How do Sunderland rebuild some momentum? #onthewhistle

Sunderland Echo

Phil Smith discusses Sunderland's key challenge as part of his regular Q&A with readers

Transcript

00:00So, the first one here from Andrea, how do we get the momentum back?

00:05Which is something that I was kind of thinking about,

00:10because it's obviously, we talked a little bit about in recent weeks

00:13about how this is a unique situation really with Sunderland

00:15pretty much knowing their fate so far out from the season.

00:18It's quite common for a team to know they're going to be in the playoffs

00:20from three or four games out, and then you sort of have that debate

00:23about do you rest and rotate, do you try and just attack it

00:26with your best team to build some momentum?

00:28You know, to be so far out and be having this conversation

00:30is quite unusual for Sunderland.

00:32And in some ways, I think that's a bit of a positive.

00:34You know, in response to your question, Andrea,

00:36I think there is time to regain that momentum.

00:39I think there is still time to do what you need to do

00:41in terms of freshening the team up and still have three or four games

00:44at the end where you can really attack it with your,

00:46inverted commas, best team.

00:48I think that clearly, I think the main thing is going to be some recovery time.

00:52I think it's blatantly obvious that a lot of players in this team need a break.

00:55And so the international break is going to be a really important time for that.

00:58The concern with that is that a lot of players are going away

01:01on international duty.

01:02So you don't know how much rest these players are going to have.

01:06It's something I spoke about at the pre-match press conference

01:08with Ibris.

01:09And he said, you know, we have built really good relationships

01:12with these national teams, especially with the youth teams

01:14in terms of how we manage the minutes of these players.

01:16And he's hopeful that's something that will kind of continue to bear fruit

01:19and that these players will be looked after

01:21and they won't be sort of overplayed during the international break.

01:24So, yeah, I think rest and recovery is the most important thing.

01:27And the one positive is players like Daniel, Patrick Roberts,

01:30Luke09, Wilson Isidore.

01:33These players are going to get a proper break now,

01:35which could be really, really important.

01:36It's obvious on these videos, especially earlier in the season

01:40when Daniel was getting a bit of criticism, really defended him

01:43and then had a brilliant run of form.

01:45It's very rare for Daniel to come off 10 minutes into the second half.

01:48That tells you that he's just not at the level we know he's capable of.

01:51I think, you know, I'm quietly hopeful that a couple of weeks rest

01:54will make the difference for him.

01:55I think with some of the younger players going away on the national team,

01:58that's obviously a bit more of a concern because you don't know

02:00what level of rest they're going to get.

02:02Tricky one, that, because obviously the opportunity to go and play

02:05for your country is the absolute highest honour in football.

02:07So it's not an easy one for someone to manage.

02:09I think the other thing that I would say is that, you know,

02:12a couple of players back is going to make a big difference.

02:14I think the one positive that I'm clutching to,

02:17and hopefully I'm not being overly optimistic,

02:20is that Enzo Laffey, if he's not back for the Millwall game

02:22after the international break,

02:23he should definitely be back for the West Brom game.

02:25I'm hoping that will have a massive impact.

02:28You know, I think especially with Mundell and Watson,

02:30who again, they're going to have a couple of weeks more training now,

02:33which will hopefully benefit them.

02:34The opportunity to drop Laffey into midfield,

02:36which I think is a position where some of them

02:38are really struggling for energy at the moment,

02:40with the quality he's got, his willingness to take the ball,

02:43his ability to make things happen,

02:44the impact that will have on everyone really in terms of lifting the mood,

02:48I'm hopeful will make a difference.

02:49That's kind of the one positive I'm taking away from the game.

02:53So that's definitely, you know,

02:55something that I hope will make a difference after the international break.

02:57But I think the other thing is to try and increase the pool of players, really.

03:03You know, I thought it was really strict.

03:04I thought Alan Brown would start yesterday.

03:06I thought that against Cardiff,

03:08he had an excellent first half before Tyrone,

03:11which was unstandable because he hadn't played much football.

03:14So really surprised he hasn't started one of the last two games.

03:16I really thought he would come on at halftime.

03:18Yesterday, or at least in the first set of subs.

03:21Because to me, I just think his sort of bite and his energy

03:23and championship experience,

03:24it looks like something to cry out for a little bit in midfield.

03:28So I was really surprised he didn't come on until much later in the game.

03:31Then when he did, he came on on the right wing.

03:33I thought that was strange, to be honest.

03:35I think he's a player who thinks someone needs some new energy.

03:38They need someone who's really sort of got something to pray for

03:41and really eager to get on the pitch and make things happen.

03:44Laffey will do that.

03:45Nathalie Brown, someone else,

03:46is that I think someone will surely have to look at using a little bit more

03:50after the international break to try and just increase that energy,

03:53if you like, in midfield.

03:55So, yeah, hopefully I've answered that a little bit.

03:58I think there are some sort of...

04:02There should be some positives on the horizon

04:03in terms of the rest that players are getting

04:05and some players coming back from injury.

04:07But especially with injury on the field,

04:09I've said that all season.

04:10So we'll have to see how that develops.

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