Steven Fletcher is happy to be back in the Sunderland first team.

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FLETCHER HAPPY TO BE BACK IN SUNDERLAND STARTING XI
Submitted by Tribal Football Staff 4 hours ago
Steven Fletcher is happy to be back in the Sunderland first team.

Fletcher started the season out of the side but won over his manager to emerge as first-choice striker.

And the 27-year-old insists he never lost faith in his own ability.

"I wasn't really missing loads of chances – if I was starting to miss chances, then I would start questioning myself, but I wasn't," he said.

"Maybe I wasn't getting into the positions that I was before, I don't know, but I wasn't missing chances, so that didn't affect me.

"But I feel back to the way I did when I signed for Sunderland. I feel sharp again and able to move again, because there were points last season where I just felt I couldn't even get into second gear, so it was hard. But I feel good now."

 

Good news. He looked so lethargic last season. He looked good last couple and. Hopefully he'll have that faith and confidence tomorrow

 

we will see tomorrow mate, hope its true

 

Buzzing after reading that

 

Does that mean he's the lone front man again?

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Played well against Arsenal but had no support at all from midfield. time for poyet to change tactics.

 

new tactic bribe their tea lady to put laxative in the drinks before the match, as we need the three points

 

He needs to step up mate. He had genuine excuses last season with his ankle injury, this season he is fully fit and needs to start producing what he's paid to do, score goals.

 

Agree totally welder. He's undoubtedly capable. I've watched him play when in full flow and he's a goalscorer. He's looked good last 3 games (yes I include Southampton as I thought he was one of only 2 players on our side to keep going till the very end!) and, with some midfield support and someone there to put the ball in for him, I think he will score goals.

AJ one side and someone else the other - although, perhaps worryingly, Poyet seems to think Buckley did well against Arsenal when I thought he was probably our second worst player

 

And boy are we happy to have him.

 

He proved last night that if he gets decent service he will score goals, two very classy finishes. A lot of players would have just smashed the ball from Bridcutt but he placed it and fooled the keeper, classy.

I don't understand why AJ never made an appearance mind, Buckley looked second rate and AJ would have caused Palace more problems for sure.

 

Fletcher showed last night how good he is. My worry is we don't give him good enough service. I personally don't think it works having Wickham on the left, especially when PVA got injured as it meant we had no supply from that side of the pitch.

If Fletcher gets the service he will score the goals, I think he gets frustrated when he does not get the ball and gives up.

At the moment he is a much better option than Wickham and anyone would be a better option than Altidore presently. I would get rid of those 2 in Jan and look for another striker.

 

Even if Buckley stayed on, AJ could have come on instead of Jozy as AJ is also good at holding onto the ball - something we were unable to do in the last 10 minutes last night.

I hope Poyet drops Buckley to the bench soon, cos he needs to know that his position isn't safe even if he is Poyet's signing

 

I think AJ has a knock and thats probably why Gus did not want to risk him. Probably saving him for Everton.

 

This^^

I personally thought that, after Wes Brown, Buckley was comfortably our worst player against Arsenal. Ran with the ball but never beat a man running and never beat the first man when he crossed. Looked poor from the 40 minutes I saw last night as well. Maybe a confidence player as he looked good against Man Utd.

I'd drop him for AJ next week (although Connor did very little as well other than kick people - still amazed he never got booked)

 

Marcus what about Catt's booking any complaints? I think he mistimed a few last night, seemed to be trying too hard at times. Either way that's a big hole to plug in your next game, who can fit into his spot? The Everton CM is Barry, McCarthy and Barkley, Larsson and Gomez have their work cut out. Having Catts in there for that game would have helped a lot!

On a side note, after seeing Zaha last night, it's safe to say we'll not be seeing him in a United shirt any time soon. Indecisive, dithering idiot.

 

Only complaint I can have about it is that Phil Dowd will not book Steve Gerrard or Yaya Toure for the exact same foul. It wasn't his first either so had to be a yellow really.

I said on another thread that having Bridcutt in there (although it may end up being Rodwell in that position which may suit him) is a little worrying - he did OK last night but those players were not the quality of the three you mentioned - although I think Barry is over-rated personally

 

Our wingers were pitiful last night, it seems that Gus is determined to play these two come what may, it's a worrying blind spot. The rest of the team carried these two all night, but we cant afford passengers in this league. And Jozy looks worse every time I see him, he needs moving on ASP.

 

Yep
Yep
and
Yep

 

I think it was the 'totting up' that got him booked, it was inevitable really given the way Palace were playing. I think that Jedinak should have been sent off a bit earlier for a 2nd yellow but I guess if you win the game it doesn't really matter.

Barry hasn't had a good start to the season to be fair. I think Poyet could 'park the bus' vs Everton. It's gonna be a tough game for you lot without Cattermole in there. Saying that, Leicester is the more important match not to lose out of the two, he'll be back for that to take on Cambiasso so every cloud!