Fan Letters: "Le Bris knows what he's doing — show him more trust, Sunderland fans!"
01/06/2025 01:00 AM
"RLB will not get it right every time but he seems to have his finger very much on the pulse of this squad. Let's show more trust in him with his selections," says RR reader Peter. Email us: RokerReport@Yahoo.co.uk
Dear Roker Report,
RLB has been criticised for being too stubborn because of delays in dropping players. When Mayenda missed a 3-point sitter against Blackburn, he still stuck with him for the Sheffield game. When he then confidently put away a similar chance, RLB got great credit for showing faith in his player.
It's likely if he'd missed he'd have been pilloried for favouring some players over others! It seems, for some fans, he just can't win.
Fans need to realise they see players only for the 90 minutes they play but he, and his coaches, see them every day on the training pitch so have a far better feel for their form and what they might do if they do play.
Sticking with a player as he gains confidence is not the same as picking a player because he's some sort of favourite. Fans need to show more patience with team selections as some players take longer than others to show their real potential.
RLB will not get it right every time but he seems to have his finger very much on the pulse of this squad. Let's show more trust in him with his selections.
Peter Tyrell
Ed's Note [Gav]: I completely agree with you — I have full trust and faith in him and the way he manages the players. I think the management of Aouchiche has been brilliant, for instance — he's had to really earn his way into this side. It would have been much easier to just stick him in earlier in the season, but he didn't. That's just one example but you catch my drift.
Dear Roker Report,
Having watched the Lads make hard work of beating a very mediocre Portsmouth team, I worry that unless we find a goalscorer from somewhere, we'll end up in the playoffs at best. We should have scored at least four goals today and ended up hanging on against 10 men.
My other concern relates to the ridiculous attendance figure for today and other matches in recent weeks. Until this season, I was a season ticket holder before and after the move to the SoL. I now choose to watch from the comfort of my living room. 62 years is a long sentence! It was obvious watching on TV that the crowd was somewhere around 30 - 32 thousand at best. Are we trying to be seen as the best supported club in the Championship or is there another reason? Our crowds since relegation to League One and since have been incredible but please don't set ourselves up as a laughing stock in the eyes of Leeds, other big Championship clubs and that Lot up the road.
Alan Jackson
Ed's Note [Gav]: I don't share your concerns for scoring goals, to be honest. Aye we could always be doing better, but generally our touch in front of goal is decent.
Only three teams have scored more goals than we have — Norwich, Leeds and Middlesbrough. Burnley, who are second, have scored just 31 goals in 26 games! I don't see scoring goals as an issue. Isidor has started a canny little partnership with Mayenda, but we get goals from all over the pitch and I think that's the key to success, and not just having one player who scores the vast majority of your goals.
Dear Roker Report,
It's all very well banging on about 4-4-2 being the boost we needed. I can't disagree with the offensive work but quite frankly I think defensively we have lost it. The panic that sets in seems to come from us not having control of the ball... I don't like the way we surrender possession wait for the ball to enter the penalty area then…. panic stations… miskicks, bad calls, hesitant, and unforced errors! Not for me... the more we have the ball the less the opposition can do with it and the more we can penetrate and not rely on quick breakaways.
Just my opinion, we should be able to score more goals judging from the amount of chances we create inside the opposition defensive area.
Stephen Jameson
Ed's Note [Gav]: As much as I think we should always strive to improve, I can't pick many faults with the way we play or are set up. We're fourth in the league, have won our last two, just kept a clean sheet... all whilst having an entire XI of first team players unavailable through injury. Yes there are situations where we need to dominate the ball more, but you saw against Sheffield United what we can do if we surrender the possession and go more direct. It won't work in every single game, but it will against strong sides that want to have the ball.
