Fan blog: Bad week on and off the pitch for Sunderland AFC

When you’re struggling at the bottom, difficult decisions have to be made, but the timing of this decision leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of club employees and supporters alike.

To announce cost-cutting redundancies just days after the first team squad have returned from an all-expenses-paid trip to New York is a huge own goal.

It emphasises the disconnect that exists between working class people and those in privileged positions and further damages the reputation of a club which is supposed to be at the heart of its community.

On Saturday, we once again showed average opposition too much respect.

For some reason, we approach these games like other sides approach matches against Man City and Chelsea. We simply put 11 men behind the ball and play for a 0-0 draw.

When will Moyes realise that this tactic doesn’t work? By sitting deep, you invite pressure, and when you win the ball (without Anichebe up top) you have no outlet as Defoe is completely isolated, so the ball keeps coming back and the cycle repeats until the opposition scores.

We need to be braver and defend higher up the field, pressing the ball at every opportunity.

Be positive, attack from the start instead of starting to play when we fall behind. Lessons need to be learnt quickly.