Match date: Saturday 18 October 2014
Final score: Southampton 8 – 0 Sunderland AFC
Reflection…
I write this report five days removed from what will likely be remembered as, “The slaughter of Sunderland on the South coast”…
Generally speaking, I write up my match analysis the day following the game, however such was my disappointment and embarrassment in the wake of the events which took place, I am just now just about coming to terms with what went down.
I thought it best to approach it with a clear head.
So, if you’ve not already heard (if you’ve not heard, then you must have been living under a rock), Sunderland lost… a bit.
The Sunderland faithful were well and truly up for the game having beaten Stoke City prior to the absolutely pointless international break. Disappointingly, on the day Sunderland were abysmal.
Embarrassing.
Anyway, the lads took to the pitch at St. Mary’s and lined up as follows:
Starting eleven-
• Mannone (gk)
• Vergini
• Brown
• O’Shea (c)
• van Aanholt
• Larsson
• Cattermole
• Gomez
• Buckley
• Fletcher
• Wickham
Subs:
• Pantilimon (gk)
• Rodwell
• Johnson
• Cabral
• Mavrias
• Graham
• Bridcutt
Sunderland started the game quite well, however around 12 minutes in things began to go wrong. A bread-and-butter ball through the middle requiring a simple clearance by Santiago Vergini resulted in the Argentine defender somehow curling a sweet half-volley into the net beyond his own goalkeeper.
Staggering…
Had said goal been awarded in the opposition net, we would still be talking about it for years to come such was its precision.
Sunderland looked to get back into the game, when we succumbed to a second goal, this time from the impressive Graziano Pelle.
With Sunderland two-nil down, our chance to get back into the game was quashed by the referee. A cutting through-ball by Lee Cattermole to Steven Fletcher saw Fletcher stab the ball past the oncoming Southampton goalkeeper, Frazer Forster, who then up-ended him in the penalty area.
A stone-wall penalty for me any day of the week, unfortunately the referee disagreed by neither awarding the penalty nor a red card to Forster.
…I just knew in my heart that the day was simply not going to go our way.
It didn’t take too long for my worst fears to be realised when we went three-down. Even at this point I felt it would be a case of, “how many can we score” versus “damage limitation”.
The remainder of the game was basically a case of huge, incessant pressure from Southampton, against a Sunderland side apparently hell-bent on self-destruction. For as every bit as brilliant Southampton were on the day, Sunderland were equally as pathetic. With the Sunderland side in hiding, Southampton maintained their hunger for goals. It was genuinely as if they could score at will.
So three-nil became four, and four became five, and so on… you get the picture I’m sure.
A day to forget to say the least…
What we have to remember is that, even though we were well and truly beaten, ultimately it is only three points dropped. This however, does nothing to remove the fact that the manner in which we lost the game was deeply worrying. The total lack of effort and pride in the shirt was sickening.
Could things have been different? Perhaps. Should the penalty have been awarded, and the goalkeeper sent-off, then I am pretty certain that the final score would have been a lot less embarrassing.
We will of course never know…
There have been many, many dark days supporting this beloved club of mine over the past 38 years, however few more so than today.
Even now, three days removed, I still feel a little shell-shocked with what I witnessed.
My heart goes out to the thousands of Sunderland supporters who took in the 700+ mile round trip to the South coast, only to be served up with a pathetic, heart-less, pride-less, embarrassment of a performance.
In closing, we as a club simply must move on. This week will undoubtedly be a HUGE on for Sunderland AFC and all those concerned with it.
It will be interesting to see what team Gus puts out against the Gunners at the weekend, however which ever side he chooses, a positive performance is an absolute must. Fortunately, such inept performances by the team as a collective are very few and far between.
We’ll take it on the chin (no other viable options really!?), we’ll move on.
We are Sunderland.
My Man Of The Match: REALLY?! You must be kidding me! Not this week.
Next up – Arsenal in the Premier League at the SOL.
Keep The Faith. Always Believe.
Chris
