Altidore: Sunderland vs Kidderminster, FA Cup - 1/25/14

Some of the criticism of Jozy may be warranted but the English announcers seem overly harsh on him alone. One would think he's solely responsible for Sunderland's position in the league table. Jozy is very talented and I'm confident he'll come around at some point. I'd love to see him hammer an opportunity on goal in the 2H.

 

Jozy's timing has been awful in the first half and that is a scary sign against a side that's barely at a professional level.

 

I am not worried and I am not depressed. I am frustrated, but it surely is not worse on me than it is on him. But I believe he will figure out a way to become productive in this team and that will again grow him as a player. I am also now getting the idea that he shows better against the better teams. Bad teams let Sunderland (who stunningly show no knowledge that counterattacks are a thing) set up the half court. When they play Chelsea, like when he faced an Ajax or Twente, or a Spain, it becomes easier for him to get the ball facing the area and gets to play on the run a lot with quick passes. These times are his bread and butter for now. That is why he could walk into a US line-up tomorrow and look smashing.

 

He has been wide open in great situations several times and was ignored almost every time. This cannot be disputed. The sad part is when he got the good balls is exactly when he made the fumbles. It is aggravating, I know.

 

Keep fumbling when you get the ball is the best way to ensure your teammates stop giving it to you. Of course, they're not "supposed" to, but all players look who they're passing to before they give the ball up.

 

It's aggravating because he seems afraid to make a mistake rather than playing angry and trying to fight his way out of this funk.

 

Well, there ya go.

 

Oh dear sweet heavens. Celutska has acres and days on the right to cross with no less then five runners invading the box and he half whiffs it about seven feet partially backwards.

 

wtf did poyet talk to them about at halftime? they were shit in the first half, have the players on the field to take over the game, and are continuing playing the same crap way that they were.

 

There's no question this Sunderland side is beyond awful.. nevertheless Jozy should be demanding the ball and trying to create at every chance.

 

Hmm. But does he get the balls on days when his touch is near flawless? I think not. And you are right, under no terms should they stop feeding the striker. That is attacking 101.

 

In that case, no one on Sunderland should pass it to anyone else.

 

It is a total joke that they are not even trying to dominate this opponent, at home no less.

 

Just saying, part of getting the ball is earning the trust of your teammates. Part of that even happens in training. I don't disagree that partly bad players just don't see good passes. But, also, players tend to look to fed the ball to players they trust to do something good with it.

 

Been watching this whole match - yawn.

 

Ba can slip Altidore in completely alone and opts instead to put an off balance, poorly prepped shot into the atmosphere.

 

Erm... yeah, with bad teammates it is.

 

Borini is on, I sense an Altidore goal or assist coming now...

 

I don't understand why they keep playing the ball side to side.....They seems to be afraid to pass it down the middle...I thought that was obvious why they look so bad against a terrible team.

Also, for the first time, I get the sense Jozy's teammates hates passing it to him and will only pass if no good option is available....

 

Interpersonal issues always affect how players play together. This is why team spirit is so important and players trusting each other out there is so important. Sure, that stuff should always happen, but its far from a given.

 

I wonder how much tickets for this one were going for?

 

Sunderland's midfield absolutely terrible. These guys are 79(?) places below them in the ladder, and the Sunderland midfield can't string 3 passes together to generate half a chance.

I could understand putting the blame on Jozy and Fletcher if they were blowing chance after chance every game, but they're barely getting a chance per game right now.

And as I finish this post, yet another Sunderland midfielder shoots wildly over the bar from 30 yards out.

 

Unless you think the manager tells the players not to feed the striker so often, they are just bad teammates. Seriously. To be out on the field pondering whether to pass to the right man to pass to is crap. Especially given how insanely often what they do instead is give it away or sky it into the stands.

 

Oh, I completely agree. I did it when I was playing in high school and still occasionally do it in my indoor rec league. It's just that right now, when you have Giac and Larsson playing terrible balls in, Cattermole hitting wild shots from 30 yards out, guys on the wings putting in crosses that a) aren't aimed anywhere near the center of the area, b) only get two feet off the ground, and c) don't get past the first defender... well, I wouldn't trust Jozy any less than anyone else.

 

I'm not saying the SUnderland players are good. I'm just saying if you think the players are robots and don't take these things into consideration, especially on crappy teams, it's not very realistic.