v Sunderland (h) 18/10/2022

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, Mike E said:

I was hugely sceptical (angry, actually) about the wing backs being played on the 'wrong sides', but have to give credit to JDT.

It took me about 20mins, but I figured out that it perfectly nullified Mowbray's tendency to play inverted wingers. Show the inverted winger towards their byline and they can't cross it properly, but if they DO manage to cut in they still have our back 3 to deal with.

As a full back you should be able to figure out which way your winger would like to go and make sure he doesn’t. Playing Brittain and Hedges on their “ right “ wings wouldn’t have prevented them doing that.

[Mike E]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

As a full back you should be able to figure out which way your winger would like to go and make sure he doesn’t. Playing Brittain and Hedges on their “ right “ wings wouldn’t have prevented them doing that.

Agreed, but given that wing backs tend to prioritise attacking over defending, if the manager can figure out a way to make defending easier for them without nullifying their attacking potential, surely he should?

If they were playing a more traditional full back role, I'd definitely agree.

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, johnradfordsubbuteo said:

Anyone else think Morton is now crucial to this team? Knits it together, links back to front, great ball carrier and passer. He reminds me of Tugay, which is some compliment. He takes responsibility and with it risks, but I could always forgive Toogs the odd time he cost us. His confidence for such a young player is other worldly.

He has an 82 percent pass ratio over the whole season so far which is pretty impressive 

[SAFCfaninpeace]

Well that was a disappointing game from our perspective. Awful officiating gifted two goals to you instead of giving us a good chance to go 1 up. Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us and Stewart still not due back until the new year. Mind, we’ll be some force when he’s back and IF he can stay fit! Comfortable mid table finish for us I think. Could have been so much more with a striker. 

[RV Blue]

1 hour ago, johnradfordsubbuteo said:

Anyone else think Morton is now crucial to this team? Knits it together, links back to front, great ball carrier and passer. He reminds me of Tugay, which is some compliment. He takes responsibility and with it risks, but I could always forgive Toogs the odd time he cost us. His confidence for such a young player is other worldly.

Morton is quality, though I think his passing range and ability to strike a ball will let him down as he starting playing at higher levels. Only a kid though

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

Well that was a disappointing game from our perspective. Awful officiating gifted two goals to you instead of giving us a good chance to go 1 up. Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us and Stewart still not due back until the new year. Mind, we’ll be some force when he’s back and IF he can stay fit! Comfortable mid table finish for us I think. Could have been so much more with a striker. 

I thought we got the rub of the green with Pawson's decisions. I called it a penalty in real time and Wharton is clearly offside for the second. If it's any consolation I thought the best player on the pitch was Roberts who might, after several years be fulfilling his potential. Seeing Mowbray throw three substitutes on reminded me of how many times he did that here with no plan. At times after that it looked like a kids game with your players all over the place just running around.

[tomphil]

8 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

Well that was a disappointing game from our perspective. Awful officiating gifted two goals to you instead of giving us a good chance to go 1 up. Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us and Stewart still not due back until the new year. Mind, we’ll be some force when he’s back and IF he can stay fit! Comfortable mid table finish for us I think. Could have been so much more with a striker. 

Get used to no strikers last night was the future under old Tone.

[Armchair supporter supremo]

8 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

Well that was a disappointing game from our perspective. Awful officiating gifted two goals to you instead of giving us a good chance to go 1 up. Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us and Stewart still not due back until the new year. Mind, we’ll be some force when he’s back and IF he can stay fit! Comfortable mid table finish for us I think. Could have been so much more with a striker. 

Boohoohoo 😂

 

We had players out also and we gave a kid a debut in the middle of the park. 

 

#InMowbrayYouTrust 🤭🤭

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Upside Down said:

You need a brain to have imagination. 

Willingness and ambition to work at it rather than bone idle taking the easy option.

[BigBar]

Like many games in this division it really is fine margins. If we go 1 down from that penalty which should probably have been given then it really is a different scenario. Having players that can produce a bit of magic really can cover over the cracks.

BBD scored a cracker last night, Gally with another last weekend. To have that in the team is priceless. We need to be consistent and not give the opportunity to the opposition to get in front because we all know how difficult we find it to turn that situation around.

Still don't want to see Hedges and Brittain as inverted wing backs, got away with it last night but hopefully was a once off. Both played well for the record.

[SAFCfaninpeace]

12 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Get used to no strikers last night was the future under old Tone.

His post-match interview gives me some hope on that front as even he can see it’s killing us not having that focal point. 
 

As another poster said, Roberts is unreal for this level. The way the ball sticks to his feet is something else. 
 

Good luck for the rest of the season, just not v us at home 😉

[Admiral Nelsen]

25 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

Well that was a disappointing game from our perspective. Awful officiating gifted two goals to you instead of giving us a good chance to go 1 up. Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us and Stewart still not due back until the new year. Mind, we’ll be some force when he’s back and IF he can stay fit! Comfortable mid table finish for us I think. Could have been so much more with a striker. 

 

You knocked it about well at times, so having a decent recognised striker could've made a big difference. I was surprised about how comfortable on the ball most of your team looked. Think you're right about finishing comfortably in Mid-table. Mowbray will likely start to annoy sections of your support in time, but he has enough about him to keep you well clear of danger. Kicking on might be a slightly different question!

 

Even though plenty of refs would've given a pen, I'm still not at all convinced so I don't agree that he gifted us two. I think we should've made a lot more of some of the breaks that we made in the second half too, but I accept that it was a pretty tight game overall. 

[jim mk2]

15 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

His post-match interview gives me some hope on that front as even he can see it’s killing us not having that focal point. 
 

As another poster said, Roberts is unreal for this level. The way the ball sticks to his feet is something else. 
 

