The title for this piece could easily have been “Things We Already Knew” as certain issues reared their heads once more at the Stadium of Light. An early Watford goal set the tone for the afternoon and they could easily have been two or three goals ahead before Sam Allardyce changed tactics early on. After a very disappointing first half, an improved second half performance was still not enough to earn anything from the game.
Sunderland vs Watford
Negatives
Billy Jones is not a central defender.
An illness to Younes Kaboul forced Sam Allardyce into making changes if he wanted to keep the same formation that had seen Sunderland pick up 2 wins from 3 games. Billy Jones was moved to central defence alongside John O’Shea and Sebastian Coates. DeAndre Yedlin came in at right wing back. The change did not work. Like at Everton when the Black Cats conceded six, Jones never looked comfortable and was experiencing a torrid time against Watford’s forward line. The change to put Jones to right back after less than 20 minutes didn’t come a moment too soon. It also showed that a central defender must be brought in during the January transfer window and the sooner in the window, the better.
Patrick van Aanholt is not a defender.
As a left wing back or winger, van Aanholt has potential. As a left back as part of a back four he fails to convince. He was caught out of position many times allowing Watford to exploit the gaps and cause Sunderland many problems. If Sam Allardyce sticks to five at the back then van Aanholt at wing back is not necessarily a bad thing. If there’s a thought that a back four will be played then a left back during the transfer window must be seriously considered.
Ola Toivonen
A player who very rarely runs and is mainly anonymous for the time he spends on the pitch. When he signed he seemed to be the ideal player to link the midfield and attack, he looked good on his debut against Aston Villa and against Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. Apart from these two games, he has failed to convince many a supporter. Usually by 60 minutes he has no energy left and is restricted to a walk, watching the ball and the game pass him by. Is there more to come from the Swedish international? Sunderland supporters hope so and he obviously has the quality, but unless his performances improve then his stay on Wearside could be a very short one.
Goal threat
With Steven Fletcher, Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini, Duncan Watmore, and possibly Jeremain Lens and Adam Johnson, Sunderland have a serious goal threat and one that could/should cause many teams a lot of problems. Against Watford that threat just wasn’t quite there for whatever reason. Maybe an off day or maybe the quality isn’t quite what many thought. Although at times the effort was there and they came close on several occasions, Sunderland were just not convincing enough in the final third.
Were Sunderland unlucky not to get a draw? Possibly, Defoe went very close, as did Watmore but at the same time Watford could have been out of site by the time Sunderland’s best opportunities came around. Sam Allardyce believes that Sunderland should have got at least a point, if not three, “It was a case of the old saying in that it was a game of two halves; we weren’t good enough in the first half, but we did well enough to have won the game in the second. We should have scored at least one goal today and come away with a draw; if we had been on song with our finishing we would have won the game.”
Positives
Sam Allardyce made changes early
Before 20 minutes were on the clock, Allardyce decided to change things around. Yedlin came off and on came Rodwell. Five at the back was not working, Sunderland were getting overran in midfield and Watford were creating chance after chance and could have very easily have been two or three goals ahead.
Steven Fletcher
Worked very hard for the team with little or no reward until he was taken off in the second half. A partnership with Defoe can work, however this could leave Sunderland weakened in other areas, mainly defensive ones; an area where Sunderland can ill afford to be at its weakest. One of the things that Fletcher has to stop doing is trying tricks in dangerous areas – this gives the ball away and sets up an attack for the opposition.
A mention for Duncan Watmore
The young England Under21 international worked hard but expectations are high and he would be better coming on as an impact sub for the time being. Who of the more experienced players would step up, take his place and put in the same work rate is another story.
A bad day all round for Sunderland. December was always going to be tough fixture wise and with two games in, no points and with games against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, points could be thin on the ground. However, they can take confidence from the fact that others around them in the table have taken points from the teams they to play this festive season and if Sunderland can play at their best and keep it tight at the back, then points could be gained.
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce said after the game, “It’s now essential that we get points from our next three games, had we got three points today it would have been nice to get points in those games, but not as essential as it is now”.
Main Photo
