****The Official Lapps Match Thread v Sunderland (L/A) *****

[canarybubbles 1,923]

54 minutes ago, KeiranShikari said:

There was some good last ditch defending caused by bad initial defending.

Exactly. I seem to remember reading a quote from Maldini somewhere, saying that if he had to make a brilliant last-minute block, he knew he'd made a mistake somewhere.

[Hairy Canary 704]

Point is we kept a clean sheet away with, in part, some excellent defending. The game isn’t just about scoring. We weren’t pathetic 

[Christoph Stiepermann 1,138]

Rode our luck a bit but it wasn't just the subs that changed the game, Sunderland were exhausted after 60 minutes from giving it everything up till that point, it's a big reason why we couldn't get anything going but teams will always tire if they work that hard from the off. Nothing to panic about from the first 60 min performance, teams will be well up for it at times and will run themselves into the ground, it's up to us to stay resolute then pick them off at the end exactly like we did today  

Gibbs coming off made it hard though, we need Hayden fit asap

[kenfoggo 247]

Well done!  If I was a Sunderland supporter I may feel like we was robbed and to a certain extent we rode our luck to steal 3 points while not playing particularly well. Some players were hiding a little today I thought, like Sinani  and Dowell who I thought did not contribute much. However , three points and a clean sheet while not playing very convincingly is a great result!

[nutty nigel 7,539]

Someone left well early...

All the best 

Big Nutty Nigel 

 

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

11 minutes ago, Christoph Stiepermann said:

Rode our luck a bit but it wasn't just the subs that changed the game, Sunderland were exhausted after 60 minutes from giving it everything up till that point, it's a big reason why we couldn't get anything going but teams will always tire if they work that hard from the off. Nothing to panic about from the first 60 min performance, teams will be well up for it at times and will run themselves into the ground, it's up to us to stay resolute then pick them off at the end exactly like we did today  

 

Good summary, I think. Felt like we were a bit lucky, but after a couple of hours to reflect on it I think there was a lot to like in that performance. Resolute and committed at the back and turned it on a bit in the last third of the game when we needed to. Far from perfect, obviously, but it's a better win the more you think about it.

[Capt. Pants 4,250]

I don't know sounds some are grudging us a bit of good fortune. Well it's about time tbh. How many more injuries are we going to have? You'd have to assume Gibbs will be out a number of weeks. Just ridiculous the number of injuries we're having.

 

 

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,288]

1 minute ago, Capt. Pants said:

I don't know sounds some are grudging us a bit of good fortune. Well it's about time tbh. How many more injuries are we going to have? You'd have to assume Gibbs will be out a number of weeks. Just ridiculous the number of injuries we're having.

 

 

Really hope not.. but doesn’t sound good does it. I don’t enjoy jumping on the anti McLean bandwagon… but I really don’t want to see him starting in midfield. So frustrating Hayden isn’t fit.. should we be looking at this position still re transfers??

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,288]

Brilliant to see Sarge bag again.. and pukki looking sharp from the bench, as he was in midweek.

Sarge’s miss though… worse than Brighton that one?!

 

 

[Newtopia 517]

1 hour ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Really hope not.. but doesn’t sound good does it. I don’t enjoy jumping on the anti McLean bandwagon… but I really don’t want to see him starting in midfield. So frustrating Hayden isn’t fit.. should we be looking at this position still re transfers??

I get frustrated at the occasions when Kenny gives the ball away cheaply or runs into dead ends.  Yet he is an important player, with everyone fit he will not be in my first choice midfield but he is a good player and one who we are lucky to have - definitely a capable player for any of the midfield positions.

[Jim Smith 2,322]

Satisfying to win when playing poorly (for much of the game) rather than dominate and find a way to lose. We have too much quality for most teams in this league if we can avoid shooting ourselves in the foot which we did (somehow) today despite the best efforts of the defence and midfield at times.

