Grade expectations as Grayson fires warning
SIMON Grayson has graded his players as ‘Cs and B-s’ so far and warned them they must raise their game to ‘As and B+s’ if they are get succeed in the Championship.
The Black Cats have gone seven league games without a win, and their weekend defeat at home to Cardiff City saw them slip into the relegation zone ahead of tonight’s trip to Ipswich Town.
Mistakes proved costly against the Bluebirds, and Grayson says their decision-making at both ends of the pitch must improve.
“The key point really is that our decision-making has to better right across the pitch, from not making basic mistakes in the final third, defending your 18-yard box better, and making sure that we’re ruthless when we get a break and make chances,” he said.
“We’ve got to be better. Individually the players have got to take responsibility for that, as I do as well.
“We need to have players upping their game.
“I think if you were to grade a lot of them at this moment in time they’d be Cs, and B-s. If you’re going to get positive results you need B+s and As.
“They’ve shown moments in games, now it is about consistency.”
Cardiff’s opening goal came as a result of Sunderland’s inability to defend a Route One long ball, with the second coming from the penalty spot after Lamine Kone had needlessly fouled Steve Morrison at a corner kick.
Grayson says Sunderland’s concentration has to improve because the challenge the players face in the Championship is very different to that they have experienced previously in the Premier League.
He said: “In the Championship, reputations count for nothing, it’s performances that matter.
“It’s a kick up the backside, a reminder for the players, that they have to work.
“If you think you have to concentrate in the Premier League, it’s even more important in the Championship because of the intensity of this league, when there are more balls coming into the box and you have to fight for second balls.
“In the Premier League it is all in front of you and obviously you have to concentrate because you are up against better players, but in the Championship it is a different type of concentration because you are asked questions nearly every minute of every game.”
Grayson is hoping to have Jonny Williams, Callum McManaman and Billy Jones available at Portman Road, after they missed the Cardiff game due to illness, a groin injury, and a knee problem, respectively.
And, more generally, injuries have been a problem for Sunderland so far, with striker Lewis Grabban sidelined, Aiden McGeady only just returning after missing most of September, and Duncan Watmore still being gently eased back into action after nine months out of action.
Grayson said: “We don’t want to use it as an excuse but we have been very unlucky on the injury front, we had probably five, six key players were out of the starting XI on Saturday.
“You take that out of any team, even four players, a Cardiff, Leeds, Wolves, it will make a difference.”
I think if you were to grade a lot of them at this moment in time they’d be Cs, and B-s
Simon Grayson