E MIGHTY WAHBI
THE BIGGEST ISSUES AHEAD OF THE BLACK CATS’ TEES-WEAR DERBY TRIP TO MIDDLESBROUGH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
surprise that an early West Ham goal, a truly wretched side lucky to have 36 points judging by last weekend’s showing, was the spark.
Where does the manager go from here?
Both Peter Reid and Mick McCarthy turned supporters’ jeers into respect and affection eventually, the former playing wonderful attacking football and the latter instilling real pride and a strong work ethic.
Recruitment will be key for Moyes.
This season has been a major disappointment, a poor hand played badly, and patience will snap if a fast start is not forthcoming next time around.
Sunderland are at in impasse, but backing from above means the manager remains in a strong position.
He must use to sign creative players and set a more positive mood.
Lamine Kone has not been the player Sunderland fans thought had been bought from the very the start of the season.
The close-season pursuit by Everton derailed his campaign and, although there were signs his form was returning, it was a flash in the pan and Kone’s relegation to the bench should not have come as a great surprise.
A lack of suitable replacements, with John O’Shea sadly absent following his family bereavement and the obvious reluctance to play the accident-prone Papy Djilibodji, meant his substitution didn’t come sooner.
Kone’s influence in the heart of the defence this season has betrayed a lack of awareness and his physicality has been used sparingly and ineffectually.
The back four this season has been a disparate jumble of discombobulating parts of which Kone has been but one misfiring and disappointing part.
In truth, it was not before time.
Kone remains the best centre-half at the club by some distance, but has not performed as such.
Being beaten by strikers not even his size has been a frustrating and regular feature this season.
That titanic performance at Selhurst Park – in Sunderland’s 4-0 win on February 4 – was an insight and a remidner as too what he can do.
He headed, kicked, cleared, blocked, Christian Benteke barely getting a sniff.
He has missed last season’s centre-half partner Younes Kaboul, certainly, but has still fallen short of what he is capable of.
Too many Black Cats players have been able to drift this season, with not enough competition.
It says much too, that quietly, on-loan Manchester City man Jason Denayer is growing into a solid centrehalf.
Sunderland, of course, will hardly see the benefit.