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Cirkin & Bennett was with the U18s today
thanks for these updates SI.Loan updates :
CCV starts for Stoke but injured inside first 30 mins and subbed
Marsh starts at Orient but subbed after 83 mins
Amos comes off bench for last 30 mins for QPR - now trying to get back into starting side after coming back from injury
Clarke an unused sub for Leeds
Georgiou an unused sub for Ipswich
Sterling - is he still out injured, not in Sunderland squad
Roles didn't get into Cambridge match squad today - Cambridge now report Roles injury as being s slight niggle
Onomah started for Fulham yesterday (for the 1st time?) but got subbed off on 19 for a GK when Fulham's stopper got sent off.
Loan updates :
CCV starts for Stoke but injured inside first 30 mins and subbed
Marsh starts at Orient but subbed after 83 mins
Amos comes off bench for last 30 mins for QPR - now trying to get back into starting side after coming back from injury
Clarke an unused sub for Leeds
Georgiou an unused sub for Ipswich
Sterling - is he still out injured, not in Sunderland squad
Roles didn't get into Cambridge match squad today - Cambridge now report Roles injury as being s slight niggle
How does a dead leg result in an "illness"?Found a Doncaster ( apologies Sterling loan to Sunderland was last season) update from mid October saying that Sterling"s deadleg on 7 September had resulted in an illness and Sterling now being treated back at Spurs. Doncaster expect him back there 'soon' but no return date atm.
I guess if he got busted open the wound could have gotten infected?How does a dead leg result in an "illness"?
How does a dead leg result in an "illness"?
I think Poch would extend his good will if he starts picking some young players. I think back to this time in 2014-15 when he dropped senior players to play young and hungry players who wanted to prove themselves. The difference is the players he needs to drop now are his players - there is probably a lot of loyalty and respect between them.
But needs must.
Skipp, Tanganga, Parrott. Find a way to get them on the bench at least. Play KWP more.
Of course I have to admit there is an irony in this because the first player I'd drop from the team right now is an academy player - Winks. But it wouldn't be a bad thing if Winks could get competition from a fellow academy graduate in Skipp.
I am still a bit puzzled why he wants so badly to play a two man midfield when most of the best teams in Europe play a three man midfield, AND it would really help cover our deficiencies if we played a three man midfield.Agree with much of this, and we certainly need to both shake up the squad and increase the number of home trained players to increase squad numbers which is constraining us atm.
Think our real problem is what Poch's CM's are supposed to be doing. I could suggest that Poch has moved towards a double pivot with both players equally responsible for defense and stack (as Mason and Bentaleb were at the start of Poch's reign) based upon a lack of rumours that Spurs are recruiting a DM. If so Winks is the only one fulfilling that role - Ndombele is proving to be excellent in attack but not doing much defensive work, Sissoko makes powerful runs forward but is woeful in defensive positioning, Dier is just back so not fair to comment but a year ago was a decent DM but meh in attack. So if its a double pivot, Winks is being hammered as currently he's the only one showing for defensive duties.
If Winks is being picked as a DM, then that's poor selection as Winks is a no 8 and not a no 6, although he's decent as one of a double pivot. And if Poch wants to play with a DM then Dier (or Skipp who is a decent DM but with more forward play than a traditional no 6) are his options...…..but they are not being picked !
So I'm confused as to what strategy the CM's are supposed to follow (and I suspect I'm not the only one) and without knowing that I cannot evaluate how well the players are performing.
I am still a bit puzzled why he wants so badly to play a two man midfield when most of the best teams in Europe play a three man midfield, AND it would really help cover our deficiencies if we played a three man midfield.
I agree with you that Winks, Sissoko, Ndombele are not defensive enough to be operating in a two man midfield and adding in Dier to a two man midfield is not the answer either because of his limitations. So why not play three of them? We could also add Lo Celso in as an option, so by the end of the year we see a midfield of...
Lo Celso-Dier-Ndombele
We can rotate Winks and Sissoko in, and rotate Skipp in as well.
Ultimately I want to see us getting to something like this by the end of the year...
Foyth-Sanchez-Jan-Sessegnon
---Lo Celso-Dier-Ndombele---
---------Son-Kane-Dele---------
We have plenty of rotation options as well and ideally Foyth will replace Jan if we buy a RB in January. That team just seems so much more balanced to me and more likely to win midfield battles.
Yes he’s injured.Jack not involved in Cambridge's home win today. I guess that's injury related? Nothing immediately comes up from google searches though. I hope its not long term as he seems to be ingratiating himself with the club and fans. Would be a shame if he takes a while to get fit and drops out of the reckoning with Calderwood.