Sunderland v Coventry

One Year Ago Today….. Defensive Disasterclass

NOW…… COVID-19

THIS TIME LAST YEAR…… COVEN-45

Strange Days….

There’s no football….. I’m working from home…..I’ve not been out for 3 weeks…..less than a mile away, they’ve built and emergency hospital and a temporary morgue….very strange days.

Despite the current chaos, 13th April 2019, will take some beating in the respect of bizarre days? Having bounced back from Wembley defeat to gain 7 points from 9, Sunderland hosted Coventry City.

We hadn’t lost at home, in 20 league games, Coventry hadn’t won away in 20 attempts – they don’t score many, surely only one outcome??

We drew too many games last season, we all know that, but the Coventry game must go down as one of the key moments in our ultimate failure to gain promotion.

They don’t like us and the feeling is mutual, that said their fans really excelled themselves with their behaviour at this game!

The City of Coventry..

Most folk will be aware that Coventry beat Sunderland to win the accolade of City Of Culture, this would only serve to make beating them in the game, even sweeter?

Coventry – Famous Faces

Onto the Match Action

Just a mad game. 3-3 at half time, 4-5 at full time. End to end is an understatement- more like basketball than football.

Obviously conceding 5 at home suggests we didn’t defend too well? We didn’t, absolute fucking shambles, Flanagan and Baldwin were terrorised all day….

Jack Baldwin, (right)…. we’d have been no worse playing Mike Baldwin, (left)

Whilst we were poor at the back, the gap between the back 4 and the midfield was alarming. It’s hard to defend when the attackers are allowed to run at you at pace with the ball?

I was a fan of Jack Ross, probably the biggest criticism I’d have of him was unwillingness to make subs and approaching every game the same tactics wise. It was clear we were getting run ragged after 15 minutes…. Kaz Sterling on for Grigg on 64 minutes and crucially a fit Lee Cattermole an unused sub…. with the value of hindsight look like 2 poor decisions?

SAFCBlog Final Verdict – Sunderland v Coventry

Whilst it’s a Results business, (especially at the tail end of the season), sometimes the manner of defeat, can mean so much more than 3 points dropped? We never really recovered from 19th April 2019, we only won 1 of our last 5 games, taking just 5 points from 15.

Wembley heartbreak is obviously the rawest, most recent memory of last season……but it’s easy to forget that, promotion was on a plate with 7 games to go? 1 win in the last 7 games!!!!!!

STAY HOME – STAY SAFE – BE KIND – FTM