Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Queens Park Rangers – Saturday 13th August 2022 - KO 15:00

We were winning going into the last 10 minutes. I’d call that dropped points. It’s been a decent start but could’ve been so much more.

 

Its been noticeable that our legs have started to go in every game around the 65 - 70 minute mark. The pace of this league is a lot quicker than what we've been used too and it's showing.

 

We can all see that so why cant the man in charge. Needed fresh legs about 10 mins before their 1st goal.

 

His substitutions, or lack there of, so far have been a bit mind boggling tbh. Seems slow to react then it's too late.

 

Seemed strange ones yesterday and the arguing between him and his backroom staff, the time it took them to change re Embleton and Wright

 

I was as pissed off as every one at the final whistle but I'm not looking for someone to blame. It was a great performance overall and a joy to watch for the most part. We were just unfortunate. There's a lot of ifs and buts about what could have and should have been done and I agree with AN's summing up.

 

I'm still sulking. Poor kids today. Saying that going to see my brother in laws family and he's a Utd fan.

 

I’ve noticed too. Although Pritchard has never been a 90 minute man.. I’m wondering if the heat has something to do with it. I know both teams play in the same conditions but I think that may be a factor. Hopefully we get the levels sorted for the rest of the season as, if we do, we look a good side

 

Without a doubt the heat was making things harder. I think this is a case of just needing to keep playing games to get our fitness up and used to the pace for 90 minutes.

I've not seen the highlights yet but that guy should have been off in the first few mins from where I was sat, it looked like the QPR lad turned his foot to the side and his studs were pointing at Ballard's leg. Will need to see it again like.

 

It is an interesting point re Pritchard. It has been bugging me for a while that he seems to always come off. Last season he made 28 league starts and came off in 21 of those. Granted a couple were injuries, but it does seem to be almost an acceptance he is unable to play 90 mins. Subbed off each game so far this season too. Whilst he is a brilliant player, and massively important to us, that is an issue in my opinion. As a coach if you know you are going to need to always sub someone it limits your ability to act as proactively in games as you would like. Just my opinion, and certainly not clamouring for him to be upgraded, but maybe something the coaching staff are trying to figure out.

 

We massively ran out of steam like. Same Vs Cov at home too. I wonder if we are putting to much into the first 60, especially at home. So many players were out on their feet.

 

Any update on Ballard apart from he's gone for a scan?

 

Explains it tbh

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spo...news/alex-neil-explains-brought-luke-24747781

 

QPR had nothing to lose by changing tactics, pushing up and taking chances. Although it's annoying to lose two points it can happen when the opposition has no option but to attack. Bristol City were winning and had the momentum but we turned it round and won the game. We didn't 'run out of steam' there so it's too early to judge if it's a ingrained defect in the team imo. Coventry came back into the game against us late on but threw away three points at Millwall yesterday.

Sometimes it just happens. If we'd kept Simms on, and lost goals, I expect we'd be saying he should've been subbed ...

... I just hope we learned lessons from yesterday, like how to keep the ball in the last few minutes

 

Only this:

Ballard was forced off within ten minutes into their 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers after Albert Adomah innocuously trodded on his ankle from a late challenge.
The defender looked to be in some discomfort as he was carried off the Stadium of Light turf by two medical personnel from the Black Cats physio team. "It's a massive blow," the Sunderland head coach Alex Neil said.
After being quizzed on the severity of the injury, Neil added:
"It doesn't look good for Dan. He's gone away to hospital and we'll see how he is from there."

 

There was nowt innocuous about it at all. That lad knew what he was doing. I sit in the West stand more or less in line with the late "tackle" and at a minimum it was a booking.

 

Did you or anyone else actually see arguing taking place on the touch line yesterday, radio commentary on RN was all over the place as usual.

 

Strange comments in that article, first time I have seen it mentioned that Bailey Wright isn't cover for the right sided centre half. Pretty sure he has played there loads?

The like for like replacements confuses me as well, surely they can play in a couple of positions?

 

Agreed, as soon as it happened I said to dad it was a nasty one and the QPR player meant it

 

Yeah - just cut and pasted from Matty Jones from the Northern Echo.