Just popping in with random thoughts from a Sunderland perspective. I was happy to see the "gamesmanship" from Jozy: wasting time, etc. It's what the game called for and it alludes to the fact that he's committed to the cause even if the transfer hasn't worked out. I wanted to see him take a shot when he had a chance, though; I wanted to see him score. The penalty was just a 50/50 decision. Sometimes they're given, sometimes they're not. If I can't be positive after a replay it speaks to the difficulty of refereeing a match in real time. We haven't been good but we haven't been lucky either, so it's nice to watch the evening out process play out. Every marginally useful performance from Connor Wickham is massively frustrating for me because with all of our other needs, he should have been given a fair chance before this season. If he was, who knows, maybe all the money that went into Danny Graham and Jozy Altidore would have been invested into something else and those players would be in better situations. Injuries are a lot of what has pushed Connor away from first team football at Sunderland. He went off with a little knock and I'd be surprised if it was the last, he's had a few at inconvenient times. Because their styles of play are relatively similar ("big lads" who don't do as much in the air as they look like they should), I can see Jozy staying on as cover for Wickham in a lone striker formation if we stay up (lol) and there's no outstanding amount of interest in him. Not exciting stuff, but he signed a contract. If we go down, the future of every single player is completely up in the air.
I don't think he suspiciously lost his footing. Altidore has the right to plant his left leg, so Azpilicueta has to give him space to do that. He didn't, and Altidore's left leg came down right on Azpilicueta's, which is a penalty. He was upright until he planted his leg on Azpilicueta's leg.
I agree that Altidore's leg is in the air when Azpilicueta slides, but Azpilicueta still needs to give him room to plant his leg. A defender is not allowed to impede a player from planting his leg on the ground. If his leg comes down in a reasonable spot to plant, and it happens to be on the defenders leg, then thats a penalty. If Altidore goes out of his way to make sure that his leg comes down on Azpilicueta's leg to create the contact, then no penalty. His leg planted in a reasonable spot, so its a penalty.
@Germerica I disagree with you on the penalty, he sold it or slipped during the contact but there's strong case from the replay that it was the right call. I do agree Jozy has been poor this season, as bad as Sunderland is he hasn't helped himself. Majority of people in here think it's all Sunderland's problem, that Jozy is free from blame. Just the way it is. Jozy needs to get out of England, drop down a level to get his confidence back. It's frustrating I know, he is our only attacker in a top league. It's hard for some to admit he's been crap this season, midfield service or not.
From the other GIF angles I have seen played at closer to normal speed, it is case closed, slam dunk, no question a PK for anyone not named Jose or Germerica. Granting those 2 exceptions having exceptional reasons to wish what is obvious is not so, then - move on, give credit where due - to Jozy for his hustle, and to a foolish defender giving away a PK at an inopportune time that hands the title to Liverpool. The fact that Jozy was unlikely to get off a great shot from the angle he was at makes the defensive blunder even worse, never mind Jozy's shooting woes this season, but hey. Facts are facts: Jozy Altidore, after a season that may live on in personal infamy, as of today looks to have decided the EPL title race. From worst to first...for Liverpool. Wherever Jozy goes, if anywhere, he will be remembered in the EPL - now not just by Sunderland, but also by Liverpool and Chelsea fans.
This really isn't true. It's complete and utter hyperbole. I haven't seen much of that at all, the majority of people in here agree that while Jozy has been poor, Sunderland as a unit. Subsequently the poor form and lack of continuity of the team and is a reason why Jozy has been bad, a reason, nothing more.
Who has claimed that Jozy is blameless? He is far from perfect but that team is poor and playing him as the lone striker with that midfield is stupid.
I bet you can't find more than an handful of posts, if that many, that suggests anyone thinks "it's all S'lands problem and that Jozy is free from blame" but if the last two results don't really give S'land pause, nothing will. How the heck does S'land go the last 9 league games - since Newcastle and before Chelsea - with 2 points! TWO! When they are fighting for their "lives." Palace - who were sho-ins for the drop 10 games ago have gotten 17 points! 17 to 2! And now, 3 more for Sland and with the help the got from Fulham and if Nwich can curl up and die a slow death, they might sneak it out now. But how the managed to get themselves in this spot (with Jozy sometimes on the field and sometimes not) is really hard to reconcile. As Sam Ham (who I rarely agree with) says - they picked the wrong P. And at the end of the day, they still have given up the 3rd most goals against - and with Mannone of the spring having a very good season, by the way. Their defense is horrible. How many shots did Chelsea have? And if that lousy D is not called out as the #1 problem for this team this year, folks are just not paying attention.
How many user names can JozyBradley/Germerica /Excellency have? Can we get him his own forum? I'll donate to server costs. "Echo chamber" seems like a nice moniker, since he/they just repeat the same things with increased vigor and diminishing logic. It's frustrating to read constant vitriolic garbage in the midst of folks trying to have meaningful on-topic discourse sans agenda. But a shitbird gonna shitbird.
Derp. Didn't finish my third sentence. "I haven't seen much of that at all, the majority of people in here agree that while Jozy has been poor, Sunderland as a unit have also been very poor." This is what I was attempting to articulate, but clearly had a mental lapse.
Your first mistake was to entertain a BS poster on this forum after they called your post "Complete and utter hyperbole". I'm not one to argue syntax but seeing as how I've been attacked on this thread for mixing up team names, amongst other things, I've learned to ignore posts like that.
1 - I would gather that the offending player would care what he says about it. 2 - Most everyone else is giving an opinion based on the laws of the game, not on motive guesswork. Viva la difference. 3 - The trailing leg was not stationary. When Altidore started to put his foot to the ground it was not there. It swept under as he was about to plant. That factually is a foul, no opinion needed.
Last time I checked, World Cup is not played with clubs. Has he been hot garbage for the USMNT? Well, gosh, no.
EPL's produced video with the EPL approved commentator remarks, "The replay suggests the decision was incorrect". http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...n-ruins-as-black-cats-grab-shock-win/related/ - mentioned 1:35-1.38 into the clip. BTW, what happened with the much derided Sunderland midfield. It's as if they went from crap to solid in the span of two games. It couldn't have had anything to do with the striker change, could it?
Just curious, but did Giaccherini just start getting playing time again in the last three games or thereabouts? It seemed like his re-emergence coincided with the Wickham starts more or less. If there is anybody other than Jozy that is regretting the move to Sunderland more it seems like it would have to be Giacc. I feel like his absence from the starting lineup for most of the season is supporting evidence to how dysfunctional their entire system has been all year. Also too, as you were reading this Larsson just sent another corner/cross into the stands.
Giaccherini has been used as a sub and a Cup player mostly but indeed more recently as Ki has been dropped. Ki was among the top rated Sunderland mids by some places, far above the Italian. http://www.whoscored.com/Teams/16 Squawka publishes only the team seasonal totals and the per game totals, as far as I know, so you have to go match by match for each player. http://epl.squawka.com/chelsea-vs-sunderland/19-04-2014/english-barclays-premier-league/matches
Wonder if Poyet is brave enough to try Jozy and Wickham together again? Probably not. Jozy should get at least one more decent chance to make a difference this season. Would be nice to see him get another goal. /wishfulthinking