Coleman to go back to basics for crunch clash
CHRIS Coleman has hinted he will switch to a back four against Brentford tomorrow.
The Sunderland boss has generally preferred playing three centrebacks as part of a back five since he took over in November and that system has brought a handful of clean sheets - whereas the Black Cats had not kept any in the first three months of the season.
However, many fans would like to see Coleman revert to a back four, and the change worked when the Welshman tried it when 3-0 down at Bristol City last weekend and the Black Cats came back to snatch an unlikely point.
The question now is whether Coleman will start with a back four against the Bees - and he has strongly indicated that will be the case.
He said: “If you are Brentford you will look at us and see we have predominantly played five at the back.
“Sometimes we have played 4-3-3 but mainly it has been five at the back.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to look back at last Saturday and think maybe this weekend we will not start with three at the back, I don’t mind giving that away.
“Maybe we will, maybe we will not, but that is definitely a possibility.”
Coleman also says it is easy to become bogged down with talk of tactics and systems when attitude and mentality are more important.
He added: “We cannot put too much emphasis on shapes and formations – if you are in the right
Booed off at half-time, clapped off at full-time – isn’t that what football is all about? Chris Coleman
frame of mind, have the right mentality, you can play any shape you like. I know that from experience. “If you are ready for it you make it happen. It is as simple as that.” Salvaging a point in such dramatic circumstances at Ashton Gate did not mask Sunderland’s first-half failings, and Coleman expects a major improvement this weekend. He said: “We were very angry if you look over the whole 90 minutes.
“There were two very different performances and the game is really won or lost in either penalty area, so no matter what we did between those areas in the first 45 minutes, that is where we fell down.
“We were much different in the second 45 minutes. I asked them afterwards, what happened there?
“We were not good enough in both boxes.
“To be 3-0 down at half-time does not say a lot for us as a team and it was very worrying, if I am brutally honest.
“Then at the other end of the spectrum we came off after 90 minutes and you think that was a team performance.
“Booed off at half-time, clapped off at full-time – isn’t that what football is all about?
“Dead and buried at half-time and then hope and harmony at fulltime.”
Coleman also paid tribute to the fans who made 600-mile round trip to Bristol and backed their team throughout that second-half comeback.
He added: “We need the fans. I felt a bit silly after 35 minutes when we were 3-0 down and we had taken that many supporters all that way.
“I felt differently at the end of the game!
“Their support in the second half was incredible.
“That is what it is like playing for Sunderland – it is all on and you had better be ready.
“It is black and white, if I am allowed to say that!
“If we can get them behind us it is so powerful and we can gain some momentum.
“We are desperate for some momentum, some performances back-to-back, and just a little step forward.
“Once we have them with us it makes a huge difference – and we have to earn that, we know that.
“We are three points from safety, there are still 45 points to play for, and we have to go out and get them. It is as simple as that.”