CATS CLOSE TO NEEDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
SUNDERLAND BOSS REMAINS HOPEFUL DESPITE GAP TO SAFETY CLIMBING TO SEVEN POINTS, AS HE EXPLAINS
No one is using the ‘M’ word just yet.
This failure to beat Burnley, however, has left it looking more likely than ever that Sunderland, seven chance not so long ago. points from safety, will face They have not won since the drop. then, but it remains the goal.
It has looked this way before. For Moyes, however, Sunderland have also suffered
Gus Poyet found his miracle, from an inability to keep the David Moyes is still points total ticking over. It searching. is what Sam Allardyce did
“We are getting close to so well last season, keeping needing something special. his team in touch and ready It’s been done here regularly. strike in the final weeks of the Let’s hope,” said Moyes afseason. ter Saturday’s goalless draw Moyes is frustrated, but against Burnley. maintaining hope. He said:
“I’m not kidding anyone on “There’s a target to get to at and we haven’t done from the least. If you get 10 wins in start – it’ll need some really the Premier League then you big results. normally find 30 points along
“We took a point. I wanted with seven or eight draws, three points, I see this as two you’d be close enough. points dropped. I have to use “We’ve still not got enough it as something to build on.” draws. I always thought
The Black Cats boss targetedfivewinstogivehisteama roughly 10 wins, that was in my head.”
“Totally. There is a chance. You’d be disappointed if I said there was no chance. There is a chance. It’s been done.
“We know it will be difficult, but we are going to keep going and see if we can win the games.”
The task has been made harder by an upsurge in form at Leicester, Crystal Palace and Swansea, even if the latter found themselves comfortably beaten by Bournemouth in Saturday’s evening game.
“That’s the biggest problem. We can’t look at them if we’re not winning ourselves,” added Moyes. “What they do is irrelevant if we’re not winning. We would like them to be dropping points as well.”
Moyes has been criticised for his selection on Saturday, with Didier Ndong surprisingly dropping to the bench as Jack Rodwell returned to the starting line-up.
It left the midfield looking very one-paced, but the manager confirmed that it was a tactical decision to try to combat Burnley’s tenacious midfield. Moyes said: “I decided I wanted Jack and Gibbo together. I thought the game might suit more Britishness in the middle of the pitch.
“I just felt I would go with that in the middle and the two boys up front.”
One positive, though perhaps little consolation given the league position, was that Sunderland kept a clean sheet against a team who had cut them apart on New Year’s Eve.
That was something to applaud, given that Lamine Kone, whose injury at Turf Moor sparked that galling collapse in December’s 4-1 defeat, was ruled out after a training injury.
Despite some moments that were too close for comfort Jason Denayer proved an able deputy, his pace helping shackle Andre Gray.
John O’Shea dealt with the aerial threat of Ashley Barnes as the Black Cats succeeded defensively.
Moyes said: “He [Denayer] done OK. We didn’t deal with things as clean as I’d like, but we kept the ball out. There wereafewriskymoments.I thought we made the clearest opportunities.
“I saw a big effort, but I know it’s going to be tough. We just need a bit to go for us, build some momentum.
“We’ve got difficult games coming up, but we have to try to win them.”