[fordemonk]

Terrible half, its clear that we are a long way off being comfortable playing 3-5-3

ha 353, we could do with it!

 

[Someone]

Our midfield and wingbacks are not capable of driving the play forward at all, they'r all shit scared and drained of any confidence, all the di marias in the world won't change that.

Our best chance now is to play rooney in midfield, i can't see anyway around it.

 

[The Red Thinker]

Mentioning Cleverley alongside Fletcher today is really unfair to Clev, he looks like Xavi compared to Fletcher judging on first half.

In all fairness to Clevs he made one bad pass and a stupid foul. Apart from that he hasn't been a problem, unlike Fletch who needs to get his act together... Fast.

 

[Irrational.]

What a shit half of football. We don't deserve to be level.

Our midfield and wingbacks have been absolutely awful.

Cleverley, Fletcher, Young and Valencia our main culprits. They look like they've never seen a football before, and are playing like complete strangers. No movement at all. Just the same old predictable making pretty passes in midfield and then watching our attacks peter out. Sunderland are loving this.

Get Young and Cleverley off and bring Adnan and Welbeck on.

Valencia, Keane, Jones, Blackett

Januzaj, Mata, Fletcher, Welbeck

Rooney, RVP

Would be my choice for the second half.

 

[The Hacker]

Fecking hate Niall Quinn.

 

[Hulme91]

Once again the diabolical central midfield comes to bite us on the arse.

 

[Anderson's Cat]

I actually long for the Alan Smith and Liam Miller partnership from 2005

 

[bleedred]

Stop using injuries as an excuse for this performance. Injuries happen to every team. Its about having the right replacements lined up for them.

 

[Badunk]

The only way Fletcher and Cleverley are going to be sucesses in our midfield is if the opposition allow them to be counted as one player.

 

[Listar]

Fletcher makes cleverly looks like a god in midfield today. Can't believe how awful fletcher is. We need a way better dm

 

[pseudo_canadian]

Bringing in Di Maria won't reverse any of this trash that we are witnessing. The midfield, apart from Herrera, is utter garbage. Need at least 2 CMs and another CB for things to start improving.

 

[Rampant-red]

Fletcher for Adnan, drop Rooney back to the midfield and I think we'd look a much better team

Good idea

 

[Dylan94]

Easily, so would Kleberson!

Absolutely!

 

[Kops 'n' Robertsons]

I have 1-3 to Utd backed, so far so good, I expect a moment of magic from RvP

 

[LLMU]

Our wing backs are not taking the ball to byline and stretching sunderland's defense. Mata needs to start running the show in his role. Just too timid in the first half.

 

[Tarrou]

My nan would look quite nice in that midfield! This performance is gashtastic! Really hoped Fletch was back after preseason. He's not is he!

Awesome username btw!

 

[upilbau]

bring kagawa and januzaj on

 

[Fauzan]

It's like we never changed managers. Our display so far this season replicates the same under Moyes. Disjointed all over the pitch, frail at the back and nothing to show for with the ball at our feet.

Sign Di Maria before he runs away.

 

[Lawman]

Kagawa for fletcher or cleverley please

Anybody for Cleverley and or Fletcher!

 

[Frasbul]

I love watching our games. It's so much fun.

 

[The Red Thinker]

Our midfield and wingbacks are not capable of driving the play forward at all, they'r all shit scared and drained of any confidence, all the di marias in the world won't change that.

Our best chance now is to play rooney in midfield, i can't see anyway around it.

I would argue Tony has been very good today. He's looked a real wingback today.

 

[Enigma_87]

Been one of the few decent players today

agreed with this. Blackett, Valencia and Mata have been rather positive in the first half. The rest are meh...

 

[Mcg]

We are basically playing.....
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We are easily in the top 3 worst midfield in PL(and maybe even Defense).

 

[RyanWiggan]

I'm sorry but this thread is hilarious, people moaning how the midfield is league 1 standard, keep up the good work people

 

[Mickeza]

Not sure I have seen such a poor performance as today from Fletcher.

As bad as he's been today it's possible that he was actually worse last week. Such a shame, he looked good pre-season but the increase in tempo and intensity seems to be far too much for him.

 

[HappyStreet]

Bringing in Di Maria won't reverse any of this trash that we are witnessing. The midfield, apart from Herrera, is utter garbage. Need at least 2 CMs and another CB for things to start improving.

