Tommy Watson debate - #onthewhistle - video Dailymotion

Sunderland Echo

Phil Smith discusses all the big talking points from Sunderland's narrow defeat to Bristol City

Transcript

00:00about this and so we can't really ignore it so Ian says Tommy Watson another poor performance

00:06didn't feel he was fully committed in the game mentality continues to look poor since the move

00:10was confirmed yes being down 10 makes it hard but the players still made an effort maybe being too

00:14critical again but what were your thoughts on him this week and then Davey says difficult to read

00:19too much into the game at the human's red card on Watson the pressure on him following the

00:22announcement of his move looks to have destroyed his confidence he's a young lad who's aware that

00:26he's now considered the villain and he looks mentally tired playing him does no one any favours

00:30so yeah like I yeah I gave I gave Watson a five yesterday I thought he was I thought he was off

00:36it um you know I think in those situations you need your winger and and I know Watson's got it in him

00:42he's got the ability to do it to be able to keep the ball to dribble to win fouls to get you up the

00:46pitch and much the same the way that Meander did and Watson wasn't really able to do that I think

00:53that I'd be really really reluctant to go down the road of saying that that Watson's heart's not in

00:58it since the Brighton move I just don't think it's that simple I've watched Tommy Watson for a lot of

01:04years he's a brilliantly talented young player the defensive side of his game has always been the

01:10area that's going to have to improve um I think anyone who's watched Watson over the years would say

01:15that and moving into the new stage of his career next year with Brighton I think that's going to be

01:19the number one thing that he has to improve so I understand why people feel like maybe watching

01:25his performance that it's there might be a commitment issue I'm not convinced it's that simple

01:29I think he's a little off the pace coming back from injury and don't forget that he was off the

01:34you know he was he was out of action for quite a while um and I think that it's always been a side

01:39of his game that has never looked as convincing as that sort of stuff he does with the ball

01:43the issue yesterday as I mentioned was that he's normally a lot better at keeping the ball

01:47and he was able to yesterday so I think at the moment he's he's struggling for form and I agree

01:53that the timing of the move Sunderland's hope I think was was that by the fact that it would be

01:59announced it would be able to draw a line under it and kind of move on rather than having the last

02:02few weeks of the season sort of the news getting out and drips and jibes and there's been a bit of

02:06a cloud over the club um at the moment I agree that that does look to be too much sort of pressure

02:11scrutiny intensity on such a young player um and I think that's really really difficult and I think it's

02:16definitely that's something something you're going to have to think about because at the moment

02:19obviously he is struggling as I would say the one thing I would say is that I'm not sure I can sit

02:24here and say I agree with the question the the suggestion it's hard something although it's a

02:28commitment issue I'm not sure that's the case I think he's a bit off the pace I think he is

02:32struggling for confidence I think that much is that much is clear um and I just think certainly

02:37those jewels those 50 50s it's never been Tommy Watson's strength and that's going to be something

02:42that if he is going to go in and play in the Premier League that he'll have to improve on over time so

02:45um yeah I completely understand that the comments that's my kind of views on it um you know I did

02:51think he was a little bit off it yesterday but you know I'd be really really reluctant to sit here and

02:55start talking about commitments you know I think that's I'm not quite sure that's the case um but

03:01obviously you know everyone will will have their own opinions

03:04that's it

03:04so

03:10you

03:13you

03:14you

Tommy Watson debate - #onthewhistle

Category

Transcript

Recommended