Jozy and the Footycats: Altidore at Sunderland

SFS!

 

With Norwich losing today I had a look at the table and if, and this is a big IF, Sunderland win all 4 remaining games they will be guaranteed safety as long as their GD remains better than Norwich's.

 

Liverpool weren't worst last year. And i think you're greatly underestimating the blinders of the Liverpool supporters. Liverpool fans, from every board, comment section and twitter post I came across yesterday, are overwhelmingly remembering Fabio Borini or "Secret Agent Borini" the on loan Liverpool player that scored the penalty not Altidore that won it. Just look at who get's the headlines too.

Liverpool Echo's headline is "Liverpool loanee Borini deals massive blow" http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/spor...s/liverpool-loanee-fabio-borini-deals-7010568

And the headlines of other papers are similar.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/fo...-man-Fabio-Borini-fires-Black-Cats-past-Blues
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...VERPOOL-loanee-Borini-stuns-Blues-title-hopes
http://talksport.com/football/chels...ol-premier-league-title-advantage-14041988025

i even saw a twitter thread yesterday of Liverpool fans all doing the Borini knife in mouth celebration

under the hashtag #fabioselfie. And scroll down the twitter feed for the The Anfield Wrap. https://twitter.com/TheAnfieldWrap it's all guys doing the Borini selfie.
I think when Liverpool fans write their history it will focus entirely on the Liverpool player Borini.

And Chelsea? I think they'll remember Mike Dean more. At least whiny Jose will. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...n-and-officials-chief-mike-riley-9271464.html

Either way good to see Altidore contribute.

 

I don't for the life of me understand this image. But I cannot stop staring at it. It's like one of those paintings where if you look at it long enough the dots become a boat. But i stare and stare. Nothing. Stupified.

 

I think blinders work both ways- I'm not sure why anyone would expect Altidore to be remembered or get any headlines for this.

 

Wickham finishing his chances has been huge, of course. But the change 100% parrallels the sitting of Ki, whereas Wickham played a few other games with Ki in and S'land still came up short.

And despite a great and needed win the stats are still:
Shots: Chelsea 31 (Mannone was a god, btw) S'land 7
At least City was closer - like 16 to 11.

And while these 4 points are huge, the fact remains until yesterday S'land had gone 9 straight without a win and only 2 points. (Worst run of form of any team out there - even worse than hapless Norwich) and Jozy was not the starting striker for over half (5) of those matches.

That was the worst run in S'land's season - so it's kinda hard to lay it all on Jozy. Maybe Ki is the whole problem "ratings" or not.

That, of course, does not touch S'land still haveing 3rd worse goals against, even with Mannone playing well, and still being bottom of the table and needing to win some more games to even have a shot.

 

It's a gif it should move. You should call tech support.

 

Welcome back. Allow me to be the first to say that you're (still) way off base.

Yesterday's result was not a product of a strong Sunderland midfield. Chelsea had 62% of possession, a 10-4 advantage in corners, and a 31-7 advantage in shots. Sunderland was lucky to concede only once, and both of its goals were flukes. Their first goal came off of a poorly defended corner kick followed by a goalkeeping blunder, and their second goal came off of a defender giving the ball away and then committing a stupid foul. No grand conclusions are justified.

 

And this is where the stupidity just gets stupifying (SFS's post, not Hararea).

There is not doubt that Wikileaks grabbing 3 in 2 games is huge - and there is not doubt had any striker, Jozy to Borini to Scocco to Wickham - had they stolen a few extra goals across the season S'land might be just barely out of relegation, not rock bottom.

But there is also no doubt that from every angle, except perhaps goal keeping, this team is awful, has terrible numbers, still has no one in double digits for scoring. No one. They gave up 31 shots yesterday. That Australia vs. Fiji numbers - or at least US vs. Trinidad. And absent the soft PK that game was going to end tied.

So this is not some S'land Phoenix rising from the ashes, this is the team with the worst 10 game run in the EPL finally getting a couple of breaks. The are not suddenly quality and if they somehow miraculously stay up and try to play with this same side, it will not be prettier next season - and even a poster like SFS knows that much.

 

And honestly, both City and Chelsea played shite in these games. Like, wow. And furthermore, City played like complete shite in the cup final, using about three minutes out of 90 to win the game late in the second half.

