Match Day Thread Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers – Saturday 25th September 2021 - KO 15:00

Amazing isn't it and credit to him and LJ etc.
Shows where we are heading now.
Pride coming back in droves.

 

one full back supplyin the cross for the other full back to score. that doesnt happen every week.

 

They were singing ‘Bolton Ace’s’

 

Wow, tear in my eye and hairs on back of me neck standing up there mate.
I'm not even a Mackem lol but that's what it's all about.
First song i learned to play on guitar and it has to be me funeral song

 

They're one of a number of clubs who don't seem to ever have anything original ...

... perhaps you can excuse them when the club is called after pigs feet.

 

We played well in spells, but at the same time we created a lot of our own problems.

Bolton deserved something out of the game, but they got nowt. We looked very leggy and a bit out of ideas for the majority of the 2nd half. So frustrating, but 3 points is all that matters.

Hopefully we will improve as the team get to know each other, also Mcgeady needs to play on the left.

 

We played well at Burton but we couldn't score ...

... if you can't score in an hour and a half you don't deserve that much imo.

 

We were awful in that 2nd half but just hung on another 3 points though, and we have played some good teams already. Still not up to Parkinson's standard but might go up.

 

Okay we got 3 points... very well done..

However what do we have to do to calm my nerves...

The obvious point is to take more of the chances we created. The more chances we spurned the more hope we gave to Bolton.

Defence and midfield, we sort if played 4 3 3, with only 09 a defensive midfielder. We could have done with 2 defensive midfielders. Would 4 4 2 suit us better, with Stewart having a partner with him for his flick-ons?
We often lost midfield due to lack of numbers.

Embleton is not a winger, he and Pritchard both wanted to be centre midfield.

The young German winger had a poor home debut, nerves probably... Will get another chance.

 

I think what we have to realise is that there are few if any, easy games in the league.
Of all the 5 teams to visit the SoL this season Bolton were the best I've seen.
Having said that they've all had qualities that have caused us problems. It's early days still and imo we've the best squad and we'll need to use them all in what as we all know is a relentless EFL1.

 

He'll get better imo. Hoffmann looked nervy on his debut but only 3 games in he looks the part already.

 

If we're playing 433 and losing the midfield due to lack of numbers, we'd be daft to change to 442. I haven't seen yesterday's game but will watch the full 90 when it's available but in previous games, I haven't seen anything drastically wrong with the tactics. No one is going to lie down for us in this league so I think we're going to have to accept that we're going to have to grind out results.

 

This for me.

 

I agree, i can't see anything wrong with the tactics were employing this season.

One distinct difference is that i'm confident that we'll create quite a few chances with a multitude of players able to do so rather than be over reliant on McGeady which we have been in the past. Teams realised this and once they reduced the supply to Mcgeady we were pretty toothless.

McGeady has probably been the least impressive of our creative/attack minded players so far this season and having options is always going to put the opposition in 2 minds

 

Also I thought Mcgeady usually operates on the left... last two home games he had been on the right.

His performances have been subdued recently, put him back on his favoured left wing?

Or we could change up, as perhaps our current tactics have been sussed and other teams are now countering them. We could have the usual 4 at the back, 09 in front of them, 3 attacking mids, Embleton, Neil and Pritchard with Steward upfront with an striker/partner Broadhead(?)

The full backs providing width...

 

They have been subdued there as well compared to last season. Personally i think we're seeing age catch up with him. Not slagging him off by any means as he still draws the attention of the opposition but it's certainly nice to have other options on the pitch at the same time

 

You may be right. I've thought that he and Gooch as part of a front three don't seem to be contributing in either assists or goals as much as expected but in saying that both have been carrying out their defensive duties exceptionally. McGeady for me was more effective defensively yesterday than attacking wise.

 

A diamond might work. With maybe Huggins at the base of it, O'Nien and Neil as the middle two, and Embleton or Pritchard as the 10. You could maybe put O'Nien at the base, Winchester alongside Neil and Huggins to right back. Or bring Evans in if he can stay fit.

 

I was really impressed with his tracking back yesterday, less impressed with the sitter he missed just after we scored.

I've noticed a few things over the last few weeks, mainly that we always look better in the highlights than we do live ...

... no doubt because of the tension at the time.

One thing I don't understand is that Sunderland missed chances/had shots saved and so did Bolton ...

... but some say Bolton deserved something from the game whereas we were lucky

I really don't understand that argument.