COLEMAN: PLAY WITH NO FEAR
Boss warns it’s the last lifeline for sinking Cats
SUNDERLAND v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY Championship, Stadium of Light, 3pm CHRIS COLEMAN has told Sunderland to get “nasty” and turn the Stadium of Fright into a cauldron if they want to pull off a great escape.
After looking doomed, following a dismal run of just three points from a possible 30, the Black Cats produced a stunning 4-1 win at imploding Derby on Good Friday (below) to discard the Championship wooden spoon.
But the Mackems have won only twice at home all season, and Coleman knows it will be impossible to save them from slipping into the third tier for the first time in 30 years unless they string backto-back wins together.
Sunderland’s last two games are against promotionchasing Fulham and Wolves, so they may need to bank the points required for safety over the next five matches – and they are currently five points from safety.
Coleman promised to shuffle the pack against Sheffield Wednesday today and said: “When you play two games in close proximity at this stage of the season, fatigue can play a part and that will be in my thinking in terms of who starts.
“There are always mistakes in that second game so we’ve got to make sure our mentality is right, make sure we’re dogged and rugged, and above all make sure we play with no fear again. I’ve had people knocking on my door and saying they should be back in the team – so if I make changes, when those players get their chance, in the best sense they need to be selfish and take it.
“We’ve got a really good opportunity to put more pressure on the teams above us and I won’t talk to the players about the points, I’ll talk to them about making a fist of it from where we are.
“If it doesn’t happen for us straight away, we must have an attitude. We’ve got to stay in the game, be a bit nasty if necessary, and make sure Wednesday know they are in a battle.” Coleman underlined the importance of back-to-back wins by recalling his side’s Jekylland-Hyde show at Christmas. He said: “Just after Christmas we won at Nottingham Forest but then we were rubbish against Barnsley at home a couple of days later – really poor and nervous.
“I will speak to the players about having the courage to back up a superb performance at Derby and how we’ve got to treat every game now as if it’s the last game for us.
“I know that sounds drastic, and like I’m putting more pressure on us, but that’s the way it is.
“We have not won back-toback games this season, so we have to look at it as if it’s the last game. Everything is riding on it.”