Fan Letters: "Alan Browne should be credited with Sunderland's equaliser against Leeds!"
Today at 01:00 AM
RR reader Stuart Lathan is adamant that our late leveller should be given to Browne rather than listed as an own goal. Got something to say? Email us: RokerReport@yahoo.co.uk
Dear Roker Report,
I've watched our fluke equaliser against Leeds United over and over again and I still can't see any deflection off Junior Firpo. Even if there was a slight deflection, there's no way that the direction of Alan Browne's thunderbolt was altered.
We see goals scored every week that take a deflection off a defender but they don't go down as an own goal, as the path of the ball was originally on target and the flight of the ball doesn't change.
On this occasion, the ball actually bounced in front of Illan Meslier and bounced away from him, either because of the spin of the ball or 'the massive dent' in the pitch which Pascal Struijk claimed existed.
Either way, it should be credited to Browne rather than listed as an own goal.
Stuart Lathan
Ed's Note [Phil]: At the time, it was impossible to tell just what had happened when Browne got his foot to the ball and it sailed towards Illan Meslier's goal.
From my vantage point, it looked as though the Leeds goalkeeper had simply misjudged the bounce, but on the Sky Sports replays, it was clear that the ball did take a nick off Junior Firpo's head after Browne had made contact with it, although whether Meslier was deceived by that is anyone's guess.
A surreal moment at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable match, and I think we deserved it on the balance of play.
Dear Roker Report,
I've just finished writing my Christmas card to Illan Meslier. It wasn't great, was it?
It was clear that the lads were shattered from Tuesday and even more evident that rotation of players should've occurred for the Derby game.
Adrenaline and Chris Rigg's goal got us through the opening fifteen minutes, but could the tide have shifted had one of Jobe's efforts crept in or been deflected beyond Meslier?
Maybe, but they didn't and from the sixteenth minute until around the fortieth minute, it was all Leeds and we could've found ourselves behind at the break.
It was slightly better in the second half with more wasted chances and possession, but I would've liked to have seen Tommy Watson get on a bit earlier and for Milan Aleksić to be given twenty minutes alongside Alan Browne, as there were times where pace and precise passing could've unlocked their defence.
Never mind. Our first draw of the season which came from a losing position should oddly give the lads confidence going into the break and to be fired up to pick up three points on the road at Hull!
Finally, why on earth do all of our fans leave in the eighty fifth minute?
It's shocking. A nearly half-empty stadium for a Friday night game?! Piss poor. It was an 11pm kick off and 1:00am finish where I am, and there's no excuse for leaving early, even if you're getting battered.
Calum Mills
Ed's Note [Phil]: For me, Friday's clash with Leeds was just a thoroughly enjoyable Championship affair, with two superb sides going head to head and both enjoying good spells throughout the game.
I do think we looked slightly short of energy at times and that some wayward finishing in both halves arguably cost us the chance to take even more from the game than we did, but we defended our unbeaten home record with a great deal of pride and fought until the very last kick of the game, which is extremely encouraging.
The international break has come at a good time for us, as it'll allow the likes of Aaron Connolly to get up to speed, as well as giving the players who've done so well in recent weeks a chance to recover. We're in a strong position and I think there's a lot to be positive about.
Dear Roker Report,
I'm just back from the Leeds match and full of frustration as I can't understand why Régis Le Bris chose the tactics he did.
We started very slowly and were prepared to let Leeds have the ball, with Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle pulled back into midfield. Where's the 'pressing game' that Le Bris promised and delivered in earlier games gone?
We took the lead but continued to be sluggish going forward. We then let Leeds score when we were in defensive mode from a cross which caught our central defenders out of position and resulted in a simple headed goal.
That was bad enough but their second goal was a joke, with four midfield players failing to stop the ball being played into our box. However, my main criticism is of Trai Hume's position in the second half.
He was clearly pushed forward into a midfield role but looked lost as Dan Neil ended up covering the right back position and Roberts was squeezed for space on the right wing. Hume was clearly put out by this, as his body language showed.
The point we got is only papering over the cracks as Leeds were by far the better team.
If we'd played to our attacking strengths, it may have delivered three points. I hope Le Bris learns from this game.
Bill Fisher
Dear Roker Report,
Surely I'm not the only one who found the second half of Leeds painful viewing until the last-minute surprise?
I think in this we might have seen Régis Le Bris' key weakness and something I've seen hints of in the past: his poor use of substitutes.
By the seventieth minute, it was clear that most of the team was absolutely exhausted but he really held off on subs.
Nobody is perfect of course and otherwise he's been brilliant. We can hardly whinge with us top of the table but perhaps it's a sign of something he needs to work on?
Paul Jones
Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Bill and Paul. Thank you for your letters.
I have to say that I did find some of the criticism of our tactical approach to the Leeds game slightly strange, as well as our overall performance, which I thought was generally good. We weren't overawed or outplayed by the visitors, and the draw was a fair result.
We were clearly feeling the effects of our third game in six days, but the Lads worked extremely hard and although I would've liked to have seen us capitalise on our early goal, it's all part of the process and I do think Le Bris will have learned quite a lot from what he saw, and when to make changes would be among that.
They were the best side we've played this season, and by some distance. Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka were excellent in midfield, and we do need to master the art of controlling things in the middle of the park to a greater extent than we've often done this season.
That'll come with time, but I do think there are more positives than negatives at this stage.
Dear Roker Report,
In response to Gerald Kearney's letter, you have an entirely logical view of Chris Rigg and his potential, but there's no need to be offensive about a journalist's view regarding a potential transfer.
As a Birmingham fan, we were surprised that Jobe Bellingham joined Sunderland.
At the time, you'd just been promoted after a sojourn in League One, and for such a paltry transfer fee, it seemed like a step down at the time, especially considering that in some coaches' opinions, he was better than Jude.
In reality, Sunderland have some excellent coaches (some ex-Birmingham), and your club has a fantastic coaching development scheme for young players, but you should recognise that Birmingham does as well.
Although you may not see much developmental potential in Rigg joining Birmingham, as we've been warned by League One clubs, you might be 'in for a shock'.
We're in the throes of spending £3 billion on a sports development project close to the city and a sixty thousand seater stadium. The club is on the rise and will be unrecognisable from the embarrassment we once were.
We're light years from being Borussia Dortmund but so are many clubs. Sunderland is a wonderful club, and hopefully Birmingham can aspire to be just as good.
Much depends on achieving promotion this season, and indeed whether Sunderland reach the promised land of the Premier League. But whatever, stay true to your roots, be humble and don't denigrate aspiration.
It's probably agents stirring the pot but at Birmingham, we were told Jay Stansfield wouldn't leave Fulham, but he did, and what a player he is.
Whatever happens, I wish Sunderland nothing but good- no matter how aspirational they are and what aligned journalists write.
Stephen King
Ed's Note [Phil]: Personally, and although many Sunderland fans might disagree, I have no issue with Birmingham aiming high and having a vision for the future.
Having spent four years in League One ourselves, we know that the hope of a better tomorrow and a brighter future for your football club is one thing that keeps you going, which is absolutely fair, and hopefully you can take the first step on that path by winning promotion this season.
Regarding Chris Rigg's future, I'm absolutely convinced that he's destined to play at the very top of the world game, and most likely for one of the foreign heavyweights. Having watched him on a weekly basis this season, I can honestly say that there's never been a player at Sunderland who's been this good at such a young age.
You would've experienced this with Jude Bellingham and we're seeing it with Rigg: some players just have that special something, and as much as we'd love them to stay, talent can't be held back, and I'm sure Rigg will go on to have a stellar career beyond his time at Sunderland.
