10 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

I'll be the first to admit that I can't say with my hand on my heart that I would have the answer for unlocking a 5 man defence with 4 deep lying midfielders. One thing I do know, though, and this without having spent any time in Pep School of Boredom, is that walking around, playing 5 yard passes at a snail's pace, with no movement off the ball, will get you fck all. This tactic would get you fck all against Rotherham let alone clubs with the organisation and structure of a Sunderland

Steady on our record against Rotherham ain’t that good

Just watching the goals back again. Going to ignore the half arsed attempt by the players in getting back in numbers for the second goal and just focus on the first.

To me he has done nothing in training to deal with long throws even though it is the most talked about resurrected tactic in football. Looking at the goal yesterday Acheampong is the only player making any attempt at the first ball, hence why he played everyone on due to his recovery.

For me the long throw is a looping ball relying upon flick ons and confusion generally. I'd play Sanchez much more advanced with a defender on the line. With arms extended the keeper is over 7 feet in height 8 with a free jump. Any form of impeding that jump could result in a free kick providing its not too histrionic. Having the keeper take a prominent position further out, where the ball is going would at least be an attempt at combating the tactic rather than quaking in our boots every time there is a throw near our box.

This game has broken my hope of us having a good season.

Will be a struggle to make top 5. United and Spurs are back in it. Will be a slog again to make it. Domestic cups he will tinker away and we will lose to the first good team we play.

Another wasted season of spread sheet manipulation victories for the clowns to celebrate.

1 hour ago, axman2526 said:

This game has broken my hope of us having a good season.

Will be a struggle to make top 5. United and Spurs are back in it. Will be a slog again to make it. Domestic cups he will tinker away and we will lose to the first good team we play.

Another wasted season of spread sheet manipulation victories for the clowns to celebrate.

I think we will make top 5. No one is consistent. The bigger issue is long term. We aren't going to be happy making top 4 every season and after all the money spent and the quality of 8 or so players. We are light years behind Arsenal.

1 hour ago, KonaKai Blue said:

I think we will make top 5. No one is consistent. The bigger issue is long term. We aren't going to be happy making top 4 every season and after all the money spent and the quality of 8 or so players. We are light years behind Arsenal.

I don't think top 5 is realistic. Whilst other 'big' teams are struggling I think they have far more capacity than we do to turn things round and there are other 'not so big' teams who will fight until the end on the way we wint.

At a minimum Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Utd and Villa will finish above us and then we are fighting witb maybe 4 or 6 others for 6th.

2 hours ago, loz said:

I don't think top 5 is realistic. Whilst other 'big' teams are struggling I think they have far more capacity than we do to turn things round and there are other 'not so big' teams who will fight until the end on the way we wint.

At a minimum Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Utd and Villa will finish above us and then we are fighting witb maybe 4 or 6 others for 6th.

Agreed Loz. 6th and being in the Europa is our cap with what we have. We won't have CL football next season.

17 hours ago, WhiteWall said:

To me he has done nothing in training to deal with long throws even though it is the most talked about resurrected tactic in football.

For me the long throw is a looping ball relying upon flick ons and confusion generally. I

It is a groundsman issue. We need to adjust the pitch. Shorten the perimeter around the pitch. Make that area rreally small so that there is not enough room for a long run up for long throw ins.

Another summers spending done right...

Or we can just defend better.

12 minutes ago, Scott said:

Or we can just defend better.

That's a Novel idea.is that possible with the current coaching staff though?

I'll admit, for the first time in over 2 decades, I am jealous of Arsenal for their defensive structures. Jose's first sides ability to defend. I was proud of that.

This Chelsea is painful to support.

46 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

That's a Novel idea.is that possible with the current coaching staff though?

I'll admit, for the first time in over 2 decades, I am jealous of Arsenal for their defensive structures. Jose's first sides ability to defend. I was proud of that.

This Chelsea is painful to support.

The defence we have is sub standard but its this damn slow football that causes these problems. If we cant get a coach who can increase the pace of ball movement, then we'll always be screwed

Edited October 27, 2025Oct 27 by KonaKai Blue

11 hours ago, loz said:

I don't think top 5 is realistic. Whilst other 'big' teams are struggling I think they have far more capacity than we do to turn things round and there are other 'not so big' teams who will fight until the end on the way we wint.

At a minimum Arsenal, Liverpool, City, Utd and Villa will finish above us and then we are fighting witb maybe 4 or 6 others for 6th.

It's easy to be down after a poor performance and losing to a team like Sunderland at home. But as I said after the runs of wins, we will be a mixed bag this season due to the young players. We can look great in one game, where everything clicks and then look sh*te in the next game. So much inconsistency. IF we had Delap and Palmer fully fit it would make a world of difference and with them in the side and Estevao, plus the right defence and Caicedo and Lavia in the middle, I think we can compete with anyone.

Unfortunately, we do have a coach who insists on selecting the wrong defence more often than not, plus Fernandez and Gusto, so maybe top 5 is a pipedream after all.

MUST beat Spurs. If we lose to them and lose badly, I want to see Maresca's under some serious scrutiny and pressure.

6 hours ago, Nibs said:

It's easy to be down after a poor performance and losing to a team like Sunderland at home. But as I said after the runs of wins, we will be a mixed bag this season due to the young players. We can look great in one game, where everything clicks and then look sh*te in the next game. So much inconsistency. IF we had Delap and Palmer fully fit it would make a world of difference and with them in the side and Estevao, plus the right defence and Caicedo and Lavia in the middle, I think we can compete with anyone.

Unfortunately, we do have a coach who insists on selecting the wrong defence more often than not, plus Fernandez and Gusto, so maybe top 5 is a pipedream after all.

MUST beat Spurs. If we lose to them and lose badly, I want to see Maresca's under some serious scrutiny and pressure.

Lose to Spurs and I want to see him under a bus!