Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react after Sunderland's 1-0 defeat against Bristol City
Sunderland Echo
Follow
17/12/2023
Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react after Sunderland's 1-0 defeat against Bristol City at Ashton Gate
Category
🥇
Sports
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Outside Ashton Gate where Sunderland have been beaten 1-0 by Bristol City. Tommy Conway
00:05
for Bristol City scoring the only goal of the game in the 20th minute and Phil you spoke
00:10
to Mike Dodds after the game and he said, thought your side played well apart from that
00:14
15 minutes of madness really in the first half.
00:16
Yeah I thought the first half was really poor personally. I thought Sunderland did have
00:20
chances at times but I thought the intensity was miles off where it needed to be. And Dodds
00:24
said he agreed with that but I thought the second half was then, for me, just a pretty
00:28
familiar story really. They had pretty much all the ball, worked it into good areas really
00:32
easily, got the byline more than you could ever hope for really but just lacked that
00:36
killer presence in the box. And we've said it so many times this season but changing
00:40
the head coach was never going to change the biggest issue of this team. It's clinical
00:44
touching the box just isn't there.
00:45
Sunderland once again today played without a striker, Pritchard played as a false nine
00:49
with Clarke alongside him. What did Dodds have to say afterwards about the striker that
00:53
didn't come on off the bench?
00:55
Yeah he just said he was happy with the way his team were playing and that he didn't want
00:58
to change the shape in case they gave up their dominance of the game which I can understand
01:01
but I think you have to say that it's fairly talent when you're chasing a goal. You don't
01:04
turn to any strikers until the 86th minute. It is a big problem for Sunderland. I understand
01:09
that these players might be good in the long run for the club but it hasn't worked this
01:14
season. I think to be at this point in the season where the striker's not scoring a goal
01:18
and some of them not even getting on the pitch when you're chasing a goal, I think it tells
01:21
you that it just hasn't worked out. Whether it's Tony Mowbray, Mike Dodds or Mick Bale
01:25
next week, it's the biggest issue at this club and at the moment it's the biggest hurdle
01:29
they've got to overcome.
01:30
You mentioned Mick Bale there, he's expected to now be appointed the head of next weekend's
01:34
home game against Coventry and as we said today there are a lot of positives to work
01:38
with with this young group.
01:39
There definitely are. I think you saw again they played really well for the vast majority
01:42
of the game. I'm sure he'll win a lot of games to be honest because the players are excellent
01:47
but I think there's a lot of work to do still in that final third.
Recommended
0:40
|
Up next
First look at Sunderland's new Midnight Pizza Crü restaurant in revived building
Sunderland Echo
2 days ago
1:22
Joe Nicholson reacts following Sunderland's 1-0 defeat against Cardiff City
Sunderland Echo
25/09/2023
2:09
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's 1-0 win over Cardiff City
Sunderland Echo
11/04/2023
2:06
Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react after Sunderland's 2-0 defeat against Plymouth
Sunderland Echo
25/11/2023
2:41
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's 2-1 win over Birmingham City
Sunderland Echo
15/04/2023
1:45
Millwall 1 Sunderland 1: Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react to draw at The Den
Sunderland Echo
02/12/2023
2:32
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland huge 2-1 win over West Brom
Sunderland Echo
23/04/2023
2:47
Joe Nicholson reacts as Sunderland draw with Bristol City after late penalty
Sunderland Echo
19/02/2023
2:08
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's 4-0 defeat against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light
Sunderland Echo
07/10/2023
2:39
Sunderland 0 Newcastle 3 - Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react after FA Cup clash
Sunderland Echo
06/01/2024
16:28
Sunderland 2-1 Stoke City: Phil Smith's verdict
Sunderland Echo
07/12/2024
4:05
Coventry City 3-0 Sunderland: Instant reaction
Sunderland Echo
15/03/2025
1:48
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's goalless draw against Coventry City
Sunderland Echo
26/08/2023
1:43
Bristol City 2-1 Sunderland - Instant reaction from the press box
Sunderland Echo
18/04/2025
3:08
Reaction as Sunderland lose 1-0 to Norwich City at the Stadium of Light
Sunderland Echo
27/08/2022
4:16
Sunderland 0-1 QPR: Instant reaction from the press box
Sunderland Echo
03/05/2025
4:03
Sunderland 2-1 Cardiff City: Phil Smith and James Copley react
Sunderland Echo
08/03/2025
2:17
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's 3-1 win over Norwich City
Sunderland Echo
28/10/2023
13:15
Phil Smith answers Sunderland fans' questions after Norwich City defeat
Sunderland Echo
03/03/2024
2:12
Blackburn Rovers 2 Sunderland 0 reaction from Joe Nicholson
Sunderland Echo
19/10/2022
2:22
Joe Nicholson reacts after Sunderland's 2-1 defeat against Stoke City
Sunderland Echo
21/10/2023
2:06
Joe Nicholson and Phil Smith react after Sunderland's goalless draw at Swansea
Sunderland Echo
04/11/2023
16:53
Phil Smith reviews Sunderland 1-1 Bristol City
Sunderland Echo
11/12/2024
2:08
Hull City 2-1 Sunderland: Instant match report from MKM Stadium
Sunderland Echo
2 days ago
13:27
Sunderland lose at Plymouth - #onthewhistle
Sunderland Echo
16/09/2024