roker report 
14-04-2024 05:56
14-04-2024 05:56
Talking Points: Sunderland edge the Baggies with another disciplined performance
2023/2024 has been a season filled with turbulence and no small amount of unrest for Sunderland fans, but perhaps the strangest quirk is that in the four games he’s overseen against the Baggies and the Whites, interim head coach Dodds hasn’t tasted defeat and has overseen a return of ten points from a possible twelve.
If the home victories over Albion and Leeds in December provided a welcome boost after Tony Mowbray’s departure, our trips to Yorkshire and the Midlands this week saw us pick up positive results through grit, graft, and some tactical adaptability for which Dodds and the players deserve credit.
His decision to switch to a back five helped to stifle Leeds’ attacking threats in midweek, and the system was persisted with yesterday, and with an even better outcome as the likes of Callum Styles and Timothée Pembélé rose to the occasion once again, and Dan Ballard upped his performance level significantly.
As was the case at Elland Road, every player knew exactly what was expected of them and they showed a side to their game that we’ve seldom seen this season.
Dodds has had his fair share of criticism in recent weeks, but five clean sheets from six represents a solid run, and it’s given us the kind of platform that often hadn’t been there earlier in the season- even if we haven’t been as potent in attack as we’d all like the team to be. Pierre Ekwah makes his mark with a vital goal
Yes, it’s that man again. Sunderland’s resident midfield mystery.
Occasionally brilliant and occasionally poor, Ekwah was in the headlines again on Saturday but for all the right reasons, as he swept home a corner with a impudent first-time finish that gave us the lead following Brandon Thomas-Asante’s red card for a brutal challenge on Ballard.
Ekwah made what was a difficult skill to execute look rather easy, and it offered another glimpse of the talent possessed by the former West Ham prospect.
He also turned in a good shift alongside Dan Neil, doing the hard yards and seemingly enjoying the task, and it continued a run of promising performances that he’ll doubtless be keen to build on during the final three games.
Ekwah has the talent, and if he can combine that with application and consistency of performance, he’ll be a hugely important player for us next season. Jack Clarke fails to fire…perhaps unsurprisingly so
Perhaps it was a result of the system deployed by Dodds on Saturday or a byproduct of his lack of fitness, but just like in midweek, Clarke didn’t make any significant impact on the game and Albion found it reasonably easy to keep him under wraps.
Clarke is at his best when we play in a freewheeling, attack-minded style in which his skills can be best utilised, but as a result of a slightly more rigid and defensively-oriented approach at the Hawthorns, nothing really came off for him and his threat was blunted for the majority of the game.
It must be acknowledged that he’s still finding his way back to full match fitness after a lengthy injury layoff, but with no lingering fears about being dragged into a relegation battle and three games left, perhaps Dodds will release the shackles, revert to a more fluid system, and give Clarke the license to play his natural game once again.
Are we entering the final chapter of Clarke’s memorable spell on Wearside? If we are, let’s hope he can go out with a flourish and leave us with yet more positive memories ahead of what could be a big-money transfer this summer. Chris Rigg acquits himself well in an unnatural role
Once again, the fact that sixteen-year-old Rigg found himself named in the starting eleven barely registered before the game, so prodigious is his talent and his maturity. It’s simply a normal occurrence for such a young player to start games for Sunderland these days and once again, the England age-group skipper impressed.
It does feel like it’s time to unleash him in the middle for the remainder of the season, because his skillset isn’t really suited to a wide role, but there was no lack of work rate and determination displayed by Rigg on Saturday and once again, he didn’t look at all overawed amid battles with players who were vastly more experienced.
It’s a sign of Rigg’s selflessness and football intelligence that he can adapt his game as the system demands, but starting with Millwall next weekend, the hope would be that Dodds restores him to his favoured position and that we can unlock a more dangerous side to our attacking game as a result.
Another fine effort from the teenager, and he’s certainly ending 2023/2024 with an impressive run of performances.
If the home victories over Albion and Leeds in December provided a welcome boost after Tony Mowbray’s departure, our trips to Yorkshire and the Midlands this week saw us pick up positive results through grit, graft, and some tactical adaptability for which Dodds and the players deserve credit.
His decision to switch to a back five helped to stifle Leeds’ attacking threats in midweek, and the system was persisted with yesterday, and with an even better outcome as the likes of Callum Styles and Timothée Pembélé rose to the occasion once again, and Dan Ballard upped his performance level significantly.
As was the case at Elland Road, every player knew exactly what was expected of them and they showed a side to their game that we’ve seldom seen this season.
Dodds has had his fair share of criticism in recent weeks, but five clean sheets from six represents a solid run, and it’s given us the kind of platform that often hadn’t been there earlier in the season- even if we haven’t been as potent in attack as we’d all like the team to be. Pierre Ekwah makes his mark with a vital goal
Yes, it’s that man again. Sunderland’s resident midfield mystery.
Occasionally brilliant and occasionally poor, Ekwah was in the headlines again on Saturday but for all the right reasons, as he swept home a corner with a impudent first-time finish that gave us the lead following Brandon Thomas-Asante’s red card for a brutal challenge on Ballard.
Ekwah made what was a difficult skill to execute look rather easy, and it offered another glimpse of the talent possessed by the former West Ham prospect.
He also turned in a good shift alongside Dan Neil, doing the hard yards and seemingly enjoying the task, and it continued a run of promising performances that he’ll doubtless be keen to build on during the final three games.
Ekwah has the talent, and if he can combine that with application and consistency of performance, he’ll be a hugely important player for us next season. Jack Clarke fails to fire…perhaps unsurprisingly so
Perhaps it was a result of the system deployed by Dodds on Saturday or a byproduct of his lack of fitness, but just like in midweek, Clarke didn’t make any significant impact on the game and Albion found it reasonably easy to keep him under wraps.
Clarke is at his best when we play in a freewheeling, attack-minded style in which his skills can be best utilised, but as a result of a slightly more rigid and defensively-oriented approach at the Hawthorns, nothing really came off for him and his threat was blunted for the majority of the game.
It must be acknowledged that he’s still finding his way back to full match fitness after a lengthy injury layoff, but with no lingering fears about being dragged into a relegation battle and three games left, perhaps Dodds will release the shackles, revert to a more fluid system, and give Clarke the license to play his natural game once again.
Are we entering the final chapter of Clarke’s memorable spell on Wearside? If we are, let’s hope he can go out with a flourish and leave us with yet more positive memories ahead of what could be a big-money transfer this summer. Chris Rigg acquits himself well in an unnatural role
Once again, the fact that sixteen-year-old Rigg found himself named in the starting eleven barely registered before the game, so prodigious is his talent and his maturity. It’s simply a normal occurrence for such a young player to start games for Sunderland these days and once again, the England age-group skipper impressed.
It does feel like it’s time to unleash him in the middle for the remainder of the season, because his skillset isn’t really suited to a wide role, but there was no lack of work rate and determination displayed by Rigg on Saturday and once again, he didn’t look at all overawed amid battles with players who were vastly more experienced.
It’s a sign of Rigg’s selflessness and football intelligence that he can adapt his game as the system demands, but starting with Millwall next weekend, the hope would be that Dodds restores him to his favoured position and that we can unlock a more dangerous side to our attacking game as a result.
Another fine effort from the teenager, and he’s certainly ending 2023/2024 with an impressive run of performances.