Minority Report 2017/18 - Sunderland

There is a saying in football, “it’s a funny old game” and today showed exactly why people say that. After 20 minutes, I did not give us a chance. Sunderland were all over us. They were stronger, they were fitter and they looked like scoring on every attack. Barnsley fielded 3 19 year olds, and that is what it looked like; men against boys. In Liam Lindsay, we looked like we had an accident waiting to happen at centre back. His positioning was all over the place, he was too slow when on the ball. He looked like he was on a very steep learning curve, indeed. I could not see any result other than a sound spanking. Forget systems, today was about the character of the players; on both sides.


Then we put some passes together, the ball came across and Ugbo got the sole of his foot on it. With the keeper on the floor, already committed to stopping the cross, an easy pick-up was converted to an agonisingly slow double bounce towards an empty net, and then over the line, with defenders and attackers standing around open-mouthed. We had scored the strangest of goals and it was time to get back into our defensive shape as we attempted to hold onto what good fortune had handed to us. But Sunderland were careless again with possession, the ball is crossed and Barnes finds the postage stamp that is the top corner with a delicious half-volley for 2-0. What was happening?


The half-time team talk must have been very short and to the point in the away dressing room, because the away team were back out early. Whatever their manager said must have done the trick – for us, because they looked totally demoralised. In the first half, they had been all over us and had broken at pace. They had a chance of a break in the second half and I saw 5 of the players in blue not even attempting to get forward in support. Little wonder their fans left in droves when the gates opened with half-hour yet to play. Their team had no heart for the fight and that is the plain truth. OK, the 2-0 lead meant that we could sit back and keep our shape, but Sunderland never once put pressure on Lindsay, even though he seemed little better in the second period, to my eyes at least. We just kept our shape and ran down the clock, with the bonus of another goal, this time for Moncur, to rub salt into their wounds.

As Ike said, this is not the end, this is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. Barnsley is not the finished article, but the win gives everyone that much needed commodity: time.


One final point, in what has not been the usual Minority Report. I do not usually mention referees. They do a hard job as well as they can do, but Mr Kavanagh turned down 3 penalties, which I thought valid, and he should probably have sent off Lindsay. Not his best day.

 

Interesting? Which were the 3 penalties you thought he should have given?

I hope two aren't the two blatant dives by their #9 and #11?!

 

100% agree they were blatant dives I had a right view and both should of been yellow cards

 

The ref gave two free-kicks outside the box when both incidents clearly happened inside.

 

Can't remember the other but I presume one was the Lindsey one? Hard to tell where I was but I've since seen a still showing it outside.

 

What, Ugba said that in a post match interview?

Didn't Winston Churchill say summat similar after the battle of El Alamein?

 

Sorry, but I rely on my tired old eyes, and they say that both were inside.

 

Fair enough, which was the other? The one where they ballooned the free kick high wide and not very handsome?

 

The second was late in the second half and should have been a Barnsley penalty. The ref actually placed the free-kick 2 yards away from the box, to add insult to injury.

 

Each to their own regarding opinions but I thought Lindsay had a very good debut.

 

Not sure your tired old eyes can be trusted......

http://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/was-outside-box.258900/

 

It is not usually my thing to criticise individuals, but I thought that he was so poor in that first half that he was bound to be subbed at half time. In my opinion, he had been very lucky to stay on the park when he failed to deal with a bouncing ball which he was favourite for, let his man control it and potentially run towards the area before bringing him down. From my place in the East Upper Tier, it looked a penalty and a sending off, because he was the last man. We were 2-0 at the time, but 2-1 and 10 players would not have boded well for the rest of the game. That was undoubtedly his worst error, but it was by no means his only one. He will undoubtedly improve given time, and there may well be potential there, but today he was awful.

 

I recall there being some controversy when Mr Kavanagh refereed us for Wolves back in January. Hecky was sent to the stands after some contretemps in the dugouts, then there was the bizarre incident where Davies walked out of his area with the ball in his hands despite it being in play. Whatever those incidents were today, they appeared to be in the penalty area. Joe Williams should have been booked for deliberate and blatant handball, although I'm glad he wasn't. He increasingly reminds me of Josh Scowen, who was a master of getting away with stuff.

Anyway, I agree with you Red Rain in so far as the first goal was vitally important today. From that flowed our growing confidence and Sunderland visibly diminished as we assumed control of the game. They had looked dangerous before that, albeit with virtually no end product throughout the entire game. But that being said, you can't help but praise the talent, energy, application and concentration of our young team. It was an absorbing and hugely uplifting performance.

But let's give all due credit to Hecky (and Jamie, et al). This team is growing and learning their individual jobs very quickly. That reflects very well on the head coach. While it wasn't apparent for the first 20-25 minutes that this setup was going to work, ultimately it did in spades. Ugbo's mobility gave the 4-5-1 wings, especially with the offense midfielders wrapping around when we came forward. And the second half was a masterclass in how to properly look after a 2-0 lead. I doubt we are going to be able to deliver this sort of performance with 100% consistency, but if we even play like this every other game we are in for a richly entertaining season, and one that will exceed our modest expectations.

 

After a while we were wonderful without the ball.

I'm not sure we were ever that good with it, except in our finishing.

 

Clearly, you have doctored the photo to make me look bad. Only joking, if that is the same incident, my old eyes are letting me down, but how did he stay on the field?

 

Was he reliant upon the same assistant for both? The foul on McCarthy was marked up quite some distance outside the area. The one on on Grabban was awarded just outside. Both dodgy decisions.

 

I agree with you there - I was very surprised when it was only a yellow.

 

Even after today, I have no great expectations for this season. We have combed the lower leagues for players whose salary expectations we can meet, and sold the players whose salary expectations we could not meet, but building a teams takes time and patience. It is often two steps forward and one back and that is why I always call for patience in the face of bad runs. Nevertheless, I see potential, even in Lindsay, who had a stinker today, in my opinion. The point is that I understand the policies that govern how the club is run, and given the restrictions that we face, I understand the need for them, even if it takes us a little longer to get to where we need to be. I do not understand the bubble economics of throwing cash at a problem until it goes away and I suspect I will not like it if we are taken over. I understand that I will be accused of being fearful of change. I would just like to know all the aspects that change and new owners will bring before I decide, because I am sure we will all like some of it, and hate other bits. Without knowing what is proposed, how can we decide.

I trust you had a better day at the races today.

 

To be fairly blunt about it Mr Rain my expectations were that we would probably not avoid relegation this season. On the evidence of the three home games so far I am feeling far more optimistic about that. Our form thus far would equate to 55 points across the season, and given the rate of learning, I think that our projected trajectory will soon rise above that. In a few more weeks I don't expect us to be losing games like last week's. I have to say that at first today it was Adam Jackson that I was worried about. To my eyes I thought Lindsey did very well and showed much promise. There will be mistakes, just as there are with Joe Williams at present, but on the whole I'd be taking them as a package. Just when I was becoming converted to your mantra of patience, along comes the Chinese takeaway! As there is little that you or I can do about that I'm not going to worry too much one way or the other. If it comes off it will be an interesting ride, for sure. Gone quiet again though, hasn't it?

To the extent that one of my two York selections won today, that outcome was 100% better. But that, too requires much patience!

 

I think the two inside/outside the box incidents were outside. The linesman was the one who watched them, and he signaled that they were outside. Don't think any of the appeals were penalties; muted appeals at best. And the striker was not in control of the ball for the Lindsay incident so a yellow was right. Did think there wasn't a clear foul on Pearson which should've been a penalty for a shove at 0-0, but I don't mind that now!