[MZX7]

Watching Gullit on MOTD saying 2 passes goal is good football and 44 passes before a goal is not good football is a bit weird.

He didn't say one was good or the other was bad. He said, there are times when possessional teams can be direct as well. It is not always necessary to have a play with 44 passes to score a goal. Sometimes, all you need are two passes for a goal. At least, that is what I think he meant.

 

[MZX7]

Hmm, you sound fairly upbeat all things considered - so can you see things turning around for Sunderland anytime soon? Something obviously has to change (bar the obvious "play better") - but, from an outsiders perspective, it's difficult to see how/what you can do... apart from change the manager of course (which does seem to be the go too way for instant Sunderland results) but who would you get in? And would they really be able to get anymore out of these players then Advocaat is getting?

As Danny Murphy said in MOTD, it's just a lack of quality players not a lack of players not doing enough. They need to spend some money in the Jan transfer window if they want to save their assess from relegation. It might already be too late by then if they don't start dishing out some positive results from now until end of January.

 

[Canuckred64]

Heard that LVG and Advocaat spent much longer than normal with their after game drink. I know they are good friends, but supposedly they were taliking about Advocaat's future at Sunderland. Anybody here anything about that?

 

[Sarni]

Heard that LVG and Advocaat spent much longer than normal with their after game drink. I know they are good friends, but supposedly they were taliking about Advocaat's future at Sunderland. Anybody here anything about that?

Advocaat shouldn't have taken the job for another season. Keeping them up last year was a good achievement and would have looked fine on his CV but it was always going to be difficult to stay up the following season. The best they could do right now is to employ Allardyce and hope for miracle (Pulis is unavailable).

 

[MarkC]

Heard that LVG and Advocaat spent much longer than normal with their after game drink. I know they are good friends, but supposedly they were taliking about Advocaat's future at Sunderland. Anybody here anything about that?

I saw Advocaat getting on the team bus about 50 mins after the game finished so think that's just rumours.

 

[Andy Jones]

Hmm, you sound fairly upbeat all things considered - so can you see things turning around for Sunderland anytime soon? Something obviously has to change (bar the obvious "play better") - but, from an outsiders perspective, it's difficult to see how/what you can do... apart from change the manager of course (which does seem to be the go too way for instant Sunderland results) but who would you get in? And would they really be able to get anymore out of these players then Advocaat is getting?

I've followed Sunderland home and away since 1959 so I've seen it all before. I've seen us relegated for the very first time in the clubs history, go down to the third division, relegated from the Premier League with the record lowest points record, TWICE, I've seen us nearly go out of business, TWICE so all things considering, I'm optimistic.

I do think we'll struggle in the bottom half of the Premier League again and we'll continue to do so until Ellis Short A) invest heavily, properly and/or B) stops appointing the wrong people around him to run the club. I don't think this side is as bad as it's currently performing. I'm almost certain that this side will end up with 40 points+, safe from relegation with Advocaat in charge in May. In the last day or so, he has come out in the press and stated he is considering changing his formation and hinted that Rodwell will drop back to CB. I agree with this, we've been dreadful in defence this year and an extra body in there with a bit of pace and a brain (something I'm sure Kaboul lacks).

I know football isn't played on paper, or on a computer screen these days, but do you really think a side that looks like this

[/QUOTE] Pantilimon, O'Shea, Kaboul, Rodwell, Yedlin, Cattermole, M'Vila, Johnson, Lens, Borini, Defoe[/QUOTE]

should be relegated from the Premier League?

As for who would replace Advocaat, I have no idea! We have tried the experienced managers (Bruce, O'Neill and Advocaat) and we have tried the young, upcoming coaches (Di Canio and Poyet) so where do we go next? I've no doubt Allardyce is a very good manager but is he going to work under a Director of Football? I do like the idea of another high profile, manager or head coach such as Viera or Stam but of course there's risks in appointing those types of people but some of the best times I've had following us were under Keane.

 

[matherto]

I know football isn't played on paper, or on a computer screen these days, but do you really think a side that looks like this

Pantilimon, O'Shea, Kaboul, Rodwell, Yedlin, Cattermole, M'Vila, Johnson, Lens, Borini, Defoe

should be relegated from the Premier League?

Yes, that's an awful lot of shite.

 

[Sied]

Only just got round to doing my player ratings... Phil Jones' picture brings a smile to my face every single time

 

[FujiVice]

I know football isn't played on paper, or on a computer screen these days, but do you really think a side that looks like this

Pantilimon, O'Shea, Kaboul, Rodwell, Yedlin, Cattermole, M'Vila, Johnson, Lens, Borini, Defoe

should be relegated from the Premier League?

A lot of those players are really old and need a better team to highlight their positives. And Johnson for me isnt in the frame of mind to be playing at this level. You need to be mentally strong in this league, and I simply cant see how he can be at the races with what is hanging over his head. Sunderland have so many problems at the minute. They've even got a good manager, and if he cant drag them out of this, who will? Who is left? Sunderland have went through the managerial merry go round. Sunderland have had most of the usual suspects like O'Neil, McCarthy, Bruce, Keane and the like.

Could see them bringing Peter Reid back at this rate.