Chronic Disappointment
First off, I can’t express just how gutted I was that we lost.
Take the fact this was Port Vale out of the equation, because it could have been anyone for me – the fact we would have been just one game from a potential Wembley semi-final had we won the game was absolutely gutting. I’ve come to love our regular trips down there for games of football over the years and I really did believe, particularly after the win at Leeds on Tuesday, that this was going to be our time.
The fact we went into the game
and looked like we wanted it less than they did was disappointing enough. Sure, Ballard, O’Nien and Alderete were as committed as they always are, but I felt like the rest badly let us down.
I don’t think I’ve sat after a game and questioned the desire of our players often this season. From memory, I’d probably say West Ham away, Brentford away and Fulham at home are the only times where I’ve come away feeling like the other team noticeably wanted it more than we did. Yet, on Sunday the plucky underdogs from League One adapted better than we did to the conditions and just wanted it that little bit more than us.
Over 3,000 fans made the trip to Burslem at super short notice and deserved a lot more effort than was on display. I said it plenty in the build-up to the game, but if Sunderland were able to match the willingness of Port Vale we’d still win the game, because of our superior quality. Yet, we didn’t, and they deservedly won.
That’s unforgivable, and points to poor preparation.
Went In Blindfolded… But How?
It was reassuring listening to Robbie Savage on the TNT Sports commentary as he was constantly baffled by the way Sunderland approached the game. He couldn’t get his head around why we were knocking it between defence and midfield slowly on such an awful pitch, which was exactly what I was thinking watching from home.
The pitch was so bad that after about 20 minutes they played a compilation of the ball bobbling.
So why didn’t we adapt? I heard their goalscorer after the game saying that the Port Vale players loved the pitch. He may have said that with his tongue firmly planted inside his cheek, but it does show that they embraced it rather than using it as an excuse for anything (and we’ll get onto the pitch and other excuses in a minute).
We just kept doing the same things over and over. It was infuriating. When we got into attacking areas, our first instinct was to try and play a safe pass instead of taking risks. Why? Why were we so afraid to shoot from range, take people on, fire balls into the box and cause mayhem?
By the time we did – i.e. the last five minutes of normal time, when we eventually stuck Ballard up front to try and make the ball stick – it was far too late and Port Vale were scrapping for every loose ball to ensure they got over the line.
That’s irritating in itself, but why did we look so unprepared for the conditions? Surely, given the state of their pitch is pretty well known, and we were facing a team rooted to the bottom of League One, we knew what we were walking into?
It just didn’t feel like we’d done our homework. If we had, we wouldn’t have been trying to play a style of football that works on a Premier League surface but doesn’t on a farmer’s field.
Excuses That Aren’t Excuses
I’ve mentioned the pitch a fair bit now and it probably sounds like I’m using it as an excuse, but I’m really not. We all knew their pitch would be terrible and we shouldn’t act shocked.
And yes, we were missing practically an entire eleven of first-team players for this game, but that’s not an excuse either. We had more than enough quality on the pitch to have got the job done – and on the bench, with the likes of Xhaka and Isidor on there who are proven at a high level. Even our worst players are better than their best, so at the end of the day, it all comes down to effort and endeavour, which they easily had more of on the day.
Have To React Quickly
I’ve tried my best to ignore and avoid social media after the game as I can only imagine what has been said, but the time isn’t for an inquest now, especially with some important league games coming up. That said, the performance was inexcusable and now the players and the Head Coach have to prove their worth all over again when we play Brighton. We’re all expecting a proper response, particularly with the Newcastle game on the horizon.
This is a good group of players and we’ll benefit immensely from so many of the injured and suspended lads returning, so let’s try and put the disappointment of the Port Vale defeat to bed, and quickly, so that we can start talking more optimistically again.
