Some new blood, but Wearmen still sickly

A TRANSFUSION of new blood can help cure many things but it is not a miracle antidote to the chronic sickness which afflicts Sunderland.

Chris Coleman’s deadline -day loan signings - Cardiff City goalkeeper Lee Camp, Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria and Middlesbrough striker Ovie Ejaria - were drafted straight into the starting line-up against Ipswich Town and they briefly reinvigorated the Black Cats.

Yet after a promising opening half-hour, in which Sunderland should have taken the lead, it did not take long before they were dragged down by the failings of those around them.

Joel Garner exploited the weak link which was stand-in centre-back Billy Jones to put Ipswich in front with the visitors’ first shot on goal.

They managed to double their lead without even registering another shot on target when Adam Matthews put through his own net.

It was the second successive game Sunderland have conceded on the stroke of half-time to go in 2-0 down.

Just as at Birmingham City last Tuesday, it was that hammer blow just before the break which effectively killed the game stone dead.

Since taking over at Sunderland in mid-November, Coleman has been a hugely positive influence on Wearside and has managed to get something vaguely resembling a tune out of the discordant players he inherited, albeit with more bum notes than Les Dawson playing the grand piano.

His 13 league games in charge have at least included four wins and two draws.

However, following recent defeats, even Coleman sounds increasingly frustrated and worried about the players’ inability to carry out simple instructions.

After the Ipswich game, he said of the second goal: “For us to concede like that again knocks the life out of you.”

At Birmingham, he accused his team of ‘going missing for an hour and said: “I don’t know what we are thinking.”

At Cardiff, he said: “We are gifting goals to teams.

“You cannot do that - well you can, but then it is inevitable what is going to happen.”

On New Year’s Day, following the home defeat against Barnsley, he branded the goal Sunderland conceded ‘criminal,’ the defending ‘unforgivable,’ and with that game coming just days after a win at Nottingham Forest he added: “Three days ago we were a different team.

“That leaves you scratching your head a bit.”

Never mind scratching his head, Coleman must feel like he is banging it against a brick wall.

The upshot is Sunderland are next-to-bottom of the table with two-thirds of the season gone.

The only reason they are not dead and buried already is those four wins Coleman has somehow coaxed out of them, and the fact their relegation rivals are just as poor as they are.

Can Sunderland escape? Of course. The gap between themselves and fourth-bottom is only two points and there are 16 games remaining in which to make up that ground.

However, they will have to find a level of consistency in their performances and results if they are to get out of this hole they have dug for themselves.

The new blood showed enough yesterday to suggest they have improved the squad and they will get better as they get up to speed and get to know their new teammates.

Sunderland remain on the critical list but their condition is not - yet - terminal.