If Sunderland Have Toughened Up They Need To Prove It
There is nothing particularly pleasant about a trip to Blackburn, especially when you have to face a team managed by Sam Allardyce once you get there, so Sunderland have got plenty to think about before Monday.
Allardyce is not short on self-confidence. This is a man who, with no tongue anywhere near his cheek, decided to use a press conference last month to explain why he would be better off managing Manchester United or Real Madrid.
In a few short sentences, a manager who lasted less than half a season as manager of Newcastle United and has never won a trophy, went on to proclaim his own genius, suggesting that, if he did occupy one of the top jobs in Europe, he would win a piece of silverware every year.
The problem Big Sam doesn't seem to have got his head round is this. He isn't a bad manager and he's a pretty decent bloke as well, but he plays a style of football which is ugly, negative and boring.
According to Sam, the first priority of every one of his teams is to stop the opposition playing. His aim is to spoil the game, squeeze the life out of the other side, grind them down with negative tactics and then hit them with a sucker punch.
According to Sam, the best chance to score a goal comes from a set-piece, a free-kick, a throw in or a corner.
If a goal comes in open play, great, but he is more concerned with making sure his set piece routines are up to scratch than he is in trying to slice the opposition open.
It can be successful - he did a remarkable job at Bolton - but it is unattractive and, because he is so keen to bang on about his view of the game, none of the top clubs will touch him because they know there will be a backlash from the fans.
Football, most fans like to think, is about more than just stopping the other team from playing. It is supposed to be entertainment, not chess.
Jose Mourinho isn't exactly a fan of Total Football, but he doesn't constantly talk about how he intends to stop the other team from playing. Allardyce, though, is a victim of his own big mouth.
Nevertheless, Sunderland will travel to Ewood Park on Monday knowing they have a battle on their hands. It is games like this, away from home against Premier League also rans, that the Black Cats have constantly come unstuck.
In that respect, this trip will be a massive test of how far they have come under Steve Bruce. They have done superbly at home again this season and have picked up points away from home as well, but they haven't won yet on their travels this season.
If they really have toughened up this term, Ewood Park on a Monday night is the perfect place to prove it.
Older/Newer
« Carroll Contract Might Not Be Worth Paper It's Written On | No More Excuses For Andy Carroll »
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: If Sunderland Have Toughened Up They Need To Prove It.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.lukewhostalking.co.uk/cgi-bin/mt421/mt-tb.cgi/258662
1 Comments
Blog Authors
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.
It is true enough that we all know what ugly football Big Sam likes his players to dish up. But truth is that if he had remained boss at SJP they would probably not have been relegation two seasons ago or be heading in that direction again now. Toon just got lucky against Wigan who are another bottom five team (or will be by end of the season). As long as Catts keep himself under control I'm expecting Sunderland to pass their tests with flying colours in their next two away games.
Luke might like to use his next blog to expound on exactly what sort of style the Toon play now. Having watched them several times this season, my impression is that they play school boy football -- without shape and everybody chasing the ball frantically. Big Sam could not have dished up worse than is the case now, because it is rather boring for SJP fans to never see their team win at home.
Some time ago I predicted that the games versus Wigan would decide whether they or Toon would fill one of the relegation places. There seems no reason to revise that expectation and on current evidence Wigan have the edge. Petula’s song looks like getting a few more plays next year.