The negatives are that it showed we still haven’t sorted the CDM position where I thought there was an obvious hole. I also don’t think Onel is a starter and away against physical sides I don’t think we can always risk Dowell and Sinani.

On the positive front all the subs made a difference, we looked after the ball much better after that and got a degree of control. It also looked like a confident Sargent could play in a wider role alongside Pukki which is a good option moving forward. 

 

 

[Greavsy 2,415]

3 hours ago, The Real Buh said:

I can support my team

Does going to the football - but not going to the football count as supporting your team Bore? 

Asking for a friend! 

[hogesar 9,685]

2 hours ago, nutty nigel said:

Someone left well early...

All the best 

Big Nutty Nigel 

 

Post of the day 😀

[SwearyCanary 1,179]

I think a disjointed performance today against a team clearly desperate to show their fans (and AN) that they will still be a force without him. They did a good job and can be considered unfortunate but as others have said, these wins are the ones you need to keep up the momentum. Let’s hope it’s a blip 

[Mason 47 1,383]

There are always games where teams struggle, no matter how good they are. It's not always going to be one-way traffic in our favour but if there's one thing our defence has had a lot of practice at its last-ditch defending. Shows how vital the balance in midfield is to us IMO with Sinani/ Nunez having off days and losing Gibbs.

Really good 3 points, team right down the bottom of the formwork on Tuesday, lovely.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,774]

6 hours ago, Robert N. LiM said:

you need to get into xG. Sounds up your street. 😉

Just goes to show what a load of b*llocks XG is....you can dominate a game and lose...you can get battered and come away with a smash and grab.

Its called football and is by nature chaotic despite what these XG bores and self styled soothsayers might try to have us believe...

[KeiranShikari 1,422]

Just now, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Just goes to show what a load of b*llocks XG is....you can dominate a game and lose...you can get battered and come away with a smash and grab.

Its called football and is by nature chaotic despite what these XG bores and self styled soothsayers might try to have us believe...

I don't bother looking into XG stats because I don't find it particularly interesting but that is just braindead. Strong XG implies good chances created which over multiple games will almost always correlate with goals. It's just putting a number on something clubs and fans have been eyeballing since the beginning of the sport.

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

58 minutes ago, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

Just goes to show what a load of b*llocks XG is....you can dominate a game and lose...you can get battered and come away with a smash and grab.

Its called football and is by nature chaotic despite what these XG bores and self styled soothsayers might try to have us believe...

it was just a joke

[Yellow Fever 3,793]

The whole team seemed jaded not just one player (Hanley excepted)  - did they travel well or where there pre-match issues?

Good win nevertheless. Football Gods made up a little for those two early season losses we should have won!

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

1 minute ago, Yellow Fever said:

The whole team seemed jaded not just one player (Hanley excepted)  - did they travel well or where there pre-match issues?

We played in midweek whereas Sunderland didn't. 

[Yellow Fever 3,793]

3 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

The whole team seemed jaded not just one player (Hanley excepted)  - did they travel well or where there pre-match issues?

Good win nevertheless. Football Gods made up a little for those two early season losses we should have won!

 

1 minute ago, Robert N. LiM said:

We played in midweek whereas Sunderland didn't. 

Perhaps best then not to read too much into this one game. Cantwell, Pukki and of course Ramsey only had few minutes midweek too. Ought to have been fresher. 

[All the Germans 1,078]

I got a one word text message from a Sunderland supporting colleague earlier "Robbed".

I was at the game and didn't have the benefit of replays,  I thought we certainly needed some last ditch defending and rode our luck somewhat by not conceding, but generally, I thought we - whilst a little too open - were good for the win and our play was generally better. 

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

3 minutes ago, All the Germans said:

I got a one word text message from a Sunderland supporting colleague earlier "Robbed".

I was at the game and didn't have the benefit of replays,  I thought we certainly needed some last ditch defending and rode our luck somewhat by not conceding, but generally, I thought we - whilst a little too open - were good for the win and our play was generally better. 

