Cautious Sunderland Reach Crunch Time
One thing has become abundantly clear at Sunderland under Ricky Sbragia, a manager moulded at Sam Allardyce's finishing school at Bolton Wanderers, caution will never be thrown to the wind.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. You don't have to play unrestrained, attacking football to be successful and Sbragia has the tactical nous to ensure his teams are set up in a way best equipped to beat the opposition lined up in front of them.
The Scot is an excellent coach and knows his football But it would also appear to suggest that Sunderland's style of football will always be pragmatic and functional under his tutelage, rather than pulsating and frenetic.
Against Tottenham, having taken an early lead through Kieran Richardson's early goal, Sunderland fell into the classic trap of defending their advantage rather than looking to expand it.
This worked well in the first half, but as Tottenham threw more and more men forward in search of an equaliser in the second, the Black Cats defended deeper and deeper and were eventually punished when Robbie Keane scored at the end of a rapid Spurs counter-attack.
In many ways it was infuriating to watch because you could see the goal was coming, it had been coming for 87 mins, but can you blame Sunderland for trying to cling on to their one goal advantage and the three points which would have gone a long way to ending their lingering relegation fears?
It's the classic Catch-22 situation, although I suspect most fans would prefer to see their team concentrating on finding a second goal than defending one, the result will always be the most important thing.
Mind you, if Djibril Cisse had taken one of the three chances that came his way in the second period, Sunderland wouldn't have been clinging on.
The Frenchman's body language isn't great at the moment and I wonder whether he already knows he isn't coming back to the Stadium of Light next season?
Despite dropping two points, the draw was still a decent result for the Black Cats and the last-minute equaliser will quickly be erased from the memory banks should Sbragia guide his team to a win over Wigan next weekend.
The Black Cats aren't quite out of relegation danger, but they are still on the right path and credit must go to the manager for that.
The players looked in disarray when he took over at the start of December when the team had just fallen into the bottom three on the back of a 4-1 home defeat by Bolton.
That shouldn't be forgotten as Sunderland fans weigh up whether to renew their season tickets over the coming weeks, or as chairman Niall Quinn would like, decide to take up new ones.
This is an important period for the club. If the fans buy into Quinn's ambitious vision for the future, it will give the Irishman, with the financial backing of Ellis Short, the means to try and make it happen.
If they stay away in their droves next season, squeezed by the recession and unconvinced by the value of the entertainment on offer, his plan will be in danger of failing before he even gets the chance to implement the next phase.
Credit isn't the only thing which has reached crunch time.
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Luke, Guess it is your job to stir the pot, but I think you extrapolate too far in much of what you say. Having watched the game in full (did you?) Ricky did a good job on Saturday. It was a day when the team was not playing very well and under Kean would have lost. Do remember that both Cisse and Jones look far from fit at the moment.
Like everybody, I would very miuch like to see an Arsenal approach, but if a manager does not have the players to do it trying only gets them in big trouble. Newcastle will probably get relegated because they try to play a style they do not have the players for. Had Big Sam still been there now they would not be in the mess that Keegan created. Poor poor Boro fell into the same trap. Perhaps both those teams will be the greta entertainers of the Chapionship next season but not get promoted.
No doubts you think Chelsea fans are happier since the Special One left!
Ah yes, but Chelsea were very attacking in Jose's first season in charge, they only became defensive in his second season when they lost their width.
I agree with you about Sam at Newcastle, they wouldn't be in the mess they are in now, but there were widespread misgivings about the style of football they played so he was the wrong man for the job. As I said in the piece, Sbragia has done a good job, I just think he is very similar in football philosophy to Sam.
"... the mess that Keegan created"!
Do me a favour. Prat.
"...Had Big Sam still been there now they would not be in the mess that Keegan created."
Yeah, right. And If Elvis was alive today he'd be so old he'd probably be dead.
As for Sbragia, he seems to have done a reasonable job so far. A fist full season next year will surely be a much more difficult task though. As Mr Roeder found out up the road.
I'll be interested to see what Martin Robson has to say about this, i could do with a good laugh.
