| Defoe and Pace 13:26 - Jan 12 with 10585 views | PhilmyRs |
Saturday showed up a lot of our frailties away from home, but for me what it showed most was how a lack of pace, a lack of a threat in behind teams, is killing us.
A lot of the teams around us at the bottom have defenders with similar characteristics to us — big and not very mobile. For all the plaudits Dunne has received, and to a lesser extent Caulker, Saturday showed (if it hadn’t already), where we can easily be hurt — balls in behind. Getting in front of the striker to intercept a ball to feet, using strength to brush them off, winning the aerial war, Dunne and Caulker have no issue. They’re at their best when the games played in front of them. However, get a striker with a bit of movement and sharpness, one willing to run in behind and they look uncomfortable. In the case of Caulker (going on Saturdays performance), they look like a pub footballer.
Ings is not express pace, but he’s sharp and willing to run in behind. Every time Burnley hit a hopeful long ball he was in, hassling our back line, causing havoc. Us on the other hand, we never posed that threat. Austin’s a great finisher and improving his hold up play all the time but he lacks pace and rarely gets in behind. Our option from the bench was Bobby Zamora which also made for quite depressing viewing. So much space behind the Burnley back line which Zamora had rightly noted yet you just knew any through ball played, the guy wouldn’t have the legs to get there. The Damien Delaney’s of this world that we’ll be coming up against in our scrap for survival are big units that enjoy the game being played in front of them, they don’t want to be tested by runs in behind. Sadly we just don’t have this weapon available to us.
He’s not the popular choice and I have no idea about the sort of condition he’s in, but I can see the logic in getting someone like Defoe into the squad. Defoe is a striker that prefers facing the opposition’s goal rather than his own. That burst of pace and willingness to not only look to get in behind, but have enough in the tank to get away from a defender is something that we need. Without it, I can see us posing little threat to some of our relegation rivals, whilst with it we could begin hurting teams again, we could actually win an away game.
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| Defoe and Pace on 16:07 - Jan 14 with 2612 views | Lblock |
I wondered myself if this was Candle Faces media Mafia looking to panic and push us but looks like it's happening
I would've welcomed Defo on a SENSIBLE deal but what's being reported would be same old mad mistakes for us
Assuming CF remains in his post I'll be watching with interest to see if he really is the self styled expert wheeler dealer in the transfer market or simply a washed up previously connected by dodgy network chance who threw money around. We'll also see if TF has left the club in good hands or if it'll be window closing panic | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| Defoe and Pace on 17:01 - Jan 14 with 2579 views | Antti_Heinola |
70k a week Defoe going to be on at Sunderland! 70k per week! Incredible. I'm sure he'll get some goals, but fk me. 70k! | |
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| Defoe and Pace on 17:06 - Jan 14 with 2568 views | adhoc_qpr |
My reaction too!
My wife's a mackem and they are probably one of the only teams that look less creative than us most of the time.
Defoe will be feeding on scraps. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 17:25 - Jan 14 with 2551 views | simmo |
It's not just the fact it's 70k, it's the fact it's 70k for a 3 and a half year deal! That's MENTAL.
He better make his agent best man at his wedding! | |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Defoe and Pace on 17:31 - Jan 14 with 2543 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Even without details of the transfer fee, that's 11.75m in wages, plus a couple for a signing-on bonus, one for the agent, and another couple set aside for appearances and (possible) goal bonus.
Could add up to 15-16m for Defoe and his agent, let alone what they've shelled out to Toronto and the MLS.
The world's gone mad. | |
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| Defoe and Pace on 17:36 - Jan 14 with 2539 views | whittocksRs |
£14m to Sunderland. He's 32, no thanks. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 17:44 - Jan 14 with 2531 views | Jamie |
Thought he was going on loan? | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 18:13 - Jan 14 with 2506 views | essextaxiboy |
Unless he scores 10 in the rest of the season they finish 12th and he secures them 80 mil . | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 19:32 - Jan 14 with 2478 views | highlandbill |
After months (a year?) of Rednapp pursuing Defoe he gets nicked from under his nose by Sunderland. Thank God I think. Even if Defoe has a decent shelf life left (which I doubt) there can be little doubt that if Rednapp got him on board he would soon have him playing out of position or used in a fashion which detracts from his abilities. Personally I would remove all transfer activity from this useless shell of a Manager. | |
| At my age I should not be doing this! |
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| Defoe and Pace on 21:01 - Jan 14 with 2426 views | GloryHunter |
Defoe will score against us and Sunderland will win. They will stay up and we will get relegated. Harry will say I Told You So. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 13:14 - Jan 16 with 2352 views | simmo |
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| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Defoe and Pace on 13:17 - Jan 16 with 2343 views | daveB |
doesn't even need to score that many, they draw most games so if he got 5 that's an extra 10 points which will probably keep them up. The wages are ridiculous but we've given similar contracts to worst players | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 13:18 - Jan 16 with 2341 views | CroydonCaptJack |
No, and I suspect that is why we didn't compete for him in the end. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 13:30 - Jan 16 with 2332 views | simmo |
His recent record in the premier league is actually pretty poor. Unless you play to suit him he won't pull up trees all on his own. They will have to change their whole system for one, play 2 up top instead of 4141 or whatever Poyet favours currently. | |
| ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead |
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| Defoe and Pace on 13:59 - Jan 16 with 2307 views | TacticalR |
Never mind Southampton and Swansea. Why can't we be more like Sunderland? | |
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| Defoe and Pace on 14:23 - Jan 16 with 2058 views | PhilmyRs |
I maintain that missing the option of one of our front men getting in behind opposition defences via the ball over the top or in behind down the channels is seriously hampering us. Charlie can’t really do it and Bobby most certainly can’t. Perhaps Vargas is the man, if he ever gets the opportunity to play up front. I think Defoe would have scored goals for us and given us that option, but I won’t lose any sleep over him not signing. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 14:47 - Jan 16 with 2044 views | Jamie |
We all know exactly what is going to happen. He will score a couple of early goals, tail off, and make a tidy £14m warming Sunderlands bench. 0 goals in his last 18 MLS games, 3 in his last 39 PL games, and will be 36 when this contract ends.
Would've been an abysmal transfer, far worse than the SWP one. | | | |
| Defoe and Pace on 15:13 - Jan 16 with 2030 views | nadera78 |
Wasn't he on similar wages in Toronto? I'd rather live there than Sunderland.
We dodged a bullet on that one. For once. | | | |
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