UNDERDOGS OF WAR
Coleman orders ALL his troops to start leading by example
CHRIS COLEMAN has ordered his struggling Sunderland players to show more leadership.
The Black Cats, bottom of the Championship, go to fellow strugglers Burton today with Coleman describing them as underdogs.
The former Wales boss has inherited a demoralised team still reeling from last season’s relegation and on to their third manager since May.
But he has told them to stop feeling sorry for themselves and hammered home what a great life they lead as professional footballers.
Former boss David Moyes warned at the end of last season that Sunderland lacked character and spirit in the dressing room, but Coleman is not so sure.
“I think when people talk about leaders, they get mixed up,” said the Welshman.
“Just because you’re the loudest in the dressing room it doesn’t mean you’re the best leader. You can lead by your actions and lead when you’re asked a question and you’re not afraid to answer it, even if you get it wrong.
“What I mean by that is you can play good, bad or indifferent, but you’re always available as much as you can be.
“That’s leading, not just shouting and screaming.
“It’s leading when you’re always available, when you’re there for the team.
“That’s what a good leader is, and we need a lot of leaders – not just one.”
Coleman, who watched his men lose at Villa in midweek (left, Villa’s Albert Adomah opens the scoring), says there is no room for passengers in the relegation battle, with Sunderland two points adrift at the foot of the table and searching for a first Championship win since way back in August.
Coleman, rocked by news earlier this week that Duncan Watmore is out for the season, said: “We can’t carry passengers between now and the end of the season. I certainly won’t pull any punches with any of them if I think they could do more.
“I don’t think it’s too much to ask them to play football for 90 minutes at the weekend, it’s not a bad life.”
Burton boss Nigel Clough wants his team to rediscover their home form from last term to pile on the woes for crisis-hit Sunderland.
Clough, looking to end a run of five successive home defeats, said: “Our problem is at home. Away from home I think we’ve defended much better and made far fewer mistakes than we have at the Pirelli.
“That’s something we have to quickly address.”