Good luck for the rest of the season, just not v us at home 😉

Let’s face it, if that penalty decision had been us we’d have felt aggrieved too. Most refs would have given it. It’s the rub of the green; we’ve had some bad decisions against us over the years. Perhaps Tomasson is a lucky manager? We’ve been abysmal in the games I’ve seen this season yet we’re top of the league!

Edited October 19, 2022 by jim mk2

[Angry_Pirate]

33 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

Missing a striker for half our games this season is killing us.

10 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

His post-match interview gives me some hope on that front as even he can see it’s killing us not having that focal point. 

Oh dear, you've got it all to come. It takes the Dinosaur a while to settle into his false 9, wide striker's, and general tombola team selections. I'd get prepared for 5'6" Pritchard as your (false) number 9 going forward. Least you have two amazing wingers to blitz balls into the box for him. If only you still had Danny Graham. 🤣

What you said about Roberts though is spot on, the guy was largely invisible in the first 45 mins, but for 30 mins in the 2nd half it was like watching prime Carlos Villanueva (in joke). But he was superb, just typical Tony having wingers and no striker's.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

31 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I thought we got the rub of the green with Pawson's decisions. I called it a penalty in real time and Wharton is clearly offside for the second. If it's any consolation I thought the best player on the pitch was Roberts who might, after several years be fulfilling his potential. Seeing Mowbray throw three substitutes on reminded me of how many times he did that here with no plan. At times after that it looked like a kids game with your players all over the place just running around.

Is this statement correct - “ it is not possible to be off side from a throw in, a corner kick, or a goal kick “ ? 
 

I always thought you couldn’t be off side from a ball played backwards - which by definition a corner is if it stays on the pitch.

[K-Hod]

That Patrick Roberts looked absolutely class for Sunderland, as a few other posters have mentioned. Even though they were all over us towards the end though, I don’t feel like they had that many clear cut chances in reality.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Let’s face it, if that penalty decision had been us we’d have felt aggrieved too. Most refs would have given it. It’s the rub of the green; we’ve had some bad decisions against us over the years. Perhaps Tomasson is a lucky manager? We’ve been abysmal in the games I’ve seen this season yet we’re top of the league!

Look in todays paper Jim. That’ll tell you wether it was a penalty or not. We’ll get decisions like that against us this season, no point fussing either way. The ref didn’t think it was a pen and he’s the only one that matters.

This League is wide open. More than it’s ever been in my opinion.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, K-Hod said:

That Patrick Roberts looked absolutely class for Sunderland, as a few other posters have mentioned. Even though they were all over us towards the end though, I don’t feel like they had that many clear cut chances in reality.

Typical Mowbray team. Huff and puff but they won’t blow your house down.

[Silas]

28 minutes ago, SAFCfaninpeace said:

His post-match interview gives me some hope on that front as even he can see it’s killing us not having that focal point. 

Beware, what Tony says and what he does are often complete strangers.

He told us "defenders are coming" for years and we're only close to sorting it now with the additions of Brittain and Hyam.

He talks a good game, the reality can be very frustrating. 

[Exiled_Rover]

48 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I thought we got the rub of the green with Pawson's decisions. I called it a penalty in real time and Wharton is clearly offside for the second. If it's any consolation I thought the best player on the pitch was Roberts who might, after several years be fulfilling his potential. Seeing Mowbray throw three substitutes on reminded me of how many times he did that here with no plan. At times after that it looked like a kids game with your players all over the place just running around.

I thought their wall played Wharton on and it was never a penalty. Went down too easily - even with multiple replays it's not clear if there was any contact.

We absolutely bossed Sunderland and they can have no qualms about the result.

[47er]

As someone already said, Wharton tried to duck back onside just before the free-kick was taken and the defender deliberately pushed him back. So no problem for me.

The penalty--- made a meal of it for a start.There definitely was contact but after the ball was touched---a follow-through if you like. Given more often than not though.

Edited October 19, 2022 by 47er

[47er]

38 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

You knocked it about well at times, so having a decent recognised striker could've made a big difference. I was surprised about how comfortable on the ball most of your team looked. Think you're right about finishing comfortably in Mid-table. Mowbray will likely start to annoy sections of your support in time, but he has enough about him to keep you well clear of danger. Kicking on might be a slightly different question!

 

Even though plenty of refs would've given a pen, I'm still not at all convinced so I don't agree that he gifted us two. I think we should've made a lot more of some of the breaks that we made in the second half too, but I accept that it was a pretty tight game overall. 

Very fair statement from you. Had so much of the ball in our half after the break but you didn't do anything much with it. No real clear chances except one where Kaminski made another great reflex save.

Warning, Mowbray will bore you to death, you're better off with a season-ticket to the dentist.

[arbitro]

35 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Is this statement correct - “ it is not possible to be off side from a throw in, a corner kick, or a goal kick “ ? 
 

I always thought you couldn’t be off side from a ball played backwards - which by definition a corner is if it stays on the pitch.

You are correct in everything you write. However the goal came from a free-kick when Hedges played it into Wharton who was marginally offside when the ball was played. At this level I don't believe that assistant referees should be missing that.

[47er]

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

He has an 82 percent pass ratio over the whole season so far which is pretty impressive 

Elliott in the stand---great to see. Wonder if he was running the rule over Morton for Klopp?

(as well as enjoying himself of course).

[arbitro]

24 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

I thought their wall played Wharton on and it was never a penalty. Went down too easily - even with multiple replays it's not clear if there was any contact.

We absolutely bossed Sunderland and they can have no qualms about the result.

The penalty is about opinions and he was theatrical but he is clearly caught and we would be screaming for a penalty if it was at the opposite end. Wharton is offside.