Cant he play CM though?

 

[bugmat]

Fletcher and Clev - horrendous, the former is at the park playing Sunday league, the latter is hiding

Smalling, Jones and Blackett - chaotic and rudderless. No one is in charge.

Valencia & Young - the former not bad with the ball but still a poor defender, but still not a defender, the latter invisible with the ball, poor defending

Forwards - not in the game because the CM and CBs cant distribute... Blackette needs to stop punting the ball to no one! Jones needs to carry it more. Young too.

Not enough aggression (bar valencia) in our pressing...


Whew, the next 3 months will be tough!

 

[RetroStu]

Blackett, an inexperienced player from the youth team, actually looks our best defender so far this season. It tells you everything you need to know really.

I know Fergie's brilliance masked a lot of our problems but feck me, the state of our squad is terrible. I can't believe some of these players actually play for one of the top 3 biggest clubs in the world, a rich club on top.

 

[Retorus]

Yorke looks like he's been smoking something.

 

[Man-United]

Fair play to Sunderland. They have been playing better than they usually do against us. Poyet has changed them.

 

[Dylan94]

Fletcher for Adnan, drop Rooney back to the midfield and I think we'd look a much better team

I like that idea too.

 

[Rampant-red]

Bringing in Di Maria won't reverse any of this trash that we are witnessing. The midfield, apart from Herrera, is utter garbage. Need at least 2 CMs and another CB for things to start improving.

This is so true

 

[Dazzmondo]

Really poor. Wing backs have been very bad defensively today. Jones' positioning has been awful again (very worrying that he's now our main cb). Blackett has done very well for the most part, but made a terrible error positioning wise allowing his man to cut inside and run past him. Smalling was having a very good game so him going off is a terrible blow. Fletcher has been absolutely awful again. Cleverley hasn't done too badly imo, he's certainly looking better than Fletcher. Mata having to come back too much. We're not getting the ball to him in the positions we should be. Rooney has been excellent with every touch of the ball, but he's finding it hard to get involved. RVP looks very frustrated out there and is offering very little right now. Again, awful half for us. I'm very worried for this season after what I've seen in the last few games. We're lucky to even be drawing honestly. Not sure Di Maria, as good as he is, would change much either. The system isn't working at all atm.

 

[RedSRM]

Two thoughts: wouldn't Reece James be better on the left than Young? And we could do with the invention of Januzaj on the pitch.
I do feel that Mata and Rooney are going to have to support the midfield more because we are gonna get nowhere with the inept Fletcher and Cleverly. I honestly can't believe how bad Cleverly has become. If it doesn't involve passing the ball 5 yards sideways then he can't do it. What a skill-set that lad has got!

 

[Deleted member 78215]

I remember him playing for Watford at 19, bright and inventive and put in a shift.

Aye, I remember Watford fans being really impressed. But the player we've been seeing for the last two years, he is just terrible.

 

[mu4c_20le]

We are playing without our two newest signings, so it's essentially the same team as Moyes last season, albeit with a new and unfamiliar formation.

Calm down and belay the meltdown.

 

[stu_1992]

Fletcher and Cleverley are having a nightmare out there. It's even worse than I thought it would be there. Young and Valencia once again are looking suspect defensively, but I don't blame them too much since they aren't natural defenders and it's to be expected sadly. Smalling going off is big blow too, he was the best defender on the pitch. The Sunderland goal was criminal defending, how can you let someone completely unmarked in the box from a corner? We seriously need to step it up if we are going to win it now.

 

[Getsme]

I'm really not. Blackett, Keane, Valencia, Young, Cleverley, Fletcher. These would have a fight getting in the Sunderland team.

Sunderland don't have half a team injured, Young and Valencia are playing out of position, Blankett and Keane are lacking experience (However Blankett has been the best defender today) but have bagfuls of potential. Cleverly shouldn't be anywhere near the team let alone Fletcher (actually is he playing) So ill give you that.

 

[Dargonk]

It is rather annoying that we actually saw decent paced football during the tour, but the moment the actual season starts, we are back to slow motion movement.

 

[revel911]

I am just going the de Jong and blind rumors are true.... Add then in with Herrera and I will field much better.

 

[George Beast]

It's still better than Rodwell and Cattermole. Those two are garbage.

Not sure I agree with that mate. Christ.