When the news broke yesterday evening that Tony Mowbray would no longer be the manager of Sunderland, I have to admit that at first I was slightly surprised. I read comments on Instagram and Twitter giving the board grief saying it was a horrible decision. However, while a lot of fans will disagree with me on this, I believe the choice was the correct one.
One of the comments I read on Monday night was that Mowbray wasn’t backed by the board. While there are many arguments of whether Mogga should have been sacked, this is not one of those. After signing Bishop, Pembele, Seelt, Triantis, Bellingham, Aouchiche and then four strikers it’s hard to say the club didn’t support him. If you then want to argue him not having the players he wanted then how would you explain the signing of Bradley Dack? Signed from Mowbray’s old club Blackburn as he wanted some players that he knew.
Sacking a manager who got us into play-offs on our first year back in the Championship does seem like a bit of an odd one for many people. But something just wasn’t right. Picking up one point off three teams who are in the bottom half is ridiculous. What was worse was the lack of fight. Huddersfield was the worst Losing to a team in a relegation battle at home and not looking like they want to be there. Last year there was a fight from the players. A desire to learn from Mowbray and a hunger to win. This year that has not been there. It felt very much like the situation at Manchester United where in Ten Hag’s first year everyone was fighting for their place and wanted the new managers ideas, whereas this year the players look secure and like they don’t have a fight. Mowbray never looked animated from the side. He didn’t seem to inspire the players this season. He looked tired. Football is a results business and the harsh reality is that we haven’t picked up enough.
In previous years when we haven’t scored goals, our defence has looked solid. But this year it has been nothing short of atrocious at times. We have not been helped with the injuries of Cirkin, Alese and Pembele (yet to play) but we still have an established back four of Huggins, Hume, Ballard and O’Nien. Our defence has actually got worse. Every time a team attacks I think they might score. The quality of players is there but they need coaching and organising.
Even in matches there were times when Mowbray didn’t seem to know what to do. I have Roberts, Dack and Pritchard available today so who’s starting? The answer… Abdoullah Ba!
The fact that neither Pritchard nor Dack start but then we are instantly a better team when one is on the pitch asks a big question. Having one of those two experienced players on the pitch gives us more shape and structure. Whenever plan A didn’t work it was either plan A repeated or give the ball to Clarke. Last season it was to Amad and fortunately he was a freak of footballing genius so more often than not it would work. If it wasn’t for Amad I believe that Mowbray would have been out of the door at the end of last season.
Whoever comes in next has a lot of work to do. Preventing the sale of Jack Clarke and getting Alex Pritchard a new contract, although these thing were out of Mowbray’s hands to be fair. But a few signings in January along with a proven coach could see a genuine play-off push.
It is sad to see Mowbray go, after all I genuinely did like the human side to him that we don’t often see in managers. While I believe it was the right decision to part ways, I hope to see him back at the Stadium of Light one day with a packet of Jaffa cakes in hand.
Whatever happens now, the fans mustn’t turn. We have to stay together and support the new manager. We are one club and we always will be. We have seven big games in the next month before what should be an easy cup draw at the beginning of January. The board need to move fast. But they should know we’ll support whoever they choose.
