Gus Poyet couldn’t stop smiling the day he became Sunderland’s new manager. He was back in the game. This was what he’d been waiting for.
He even confessed that he’d targeted the Black Cats at the start of the season as a club that might change bosses if thing were to go belly up. And belly up they certainly went under Paolo Di Canio though even Poyet might have been surprised that it happened so quickly. Five games in and the Italian was gone.
It fell to stalwart Under-21 coach Kevin Ball to steer the team through two difficult home fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester United. The new boss was given the international break to get his feet under the table and a much easier game at Swansea to get off to a winning start.
Oops!
Sunderland collapsed after conceding an own goal in the 57th minute. Twenty minutes later, they were four down. It was the classic response of a team that has become used to defeat.
The possibility of a “new boss bounce” effect as had happened when both Di Canio and his predecessor Martin O’Neill had taken charge had been lost.
Instead, the Uruguayan finds himself facing local rivals Newcastle United this afternoon, needing, at worst, a draw to avoid coming under intense pressure early into his tenure.
Of course, a victory over their fiercest rivals would give Poyet instant hero status. That’s how the Tyne-Wear derby works.
Few fans wouldn’t pause to consider that a win today would give them only four points, and that safety would still be a long way away. But if Sunderland are beaten, they’ll have just one point from nine games. Already they’ve made the worst start by anyone in Premier League history.
The situation is not Poyet’s fault because the damage was done before he arrived. It’s also too easy to blame Di Canio’s explosive eccentricities and the lack of quality in his signings during a mad trolley dash of a summer.
Consider this. Thirteen of Sunderland’s squad have played for all three managers in 2013. Almost all are full internationalists. Between them they’ve amassed a total of well over 3,000 games.
The club pays them very good money, yet they’ve won just four League matches this year.
Isn’t it about time they took some responsibility?
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe