I have reflected on the events of the previous season, observed the summer break shenanigans and looked forward to season upon us and now I can focus on the present. Football just the football.
The Good (What has made me feel positive)
McNulty: Pace and Attitude. We have replaced a level of predictability with options, that will compensate teams desire to high press our back four (on the assumption that they are not Beckenbauers and there is no out ball).
Wyke: Attitude and Presence. Short glimpses but he is more mobile and has support
Dobson: Touch and time. He will not play all the season, but you know he has the talent and the presence to influence football matches.
Willis: Speed and spring. At times last season we needed to recover and be a threat at set pieces, he has one hell of a leap.
The Bad: (Have we learnt from last season)
We have not as yet been able to impose ourselves on the games from the get-go, put teams on the back foot, made them scared of playing Sunderland. I recall so many teams of yesteryear always saying if we could silence the Roker Roar we knew we had a chance. To be brutally honest we as supporters need to start this and players need to also provide us with something to get us of out of our seats. There is no greater sound than the roar in full volume.
The Ugly
I know we all have our opinions and have the right to vent and speak our minds, (I’m doing it now) but why do it during the game, I have watched and played in 1000s of games, worked for some of toughest people going, but never have i ever seen anyone in the heightened moments of their job perform better because someone chose to shout and abuse them for not been at their best. It happens in people’s work, but they don’t have 5,10,15, thousand people on their backs, if they did they would crumble and yet they somehow expect the players to be different types of humans to them.
We need the manager and the lads confident and motivated for the season ahead, we can do this but we can only do it together.
