'The players' confidence was absolutely shot to pieces'
We're about to find out what this Sunderland squad is really made of.
Because when you are on a run like this and everything seems to be going against you, it's when you discover who is brave and who isn't quite up for it.
Whichever way you look at Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Bolton, the only conclusion you can reach is that it was a complete nightmare.
It was a miserable a performance, strewn with errors that gifted Bolton their goals.
And it could, probably should, have been worse because Bolton striker Johan Elmander missed a glorious chance to make it 5-1 – and complete his hat-trick.
The thing that worries me most is that we lost so heavily, at home, and yet it was a game WE took the lead in.
When you score the first goal it should take the pressure off, settle you down and help you to play.
Instead, it wasn't long before we conceded a ridiculously soft equaliser and then the least said about the other three goals the better.
This is becoming a habit.
I don't know if there's an element of fear creaping in about playing at the Stadium of Light, but there shouldn't be.
You should look forward to your home games most.
It appeared to me that the players' confidence was absolutely shot to pieces. I saw no leaders.
This is a huge test of character. I've been in this position and I know that you have to get together as a squad and fight your way out of it.
The players have to show a bit of guts and they'll soon know within the squad who they can rely on.
There is little doubt in my mind that the players Roy Keane has brought to the club are better than the ones we had.
Yet here we are staring down the barrel of another fight for survival.
We've got beyond the stage where we can say we have to give the new players time to gel. We're a third of the way into the season now and things should be clicking into place.
As Keane said in his own words recently: "Good players don't make good teams."
They have to make themselves into a team – quickly!
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
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Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
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