Back to basics ... and Borini almost started
THE team- sheet Gus Poyet put out for his first derby in charge of Sunderland was a major talking point in the minutes before the game.
Fans were left scratching their heads as much at Andrea Dossena being handed a debut as Ki Sung- Yueng being left on the bench.
The restoration of Carlos Cuellar at centre- half was as big a surprise as Jack Colback being handed a start in central midfield.
But the Uruguayan was quick to explain that there was method in what some perceived to be madness.
“I tried to go back to basics,” he said. “I tried to put people in the positions they prefer – a left- back in a left- back position, a right- back in a right- back position, two natural centre halves, two natural central midfielders. “I tried not to complicate things. “Probably the biggest risk I took was putting two strikers up front but if you don’t take risks, you are not going to get out of the trouble we currently find ourselves in.
“Playing two up front put pressure on the central midfielders and the wide men to contribute.
“But Lee Cattermole and Jack Colback were outstanding in their contribution because they worked so hard.
“I took Lee off towards the end because he was tiring and I felt that we needed to hold on to the ball a little bit better but he had still played great.
“It was just that we had worked so hard in the first half it would have been impossible to maintain that.
“Sometimes you have to look to play in a different way. We gave up his fire to play in a different style when we brought on the likes of Ki and Borini.”
Poyet revealed that one of his most difficult calls was whether or not to start the game with the Italian who eventually proved to be the match- winner.
“Fabio was so close to starting the game because of his attitude and performance in training and how positive he is,” he said.
“Sometimes you can look at things – and it might be because of the shape of the team, the time, the tactics – and think I can’t put him in right now. But, for me, if you were thinking of someone who might score in this game on the basis of training during the week, you would have gone for Fabio Borini.”