Dear “Restless in Newcastle" your id is the basis of a great title line for a movie. The star will be Little Kev a boy who never quite grew up in terms of height or nous about the game, but he always tried. The villain is Big Sam who has no talent but can always stomp on a runt. The movie will end with Kev having flashbacks to moments when things did not work out. Somehow Shearer is always involved in those! Of course as the end will take 30 minutes worth of 5 second clips before Kev does a Godfather III style fall off the chair, but nobody will ever actually see it, because to be honest who would waste 20 minutes that could be better spent in the chip shop queue. Nevertheless critics on Tyneside (i.e. Keeganites) will declare the movie a classic and watch it on Saturdays instead of going to see lower league soccer at Sid James Park.
Thinking about how sad you will be soon makes me want to cry, and if Toon do not beat Hull at the fourth attempt this season you will probably become Berserk in Newcastle which opens up a whole new movie opportunity starring Big Joe.
Truth is that Keegan and a few other Newcastle managers should stuck to Sunday league teams.
M. Sebastian T. ... is that an anagram of "Sad mackem Tw@t"?
Do you dribble when you speak? (Thanks Luke.) Suggest you lay off the Skunk before your next post, then we might have half a slim chance of understanding it.
There are a million things wrong with NUFC these days. It's been the same for most of my life. Kevin Keegan does not - and never has - fallen into that category. Anyone who knows anything about NUFC's history over the past 25 years could only regard KK's contribution as massively positive.
Whether we go down this season or not, your city and your team are irrelevant - always have been, always will be.
Only irrelevant to you Restless and you don't count for anything.
Sunderland are irrelevant to me too, therefore i must also class as counting for nothing!? God forbid that 2 of us are right....
Restless has a valid point.
I might also add that given that this peice is about Sunderland - how come your all talking about Newcastle? Bit odd that like, for once there is actually something worth discussing about Sunderland and all you want to talk about is Newcastle.....
You know what, you're doing alright, your team isn't great but its doing a fairly good job and you look like you'll probably be safe, so take that into consideration. Lukes piece (if you read it properly) isn't an attack on Sunderland, its fact. He reports facts about Newcastle all the time and we're in a much worse position than you in the league - nevertheless they are facts. The only positive Geordies will always have regardless if we're in the premiership or not next season is that we're not from sunderland - that, my friends, delights me!
and it delights us too Johnny - so very much.
I assume thats because you prefer to stick to your own breed. Which explains a lot.
Ricky Sbragia knows what he has to do, 1 point a game and they stay up, does he need to be reckless to do this, no he does not since he took over they have lost to Villa Liverpool and Man U all top 4 and doing very well. Get off his back and start understanding the requirements its simple
Johnny's spot on. It was a good piece by Luke. But the chip-on-shoulder-brigade are more bothered about dissing the Mags than talking about their own club ... as usual. Stereotypical sad Mackems.
Completely agree it was a good piece - and nowhere above do I dispute that. I simply responded to your own petty comment "Whether we go down this season or not, your city and your team are irrelevant - always have been, always will be." You might say that you were "more bothered about dissing" Sunderland "than talking about your own club ... as usual". Stereotypical sad Geordie?
I didn't diss Sunderland. I wouldn't waste my breath. I simply stated a fact. Small town. Small club. Irrelevant.
Sorry for the late appearance. I've been celebrating my victory after tearing Restless Native a new bum hole in the article"Sbragia doesn't need star quality" - read it guys - it's a victory for Sad Mackem fans and serves as a sublime example of our superiority.
It's a great article by Luke this time. Objective and relevant. Since the early eighties there has been a "sit on your lead" mentality and Liverpool were the biggest offenders. Not only is it boring to watch - it almost always ends in an inevitable equaliser.
As for the squabbling babies Johnny and Native. You're a pair of hypochrites. Frankly you are more nauseating than a jellied eel breakfast. You trespass on Sunderland articles spitting your impotent poison, whining about Mackems. Native - you're a buffoon! I'm surprised you have the gaul to make an appearance considering the whipping you took from me last time. There's no chip on your shoulder is there. Every one of your entries so collaborates!!!
Keegan by the way Sebastian - was blameless during his last farcical reign. He was handcuffed and undermined - and in no way to blame for the ensuing debacle.
We're both going down - let's face it boys. I hope not - but feel otherwise!
Johnny - I would accept any invitation of yours. Your courage is only matched by your galactic stupidity. You went missing in a large hurry last time - I wonder why!!