Keeping Wolves from door easier when Coleman’s on the defensive

Wolves 0 Sunderland 0

EVERYONE knew what was going to happen when relegation-threatened Sunderland travelled to high-flying Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Once it became clear the snow was not going to force the match to be postponed, the Black Cats were going to get a good hiding.

That was the theory, anyway. Thankfully for those of us who love football, not to mention hundreds of very rich bookmakers, the game is rarely that predictable – least of all in the Championship.

An outstanding defensive display full of energy and discipline saw the Wearsiders head home with a 0-0 draw even after shooting themselves in the foot.

So what lessons did Chris Coleman learn from his side’s display?

SOME PEOPLE NEVER LEARN Lee Cattermole was lucky not to be sent off against Reading last week after diving into a reckless challenge seconds after going into the referee’s Sunderland manager Chris Coleman notebook. Instead, it was Callum McManaman who was sent off for two cautions.

Cattermole did not heed his warning then, and he did not at Molineux either.

Seconds after being booked for a foul on Romain Saiss, he lunged into Jota and referee Jeremy Simpson had his card out of his pocket in a flash, leaving his team-mates a man down for half an hour.

Neither Wolves nor Reading are the sort of teams you want to take on a man short.

CHANCE FOR A YOUNGSTER? Coleman has already thought out loud about maybe ‘resting’ some of his more experienced players at home to his old club Fulham, and Cattermole has kindly volunteered for him.

With Paddy McNair, Didier Ndong and obviously Jack Rodwell injured, specialists replacements for the Teessider are thin on the ground.

Could it be an opportunity for England under-age midfielder Elliot Embleton, who came off the bench for added time in the West Midlands? It would be a brave move but Coleman needs to do something different at the Stadium of Light.

SUNDERLAND ARE BETTER ORGANISED DEFENSIVELY UNDER CHRIS COLEMAN Coleman is the fourth consecutive former defender in charge at the Stadium of Light, but neither David Moyes nor Simon Grayson were particularly good at setting Sunderland up to be hard to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matt break down. Coleman did Molineux.

Wolves had 71% of the possession, yet the first difficult save Robbin Ruiter had to make was in the 88th-minute, with most of Wolves’ efforts taken, and finishing a long way, from the Dutchman’s goal.

Sunderland defended with 10 men and attacked with only three (only Honeyman and Gooch did both), 9-1 that at