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Eleven Games and Phil Parkinson’s Time at Sunderland Should Come to an End

After another poor display, could Phil Parkinson's time at Sunderland be up after just 11 games in charge? Fans are certainly unhappy.
Phil Parkinson's Time at Sunderland

When Sunderland sacked Jack Ross earlier this season, it appeared to be the correct decision. A change was needed if the Black Cats were to achieve automatic promotion, or so everyone thought. A successor with experience in promotion was sorted, and soon an appointment was made. However, after just 11 games, it appears that Phil Parkinson’s time at Sunderland should come to an end.

Phil Parkinson’s Time at Sunderland Should Be at an End

Eleven Games, Two Wins

Since arriving, Phil Parkinson has been in charge of 11 games. Just two of those have resulted in a victory. A 5-0 victory in his first home game against Tranmere Rovers had fans hopeful of a successful season. An unconvincing win, again at home, against Southend United came soon after. It was unconvincing, but it was a win and the Black Cats were heading in the right direction. This was as good as it got.

Their latest game saw a defeat and another poor display against Burton Albion, leaving them 11th in the League One table.

Knocked Out of Three Cup Competitions

Parkinson has seen his side get knocked out of three cup competitions. Firstly, they were defeated at Oxford United on penalties in the Carabao Cup. Two defeats at the hands of Leicester City’s U21’s and League Two strugglers Scunthorpe United saw the team exit the Leasing.com trophy with a whimper.

Next up was defeat to Gillingham in the FA Cup first round after a replay. The defeat meant Sunderland would exit football’s most famous cup competition at the first round for the first time in their history. Not only were the team defeated in these games, but they also did so without a fight and, in some cases, without a shot on target.

Performances Hit Rock Bottom

Performances, since Parkinson arrived, have been a huge concern for fans. Defeats can be forgiven; however, performances, apart from the game against Tranmere, have seen the team look anything but winners. The past two home games have seen performances hit an all-time low.

The players appear to be devoid of confidence and ideas. Shots on target have been few and far between, as have chances created. The team have struggled to do the basics correctly with mistakes happening far too frequently. Parkinson, while on the touchline, appears to have little in the way of ideas on how to change his team during the game or to encourage them.

Fans Turn on Parkinson After Latest Disappointment

The defeat against Burton was the last straw for many in attendance at the Stadium of Light. Shouts of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ were aimed at the manager and ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ were aimed at the players.

After game, Parkinson felt the reaction of the fans was “understandable”.

“It’s understandable. Conceding 70 minutes there’s time left, plenty of time left and we didn’t show any bravery after that. You need conviction and belief and we didn’t show that.

“For the last quarter of the game we were nowhere near good enough and if I was sat in the stand I wouldn’t accept that. Wearing the Sunderland shirt you need the courage to play and we didn’t have that. We looked aimless in the last spell of the game.”

Should Parkinson’s Time at Sunderland End?

Parkinson’s short time at Sunderland could be coming to an end. In a recent Twitter poll, 90% believed it was time he left. Sometimes, managerial appointments just don’t work out as expected. On the evidence since the former Bolton Wanderers manager was appointed, this could be one of those times.

 

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