da pinup bet： [ad_pod ]
da pixbet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Jack Ross’ obsession with his side’s defensive issues is consuming him, and it’s doing the Black Cats more harm at the other end of the pitch.
Two, zero, five, five, five, six, zero, one. Those are the goals conceded by Bolton in their eight league games this season.
The Wanderers have the joint-worst defensive record in League One, averaging three goals conceded every game, but Ross’ side account for that disappointing one at the end of the list.
Now, while Coventry City and Oxford United should also feel rather ashamed of their blanks, Sunderland’s goalscoring issues are being caused by one thing, and that is the manager’s incessant desire to focus all his time and energy into something he seemingly has no clue how to fix.
After the 1-1 draw against Rotherham, what did the boss talk about in his post-match review? Clean sheets. A week later, after being booed off the pitch due to a 1-1 draw with struggling Bolton, what did he talk about? Clean sheets.
Maybe we missed a memo, but the last time we checked there are two parts to winning a football match. One is the thing Ross craves so very much, but the other is scoring goals, and that aspect of Sunderland’s game is now suffering. Even some fans have noticed it.
While earlier in the campaign the Black Cats were winning games comfortably due to their prowess at the other end – four separate 3-1 wins can attest to that – they are slowly but surely becoming more passive and negative in the pursuit of clean sheets.
And here’s the kicker – they don’t have one single clean sheet, and the manager is yet to change his formation or defensive system to try and change that.
Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and while the former St. Mirren boss has made some slight changes in his personnel, he rarely ever strays from his horrifically boring 4-2-3-1 formation.
Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch to say his quest for a clean sheet is bordering on the insane, but there is no question it is eating away at him, and if he is not going to make any effort to alter his system then the least he could do is deploy his side with more freedom to make up for it at the other end, or shut up about it.