ALS DERBY BLOG What we must do for the derby By Dominic Hewitson Drop Jordi Gomez Jordi Gomez has divided opinion since joining in the summer, Personally I believe he has been a great acquisition, he’s the type of player that shows Sunderland have progressed in footballing terms. He is a player that reads the game well, can pass a ball and is technically a very efficient and skilled individual, he isn’t the regular Sunderland workhorse midfielder. However, as most fans would have noticed this season, Gomez is one of the slowest players to grace the SOL since Gary Breen. He is clever in his play, but he is not suited to a fast-paced, blood and guts Tyne and Wear Derby. The game, I believe, will pass him by. Jack Rodwell needs to start, his height and strength coupled with his terrific engine will be perfect to relinquish Newcastle’s very good counter attacking ability. I feel as though if Poyet plays Gomez over Rodwell it could be a very big tactical error that could cost us the game. Drop Jozy Altidore I think this is the most obvious of all my points, dropping big Jozy for Fletch. I’ve stopped feeling sorry for the American, last Saturday’s miss was just the tip of the iceberg for me, and it says something when your striker misses an absolute sitter and the crowd let out a great guffaw rather than exasperating gasps of disbelief and anguish. I think it’s inevitable that this is Jozy’s last season with the club, and I think if it’s tight in the last fifteen minutes he could come on as a battering ram. But I think it’s safe to say that every Sunderland fan hopes Fletcher is leading the line come Sunday. However, it would be magical if Jozy came on and scored a late winner. Leave Adam Johnson on the Pitch This is my biggest quandary with Poyet’s management, his lack of confidence in Adam Johnson. He is one of very few Sunderland players who have the quality to produce something out of nothing, but Gus Poyet insists on bringing him off week after week when he is capable of popping up with 30 yard screamer or a mazy run into the box. It frustrates me to see Poyet, complaining about a lag of goals and quality when he brings off Adam Johnson and brings on Ricky Alvarez, surely you would have a much better chance of winning the game if you had both on the field?! Martin O’Neil proved this theory when he was boss, as he always kept Seb Larsson on, as he knew from a set piece he can produce that moment of magic, and this was shown in his first game against Blackburn. Johnson relishes derby games, and if the games tight, which I suspect it will be, you need your best players on the pitch, and our wing wizard is a man who can create something out of nothing. Bring Ricky Alvarez on Sooner Alvarez has shown glimpses of promise since signing on loan on transfer deadline day. He’s been injury hit in his short spell on Wearside, but when he has played he’s showed that there’s a reason for his £10 million price tag. I think in such a unique game like the derby you need unique players, and bringing Ricky on for more than 20 minutes could prove a very shrewd move by Poyet, and one that could be pivotal in decided which way this game goes. Don’t Let Vergini Cross the Ball I know Poyet is all about his attacking wingbacks, but we have injuries and we don’t have any, so Poyet needs to show he is a top class manager and change the style of play to suit the players he has at his disposal. Santiago Vergini is a very good defender, but he is not an attacking fullback, and he wastes a lot of good crossing and attacking opportunities with his lack of offensive skill. This could also be said for Anthony Reveillere, who has been a Godsend, but he is a right-sided defender with no left foot, so every time the ball goes down the left he has to cut on his right to cross, this then results in the move being slowed down and a loss of momentum and pace in our attack. Poyet needs to work out a new way of deploying his full backs, or risk loosing the ball in the all-important final third. Ruin Jack Colback’s Life Finally, this is just a must, after the humiliation and heartache Jack has put us through since signing for the enemy, he deserves a Lee Cattermole special. Not only that, he has actually been playing quite well for the Mags, so I think relinquishing his confidence and getting at him early will prove a good marker for the rest of the game. He’s going to be tremendously nervous, so we need to take advantage of his hesitancy and hope he has one of the worst games of his life.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:34:28 +0000
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