HAVE YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT SUNDERLAND? Drop us an email and we’ll feature it here on the website in the next edition of Fan Letters! You can find us on RokerReport@Yahoo.co.uk
Dear Roker Report,
As a Sunderland supporter living in Dorset, I was lucky enough to get a ticket in the away end for the Bournemouth game. I know we self-destructed at Bournemouth, but there were already too many rumblings of discontent in the away end for my liking.
Everyone can see that we are not playing well, but let’s not forget that these players gave us one of the most memorable seasons in the history of Sunderland Football Club last season. These players don’t become bad players overnight.
Having said that, before the Bournemouth game, although we had lost our last three games, these were against the top three teams in the strongest league in the world, and on no occasion were we outclassed or outplayed.
Now more than ever, the players, the management and the ownership need our support, not our criticism.
Steve Williamson
Ed’s Note [Gav]: There’s no doubt that last season was special, and the players deserve enormous credit for what they achieved. Nobody should forget that, nor should we underestimate how difficult it is to establish ourselves in the Premier League.
However, last season’s achievements cannot give the team a free pass when performances fall below the required standard. Supporting Sunderland doesn’t mean we have to pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn’t.
You’re right that the games against the top three were difficult fixtures, and Sunderland weren’t necessarily outclassed in those matches. The performances against Ipswich and Bournemouth, though, were much harder to defend, particularly the manner of the defeat at Bournemouth.
The frustration in the away end is understandable. Supporters travel considerable distances, spend their hard-earned money and want to see the team compete. They’re entitled to express their concerns when that doesn’t happen.
That doesn’t mean the players should be written off, or that we should forget what they’ve achieved. But support and criticism aren’t mutually exclusive. You can appreciate what a team has done while expecting better from it.
The important thing now is how Sunderland respond. The players and management need the supporters behind them, but they also need to give those supporters something to believe in again.
Dear Roker Report,
I find it slightly ironic that there is some negativity around Sunderland’s start to the season.
The irony is that this is the start many predicted we’d have last season, and where many were also concerned that second-season syndrome and the demands of European football would see us struggle this season.
So eventually, the pundits and experts got it right. So why should anyone be shocked or overly disappointed about where we stand? It’s surely what was anticipated!
Expectation, or too much expectation, mustn’t influence our thinking. We’re right where we deserve to be. Even Mukiele and Xhaka have said it, so now is not the time for too much finger-pointing.
It has been a poor start, but we have played the top three and actually did OK in all three games. Ipswich was disappointing and Bournemouth very poor, but we had games like that last season too – at Burnley, West Ham, Brentford, Forest at home and Port Vale in the cup.
This season, we came into it having had 13 players away on World Cup duty and an opening fixture list that everyone recognised as difficult.
We just need to stay together (club and supporters), resist the temptation for overly dramatic inquests and, heaven forbid, personnel changes (we know how that usually turns out). With players returning from injury and a kinder set of fixtures ahead, we should see some better results materialise and move back up the table.
Stay calm.
Derek Cox
Ed’s Note [Gav]: There’s certainly an argument that Sunderland’s current position is closer to what many people expected before the season started than last year’s performances might have suggested. We’ve faced a difficult opening run, players have been away on international duty, and adapting to the demands of European football was always likely to present challenges.
However, just because some people predicted a difficult season doesn’t mean we should automatically accept every poor performance as inevitable. Expectations should be realistic, but they shouldn’t be so low that we excuse standards slipping.
The defeats against the top sides need to be considered in context, and there were positives in those performances. Ipswich was disappointing, while Bournemouth was a significant concern. The manner of that defeat, in particular, raised questions that go beyond simply losing a football match.
And you’re right – Sunderland had poor performances last season, too. Every team does. The question is whether the current problems are isolated setbacks or signs of something that needs addressing. It’s too early to reach a definitive conclusion, but it’s reasonable to ask the question.
I agree that knee-jerk reactions and unnecessary personnel changes rarely help. Stability matters, and the club deserves time to work through a difficult period. But staying together doesn’t mean avoiding scrutiny or pretending concerns don’t exist.
Hopefully, players returning from injury and a more favourable run of fixtures will help Sunderland find their rhythm. Ultimately, the best way to calm the debate is on the pitch.
Stay calm, certainly – but let’s also be honest about what we’re seeing.
Dear Roker Report,
This season, we have four points. Against the exact same teams last season, we had two points. The only exception is Ipswich, so I swapped that result with another promoted team, Burnley. We lost that game too.
It is too early to panic. Ask me again after 10 games.
The main trouble that I can see is that we don’t have a winger who can beat his man on the outside. The very expensive ones we have bought can’t do it, so they have to cut back inside, where it is packed, and lose the ball. Talbi?
Also, what has happened to the fight? I can’t remember a thunderous tackle, which was great to see last season. Hume?
Gerald Kearney
Ed’s Note [Gav]: There’s a sensible point behind your comparison with last season. Four points from the opening fixtures doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story, particularly when the opposition and circumstances are taken into account. It’s too early to panic, and judging a team after ten games is a more reasonable approach than drawing firm conclusions after every result.
However, the concern isn’t simply the number of points Sunderland have collected. It’s the way some of the performances have unfolded, particularly against Ipswich and Bournemouth. Results can be explained by the quality of the opposition, but a lack of intensity, creativity or organisation is harder to overlook.
We need players capable of creating something in one-on-one situations, stretching defences and providing a different attacking threat. If opponents can anticipate that our wide players will cut inside, it becomes easier to crowd the central areas and limit our options. Talbi is certainly one player most of us fans will be looking towards to provide more of that threat, but he’s clearly not fancied at the minute. Honestly, I reckon Reggie would solve a lot of his problems by just giving him another chance, but there’s clearly something going on there that we haven’t heard the full story about.
The question of fight is equally important. Nobody expects Sunderland to dominate every game in the Premier League, but supporters do expect commitment, aggression and a willingness to compete. Those qualities were a significant part of what made last season so enjoyable, and it’s understandable that their apparent absence in recent performances has caused frustration.
That said, we shouldn’t confuse a lack of crunching tackles with a lack of effort in every instance. There are different ways to compete, and the real issue is whether Sunderland are matching their opponents’ intensity and showing the determination required at this level.
It’s too early to write the team off. But the next few games need to show signs of improvement, both in the quality of the football and in the attitude the team brings to the pitch.