Big defeat won’t help persuade potential signings
After four straight league defeats, Cardiff City couldn’t have wished for more generous opponents than Sunderland to help them end their losing run and reignite their promotion challenge.
It has happened countless times before, but Sunderland’s second-half performance at Cardiff was particularly bad with the usual gifts to the opposition given away.
Before the second half was a minute old, Robbin Ruiter’s blunder handed Cardiff the lead, followed minutes later by Didier Ndong’s red card and from there it was game over.
Ndong’s dismissal did look harsh, but after it was given it exposed Sunderland’s lack of belief and confidence as Cardiff made the extra man count and sailed to three points.
At half time I was relatively happy, not because I had witnessed a good first half because as a spectacle it was awful, but Cardiff didn’t look much better than us and Sunderland were deservedly on level terms.
During the interval there was no way I could see either of those teams running out 4-0 winners, but I wasn’t counting on Sunderland’s uncanny knack to selfdestruct.
With Chris Coleman desperate to bring in new players, it wasn’t the type of performance to persuade anyone to come to Wearside so the Sunderland boss will need all his persuasive skills to convince players they won’t be joining a team destined for the drop.
I felt sorry for Josh Maja, I think he has something about him but he was horribly isolated for most of the time up until he was subbed later on.
Unbelievably the two kids, Maja and Joel Asoro, were the manager’s only striking options, but it shouldn’t be left to youngsters with just a handful of appearances to shoulder that burden, which just highlights Sunderland’s desperation.
Off the pitch, every one of the fans who travelled to south Wales deserves a medal, heroes every single one of them. On the pitch I couldn’t see any positives.
No goals scored, four conceded and a red card, but worst of all still rooted to the bottom of the Championship table.