I watched on TV and would agree. Can see why a Sunderland fan would feel robbed, but we just had the greater quality. As we found out all too often in the PL, you've got to take your chances when you play well against a better team. When we got to 60 mins at 0-0 we looked much the likelier to win.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Robert N. LiM

[sonyc 5,526]

2 minutes ago, All the Germans said:

I got a one word text message from a Sunderland supporting colleague earlier "Robbed".

I was at the game and didn't have the benefit of replays,  I thought we certainly needed some last ditch defending and rode our luck somewhat by not conceding, but generally, I thought we - whilst a little too open - were good for the win and our play was generally better. 

Yep. For maybe 60 minutes we were largely outfought. Yet in that last half hour I would have been worried if I'd been a Sunderland fan. Their team was slowing down, had run out of wind, were looking less threatening on the break. Whereas Smith's subs came on and created a massive change in momentum. We began to camp around their 18 yard box....it's what we used to do in the Champs and often we find a way - and we did today.

I love a 0-1 away win. So satisfying somehow🙂

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

 

@sonyc

"Yep. For maybe 60 minutes we were largely outfought. Yet in that last half hour I would have been worried if I'd been a Sunderland fan. Their team was slowing down, had run out of wind, were looking less threatening on the break. Whereas Smith's subs came on and created a massive change in momentum. We began to camp around their 18 yard box....it's what we used to do in the Champs and often we find a way - and we did today.

I love a 0-1 away win. So satisfying somehow"

 

Yup. It was coming. And that's not hindsight!

8 hours ago, Robert N. LiM said:

this is going to be such a satisfying win.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Robert N. LiM

[1902 1,167]

5 hours ago, canarybubbles said:

Exactly. I seem to remember reading a quote from Maldini somewhere, saying that if he had to make a brilliant last-minute block, he knew he'd made a mistake somewhere.

I think that it was actually even more fundamental than that. I think he said that if he had to tackle at all then he had already made an error. 

Great quote to bring up though bubbles!

Edited August 27, 2022 by 1902

[hogesar 9,685]

1 hour ago, Robert N. LiM said:

it was just a joke

He still doesn't get what xG is, judging by that post. It's partially why stats are way behind in football than other sports, fans ignorance turns into some weird aggression against them where the likes of Cricket, Baseball and even Tennis have significantly evolved.

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

13 hours ago, hogesar said:

He still doesn't get what xG is, judging by that post. It's partially why stats are way behind in football than other sports, fans ignorance turns into some weird aggression against them where the likes of Cricket, Baseball and even Tennis have significantly evolved.

On that subject, xG has it as a pretty close game yesterday. Not our best performance of the season, but hardly the smash and grab it might have felt/looked like to some:

https://twitter.com/xG_data/status/1563835926249357313?s=20&t=sOMNUzqJfshvRnn_z1_D8A

[cambridgeshire canary 6,741]

18 hours ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Brilliant to see Sarge bag again.. and pukki looking sharp from the bench, as he was in midweek.

Sarge’s miss though… worse than Brighton that one?!

 

 

Nothing wil beat the Brighton miss.. And you'll find yesterdays 'miss' was not a miss but a fantastic block if you slow it down. It would have been on target, but the defender gets his leg out in a split second and it bounces off the post and out. Not a miss.

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by cambridgeshire canary

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I don't quite get the idea that we were hammered but won. Yes, Sunderland came out fully prepared to attack. And we were pushed back for so long in the first half. But any other time we would criticise our defence for not getting blocks in etc.

Problem was we had an attacking midfield and they weren't really equipped or ready to take on a rampant Sunderland midfield and Clarke kept Max pinned back.

Surely the second half was ours by a country mile and if we had been the home team would probably have been out of sight.

There are going to be times when we don't dominate for the whole game. As long as we keep our shape which we didn't do first half, then we won't perish. It would be nice to hear that Hayden is close to full fitness and ready to anchor the middle. Without Gibbs for a while we haven't anyone for that position.