Sunderland v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Shrek]

I'm worries we now look like a 7th to 12th team, just like the baggies.

[darren woolley]

We can put thing's right on wednesday against burnley and against the scum next weekend.

[sfx412]

Decent second half but our inability to turn possession into goals has cost us again.

I don't quite know how to put this without causing a riot on here but I thought Sidwell did pretty well when he came on.

I thought all those rejected by O'Neill did well enough, and his star turns were both poor.
Says something for Houllier, but we need wins not good second half performances, and a continual slip into that zone of desperation.

Oh why is Dunne played ?

[Blackcountry Villa]

Doing this on my phone so fuck knows if it will work or not, anyway...

What a pile of shit that was, ok we had a fair bit of the ball 2nd half and could have scored but we hardly created a chance with that posession and their keeper hardly made a save. That first half was diabolical, we looked like a very poor side and we look very limited. I thought Heskey did well apart from the sitter he missed but at the end of the day strikers are judged on goals and lets face it none of our strikers are anywhere near good enough, 9 goals in 9 games shows that. That is a very worrying statistic imo, especially when our defence is all over the shop. Our stikers are shit but there simply aren't enough goals in the team, our defenders rarely pop up, and our midfielders especially our central midfielders don't score enough. We don't look to have an awful lot of quality or creativity in the side and i think we could really struggle this season.

Warnock was crap and has been all season. He's so slow and gets beat so easily.

Dunne was crap and has been all season. 8 own goals now in his career, that to me shows a clumsy, error-prone defender. Go on a diet you big, clumsy oaf. Play Cuellar ffs!

Petrov was invisible, apart from his pussy tackle for the goal. We DON'T miss him.

Ireland is the new Sidwell. Seriously what does he do?! I haven't seen him do anything yet in any game he's played and to be honest i don't think he ever actually wanted to leave Man City and come here.

Sidwell was the old Sidwell. Invisible.

NRC had a good game, how wasn't he getting in the team instead of Petrov last season?!

Downing hit the post and then spent the rest of the game passing the ball to their players. Very weak again.

Ashley Young was abysmal, again, until he moved in field where he was marginally better. If theres a more overrated, predictable player in the league then i'm yet to see him. Get him off the wing, he's too predictable and he rarely beats his man, play him behind Heskey and get Albrighton back in. Oh and someone get him off the corners, his delivery is shit.

On a different day we could have got a point but the fact is we didn't do enough to get it, and even if we had i'd still be worried by our lack of creativity and goals. We HAVE to beat Blues next week, no excuses, otherwise i could see us being dragged right down the table.

Oh and one final thing, what has happened to our away support?! Okish numbers, although Sunderland would have brought 3000 to us, but one of the worst away atmospheres for years. Even 2nd half when we were pressing a bit there wasn't any singing, we must have sung about 5 times all game. It's been on the decline for a while imo but today was rubbish, and this following empty seats and poor noise at Newcastle even at 0-0, empty seats at Stoke but good atmosphere, shocking atmosphere at Wolves, average at Spurs with lots sitting and hardly persistent chanting. Just a couple of years ago our away fans would go everywhere and sing all game no matter what the score, now it seems they're becoming like our home fans and only sing if we're winning

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm worries we now look like a 7th to 12th team, just like the baggies.

Early days but they really look like a top 6 side.

As for us, we need Gabby back. We don't have a natural goal scorer in the team. Heskey, Downing, Ashley, Ireland and Albrighton, not one of them looks a real threat. Good at what they do but not players that will score ten, nevermind 20 goals a season and we're still shit from set pieces and corners. I just can't see where the goals are going to come from.

[SoccerHQ]

Missed the first half, wasn't on at my usual haunt so had to hot-foot it in a hail storm to the Royal. So missed the obligatory Dunney own goal for the season (not that he should have been on the pitch to score it).

Second half was huff and puff but apart from a decent five minute spell, I never got the feeling we'd score.

In fairness Sunderland are good at home, only lost 3 at home under Bruce in 20 odd games.

God knows what Heskey was doing for his miss, surely as a forward you anticipate the keeper missing the cross which he did. I doubt Bent would've missed that chance.

We need Gabby back a.s.a.p as for all his good form, we simply won't score enough with Heskey as the lone forward. Also can someone please tell me what influence Young really has in the free role? I'd flog him in January. We won't finish in the top 4 with or without him this season and he's deluded if he thinks he'll get in the Spurs team.

Forget the feeling of a Villa team being crap away from home.

[Simba]

can you have a zenith of mediocrity?

Oh yes. We are, after all, on the crest of a slump.

And we are all in this alone.

[richard moore]

I'm worries we now look like a 7th to 12th team, just like the baggies.

A description that also fits almost every team in the premier league, bar about 4 clubs who hardly have any English players...a sea of mind numbing mediocrity dressed up as the most exciting league in the world by a media with a hugely vested interest in claiming thus. Roll on the next World Cup to put it all into perspective for a few weeks...

[SoccerHQ]

The league's poor this season, hardly anyone's winning away and so many draws.

We have no chance of challenging the top 4 but I still don't see why we won't be in the mix for top 6.

[eastie]

I'm sure gerard has seen we are crying out for a prolific scorer and will address that problem in January , this is a transition stage and we were unlucky today- things will improve and I feel very optimistic about the next 3 yrs.

[eamonn]

I'm worries we now look like a 7th to 12th team, just like the baggies.

A description that also fits almost every team in the premier league, bar about 4 clubs who hardly have any English players...a sea of mind numbing mediocrity dressed up as the most exciting league in the world by a media with a hugely vested interest in claiming thus. Roll on the next World Cup to put it all into perspective for a few weeks...

Mr Moore you're turning into a right misery-guts.
At least Pompey's result today (their last ever) might cheer you up a bit.

[TaxDodger]

This has probably already been said lots but..

1. Why the hell is Cuellar not playing?

2. Buy a bloody striker!

[supertom]

This has probably already been said lots but..

1. Why the hell is Cuellar not playing?

2. Buy a bloody striker!

That's a seconding from me too.

[Rigadon]

This has probably already been said lots but..

1. Why the hell is Cuellar not playing?

2. Buy a bloody striker!

That's a seconding from me too.

1) I can only assume it's his poor distribution that GH doesn't like.

2) Quite.

[damon loves JT]

can you have a zenith of mediocrity?

Oh yes. We are, after all, on the crest of a slump.

And we are all in this alone.

Oh, I say (ripple of applause)