Fan Letters: “Sunderland need to keep hold of the ball to a higher standard”

RR reader Alan Jackson feels that ball retention and our hold-up play are two weaknesses that are hindering our promotion hopes. Got something to say?

I’m really pleased that we seem to have shared some common ground in our thoughts and opinions relating to current issues. However, I question your statement which suggests that the two Leeds subs simply influenced the result.

They won it and we had probably our most effective and reliable player over the course of the season sitting on the bench.

Régis Le Bris is fudging reality by suggesting that we were losing the game in midfield; instead, we lost the game in our own six-yard box. Chris Mepham would almost certainly have denied Pascal Struijk two free headers and it’s as simple as ‘You go out there and stop him from heading the ball into our net’.

Relating to the lack of hold up play when we’re under the cosh, are you suggesting that the club shouldn’t be looking at ways to enable the players to keep better possession of the ball in the attacking areas of the pitch? We need to keep hold of the ball more consistently than we currently do — fact!

A focal point of a centre forward with his back to goal is a straightforward option, not the only answer.

Finally, the Patrick Roberts issue.

I’ll agree that the defensive side of his game has improved under Le Bris and I’ll admit that his close control and dribbling skills are to be admired, but what’s his end product? Most wingers are exactly that because they’re unable to compete physically in the middle of the pitch or they tire over the course of ninety minutes.

Central midfielders work their socks off, either retaining or regaining the ball and more often than not they play it through the middle or out to a wide player. When one of those wide players doesn’t produce the goods in an attacking sense, he’s being carried by his teammates.

For at least a season and a half, Roberts, as skilful as he is, has been carried, and it’s time to give someone else a chance. Eliezer Mayenda? Ian Poveda? Even when playing on his weaker side, Chris Rigg did a decent job out there last season.

Tommy Watson is right-footed, so make the game easier for him and play him on his natural, more comfortable side when he’s back from injury. Why persist in making a simple game complicated?

Manchester City, Celtic, European clubs and even Middlesbrough all saw something in Roberts, but they all moved him on!

I think it’s time for me to take yet another break from writing to your excellent platform. I only wish it had been available when I was watching the likes of Ambrose Fogarty, Willie McPheat, Colin Nelson (a practising pharmacist), Jackie Overfield and Harry Hooper playing at Roker Park.

It wasn’t all about Charlie Hurley, Brian Clough and Monty!

Back in March or April?

Alan Jackson

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Alan. Thank you for your letter.

Fundamentally, you’re spot on about the simplicity of the two Leeds United goals on Monday evening.

I suspect they knew very well that chaos often erupts in the Sunderland penalty area when dangerous crosses are played in (and certainly if we don’t win the first ball) and that’s what happened — even if Anthony Patterson didn’t cover himself in glory, either.

On the subject of hold up play, I’m not suggesting that the club shouldn’t consider the importance of it as much as I believe that they feel that our go-to style of attacking play, based around pace, power and accurate passing, is enough to see us through without the need for a big lump of a centre forward who can do the less glamorous stuff when games are getting tight.

To some, that might be admirable and to others it might be naive, but they’ve obviously gone all-in on that approach, even if the results have often been mixed.

The form of Patrick Roberts is one aspect of what I feel is a wider issue — namely the right side of our attack being an area of potential weakness.

I’ve yet to be convinced by Ian Poveda at all and the talented yet erratic Abdoullah Ba is currently on loan in France, but I do feel the return of Tommy Watson will give us something different as well as providing some much-needed competition for Roberts, who’s not really been challenged for his shirt in a long time.

Some big decisions await Régis Le Bris, and let’s hope that when you next write to us, we’re still in the automatic promotion race instead of gearing ourselves up for the playoffs!

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Your support was the best from an away team this season.

Sunderland were the better team in the first half but were under the cosh for all the second half. You just sat back and the pressure finally told.

In an earlier letter, one Sunderland supporter stated that the Leeds fans were quiet, but looking back to the first game at your ground, when we reached the latter part of that game you were losing, your ground had half emptied.

This week, when we were trailing, the stadium was still full and supporting the team. That says a lot about our great fanbase.

Anyway, good luck for the rest of the season

Paul Walker

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Paul. Thank you for getting in touch.

When we played you at the Stadium of Light, it’s true that many fans left before full time, and I don’t think many of us could’ve predicted such an unlikely equaliser, but I agree that the atmosphere at Elland Road on Monday, even when you were 0-1 down and with little time remaining, was superb.

I’d be very surprised if you drop any more points at home this season, but we’ll hopefully be able to keep the pressure on, just in case!

Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images