 

I think it's got quite a bit to do with dropping Ki and inserting Giaccerini. Wickham has been pretty good as well.

 

Of course. Against teams equal to them on paper, they forget to defend well, and get murdered, because they cannot generate sufficient attack to compensate for the goals scored in their net.

If only they bunkered every game...

 

It's just a commentator. He has opinions, like you and me. Fact is, the EPL is known to allow things other leagues don't allow. The shirt pulling inside the area, the way Azpilicueta was doing it, would have been a peno anywhere else. Cesar had slipped and lost the ball to Jozy, so it was a mistake on his part, and he was trying to correct it desperately. He just showed poor judgment.

 

SFS ffs!

 

They underestimated Sunderland. The Black Cats play horrible soccer, but they can be a pest when bunkering, because they can do some pressing. It's well known than Sunderland and Wigan are teams that steal points from the big clubs. There was a sigh of relief in the Red Café when Wigan got relegated.

PS: Millwall is also like that, but many have forgotten them.

 

If we can compare the worst relegated teams in the PL, where would Sunderland stack up?

Derby in 08 has to be the worst. They were more or less relegated in Nov 07. QPR? Portsmouth? Hull?

I remember when Newcastle/West Ham got relegated. So-so mid table clubs stinking it up and getting the drop but rising up the season after.

 

Well, I think if Sunderland don't give up easy goals anymore they should be alright...to be fighting to stave off relegation on the last day.

And yeah, lets be honest, having a forward scoring goals has made a huge difference...I mean they haven't had one all season.

 

And I'd encourage everyone else to watch the Match of the Day analysis at 15:20 and 16:30 of this clip: http://www.footytube.com/video/chelsea-v-sunderland-269393

It might take a few minutes to load.

 

Okay. Now, let us be doubly honest: receiving platter service from teammates (or an opposing keeper) makes a huge difference in forwards scoring goals.

And we all know they have had that all season.

 

Nowhere near the worse. It's debatable if they're the worse team this season and this is a season where there's really been no truly terrible teams. Remember if they win their game in hand (and know that at the bottom of the table that's always a big "if") they're out of the the relegation zone and they've just beaten the 2nd and 3rd place teams away.

They've had a number of problems, but none of them on their own would've put them at the foot of the table, but in combination they have. Altidore doesn't get a free pass though (excepting Wickham's late run of form) their strikers' inabilty to score goals has been just as big a problem as any (tbf it has been slightly mitigated by the fact that their midfielders have got a decent number of goals for a team in their position) and Altidore's been the main (though not only) culprit there.

 

But let's be triply honest: not sure I would've expected Altidore to be as aggressive as Wickham there or apply the finish.

 

I've always thought the guy who wins the penalty should get some statistical credit..maybe an assist...I don't think it's totally fair for Borini to get all the credit while the guy who put himself in a position to win the penalty not receive anything.

On the other hand, I thought that Jozy made the incorrect decision of heading toward the byline instead of tacking inside and setting himself up for a shot...He got the penalty which is good, but he needs to start thinking about himself a bit more and get some shot off....Fact is, no one is giving him any credit..The Sunderland fan refuses to even acknowledge him...

Poyet also did not even mention his name..instead, he stated the penalty could had gone either way...so based on the sunderland paper, columnist, fan and the coach, it looks like they are all giving all the credit to Borini...Jozy needs to start shooting and play for himself whenever he gets a chance...He's passing way too many shot and is trying too hard to be a team player.

I also felt he could had taken a shot on the 3-1 counter...While Colback batched the pass, I still thought the angle was still open to fire a left footed shot, or he could had even taken a touch toward the keeper and smash a shot.

On a good note, I thought he looked much more leaner..maybe he's been putting up some work and trying to slim down a bit.

 

The Premier League website used to do this actually. That's part of the reason Altidore was credited with so many assists on there during his time at Hull.

I don't know if they do that anymore. Their website is a bit hard to navigate, but I don't think they even show everyone's assist figures anymore.

 

I totally agree. He wins PK's and FK's and gets man handled by defenders. Should get the credit for it. As to any striker or player who wins it.

 

wonder why is that. it seems like some of the top leagues are lazy when recording assists outside of Spain.