastic ball to the back post, Brown smashed his header into the back of the net, Brown could have had two or three today if the Barnsley ‘keeper hadn’t been on top form. Three points in the bag and the beer will taste better tonight. There is still a lot of work to be done at this football club though.
MOTM – Dwight Yorke, he worked hard for the team, not just creatively but also got involved with the not so pretty side to football.
Rockin_Mackem