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

[Beetley Yellow 57]

Dear oh dear. Tippy-tappy-tippy-tippy-HOOF. Or more tippy-tappy and then give the ball way. Pretty it is not. Only some last ditch defending has kept us level in the last 5 mins. We really need someone to take charge in midfield.

[Canary dwarf 221]

We're badly losing the midfield battle , Nunez not enjoying this at all they have hassled and harassed him ,great block from Hanley though.😄

[Ken Hairy 3,759]

22 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

FFS Onel. Does the hardwork then the cross is shocking 

Need to start playing him down the right,  all his good work gets undone by continually having to check onto his right foot. It's the Robert Snodgrass syndrome. 

[CUSDP 50]

Open game, both teams lacking a bit of quality. 
 

 

[KeiranShikari 1,409]

I've totally been overreacting on Dean Smith though. 

Sooner we get shot the sooner we can start fixing this team.

[Robert N. LiM 4,241]

Just now, Monty13 said:

Sign of a team likely to win promotion is if you play poorly yet still knick the result when the opportunity comes. 

And if you've got some decent options on the bench to change things when it's not clicking. Good to have Cantwell and Pukki in reserve.

[makham 81]

Happy to have missed the first 30. The last 15 that I did see were bad enough. Hope Gibbs isn't out too long. Where's Isaac? That first month is nearly up.

[Pyro Pete 1,889]

Glad I'm watching it on the radio.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,777]

I think we need some changes. Sara for Dowell to get some more bite, Cantwell for Hernandez/Sinani to get some more quality and then Pukki on shortly after once we get a foothold?

[Robert N. LiM 4,241]

1 minute ago, chicken said:

Without being horrible, this sort of approach of opposition teams shouldn't surprise anyone. They will try to rough us up, push us about, test us in the air and generally try to stop us playing "our" game. 

In that light, pleased to see how determined we've been at the back. Some good blocks. But we're still so powder-puff in midfield. Really disappointing to see Gibbs go off, and Hayden really can't come in soon enough. Dowell-Núñez-McLean really not strong enough for a game like this.

[ricardo 7,345]

Powder puff midfield being continually hustled out of possession.

[shefcanary 2,385]

So McLean. What does he do?

[bringbackchippy 51]

Garbage

Sinani, nunez, omabadelle very poor, tell how poor we are, McLean our best player!

[Petriix 2,834]

4 minutes ago, Yellow Green Army said:

Awful first half but still had the best two chances of the game thus far. Losing the midfield battle at the moment. Need an extra body in the middle of the park. 

Exactly this. Ever since we abandoned 4-2-3-1. We lack a decent midfield pair. We lack passing options and defensive cover. Dowell should be at number 10 where his strengths are and his lack of pace is less relevant.

[Robert N. LiM 4,241]

1 minute ago, makham said:

Hope Gibbs isn't out too long

Looked nasty in slo-mo. Not far away from Dimi's one. We've had some rotten luck with injuries so far this season. Need that bloated squad.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

1 minute ago, AJ said:

We still do desperately need a proper right winger. I thought Sinani might be the answer to that but he really lacks consistency. 

This was the general consensus of Huddersfield fans, who weren't bothered about keeping him on a permanent, so no surprises to me. They all seemed to say that had long periods of complete anonymity.

We aren't getting promoted with Onel and Sinani as our wide players I'm afraid. Not even sure how we've found ourselves in this position, we flogged a winger for £36m and end up with that pairing. It is a mid-table Championship set of wingers.

For some reason Howe and Smith both seem to see a conversion into a central player as the path for Cantwell, on this showing we could really do with him occupying one of the wide spots if we aren't going to pull a winger out of the bag before deadline day.

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,247]

Just now, shefcanary said:

So McLean. What does he do?

Points VERY well

[Robert N. LiM 4,241]

1 minute ago, Robert N. LiM said:

But we're still so powder-puff in midfield.

 

1 minute ago, ricardo said:

Powder puff midfield being continually hustled out of possession.

I've rarely felt so proud.

[pete 318]

Just looked at BBC no City fixture Tues or Wed, handy if that is the case.

[GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary 1,735]

Surely Sara cant be too far away from full fitness by now??

I am concrned about us away from home this season. Whilst I dont doubt we'll pick up plenty of points at home, unlike 2 seasons ago where there were no fans in grounds, We're already seeing that away from home questions whether we quite have the mentality.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

1 minute ago, bringbackchippy said:

Garbage

Sinani, nunez, omabadelle very poor, tell how poor we are, McLean our best player!

Hanley has been our best player, if it weren't for him we'd be being comprehensively beaten today.

Edited August 27, 2022 by TeemuVanBasten

[baldy09 155]

Feel really sorry at the moment for travelling fans to watch this dire of a game

[Robert N. LiM 4,241]

Just now, GJL Mid-Norfolk Canary said:

We're already seeing that away from home questions whether we quite have the mentality.

Think we have the mentality at the back. But certainly not in midfield. Really lacking solidity and leadership there.

[Michael Starr 519]

Poor yet still 0-0. It's the result that counts. Time to claim a sneaky 1-0 ugly win.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

Just now, baldy09 said:

Feel really sorry at the moment for travelling fans to watch this dire of a game

Don't, they get a day away from their nagging missus to sink a load of beer with their mates. They are fine.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

Absolutely abysmal first half performance. The positive though is it level and we can win it if we wake up.

They are hard working but agricultural. We have a huge hole in midfield (still not sorted) and keep gifting them possession in our half with ridiculous p**sing about. 
 

I hope Smith is going ballistic. 
 

Sara and Pukki on for me please. Sinani with Dowell against physical teams leaves us light in the middle. 

[cambridgeshire canary 6,675]

2 minutes ago, pete said:

Just looked at BBC no City fixture Tues or Wed, handy if that is the case.

Pretty sure we are playing birrmingham on tuesday

[The Bristol Nest 513]

Losing the midfield is exposing our defence and forcing errors. We don't have a Gobbs replacement on the bench so how about bringing Gibson on and push Byram onto DFM. 

Dowell and Sinani off for Todd and Teemu

[Highland Canary 76]

Oh for the days of Farke ball. Can’t see hoofing the ball and then running (slowly) after it will prove to be effective. At least it’s warm in Sunderland.

[bringbackchippy 51]

One plus point, lve only heard OTBC sung 5 times! Pity we cant substitute  the fans!