So whats changed?

Great result for you guys today (looking past the offside goal )

I dont tend to pay too much attention to sunderland, so i ask..

what is the difference between now and the days of brucie?

obviously MON is a far better manager, but what exactly has he done in your opinion to change it around for you?

do you think the dressing room has more time for MON, one thing i noticed today is the line up didnt really differ too much. yet your whole team put a shift in today against the odds at times.

in your eyes what is the biggest change?

 

Mate, the only thing I can honestly think of is that we now have someone in charge who knows what there doing.

Hows things with you mate?

 

Watching the game today MON was always involved. I lost count of how often he was talking to the players moving them about. It must seem as if he is an on field captain. I have never seen a manager so involved in a game.

 

im good thanks, fella. how was your new year?

 

Well could have been better tbh.

Life just getting ****ter & ****ter.

How is your brother?

 

I would say we are more organised. We look much better at defending corners and set pieces.PLayers seem to be putting in extra effort. Cattermole is now turning in much better perfomances under O,Neill. Also O'Neill is tactically aware. Tucked Larrson in today to help the midfield. Our midfield does seem to be playing narrower leaving fewer attacking gaps for the oppo. The luck has turned a little, we carried our luck today. The crowd is now a positive influence again. We still have the same problem of needing a goal scorer.

 

hes doing good thanks.
i think he will be starting more rehab therapy soon, to get him back on his feet properly, i honestly cant keep track of all the appointments lol.

did u go to the game today?

 

Biily - what a game then. Set the alarm, got up & watched it as the kids are away, just got in from work & am still buzzing as I watch the highlights!

 

watching on tv the crowd seemed louder.

is MON getting much money in this window?

seems a few decent strikers around europe that dont seem to have massive fees slapped on them.. kinda annoying though as for us pardew came out and said we are not getting a striker this window apparently. i hope its a smoke screen but history tells me different lol

 

what is the difference between now and the days of brucie?

obviously MON is a far better manager, but what exactly has he done in your opinion to change it around for you?


Actually you answered your own question, in a manner of speaking. But my play on things, is the confidence and belief that ST MARTIN has brought to the team, end of realy,,,,,,,,,,,happy new year.

 

O'Neill is more tactically aware than Steve. If he sees things need changing he knows what needs doing and how to change things around. He is also using players in their natural positions i.e. using central midfielders in the middle, left sided players on the left and right sided players on the right. Okay apart from using two midfielders as full back but that was unavoidable yesterday.

To give Steve his due he knows a good player when he sees one. Let's be honest it is still the players he brought to the club on the field. He just didn't seem to have the ability to get the best out of them.

 

One small thing from yesterday, I thinkit was Catts who was down, near the end of the game and O'Neil shouted Ji over, was standing waving his arms and telling Ji what he wanted. Ji cant understand English I was told, well he undertood that and not long after scored.

 

main difference for me since MON came is as said above MON is influencing things on the park, gets the players to go where and when he wants.
Brucey made some good signings but could'nt get them going or change things around as it needed, he just stood on the touchline blowing and sipping his water

 

One of the big differences I can see is the fact that players seem to know what they are meant to be doing. Especially in CM / DM, highlighted by Catts performance yesterday. Under Bruce our CM just seemed to run all over like headless chickens, whereas now they seem to be playing more zonal, thus not wasting energy etc. Just well organised. Also we are in the new manager honeymoon period aswell.

 

Toon Tiger = ****ing good bloke.

Take care marra.

 

MON is getting the best out of players.

Bruce bought good players, but never found a way to get them playing properly. MON has done that.

Cattermole would be the best example imo. Catts hasnt impressed me for a quite some time, wasnt able to distribute the ball, giving away stupid free kicks etc etc. MON seems to be bringing the best out in him, and he is 3 times the player he was early this season.

 

I thought Cattermole had his best game for us. What a great night! i was chuffed that we looked likely to squeeze a draw from the game, then that last minute winner blew my mind. Im still celebrating. Off to Patong beach for more beers.

 

MON is a great manager. He does not appear on the side lines in a suit. He is wearing boots and a track-suit. He is in the game. Tactically, he is very astute. His greatest strength is man management. The players believe in him and when he tells them he wants something doing, they know it has to be done. 10 out of 10 for his start as Sunderland manager.

 

When Ji played the ball to Sess did you see Ji running along their defensive line looking to get in behind them onto any pass Sess may make, I reckon that is something he will have been coached to do, it was a classic strikers move but no one I have seen Ji do before.

A good well worked goal and a quality finish.

 

Who was MOTM?
Gardner?
Kilgallon?
Cattermole?
Colback?
O'Shea?

-or Sess who was at the heart of every goal threat?

Each one of the above had a tremendous game.