Jack Ross reveals 'frank' half-time discussion in Sunderland dressing room after woeful first half against Ipswich

Jack Ross has revealed there was a ‘frank’ discussion in the Sunderland dressing room at half-time after slamming a woeful first half against Ipswich Town.
Sunderland manager Jack Ross.Sunderland manager Jack Ross.
Sunderland manager Jack Ross.

Sunderland fell behind to Luke Garbutt’s early strike, the Black Cats woeful in the first half and the game should have been over by the break.

Ross switched to a flat back four 30 minutes in and brought Chris Maguire on at the break, it helped add some bite to the attack and Sunderland finally had a foothold in the game.

They equalised out of nowhere, the game ending 1-1.

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Lynden Gooch got them back on level terms just past the hour mark, finishing a Marc McNulty centre after a defensive howler from Luke Chambers.

Ross reflected: “The first half was a long way short of where we need to be, a long way short of what we need to do as a team and a long way short of what I would put my name to.

“Ultimately, it always comes back to me. There was a frank discussion at half-time because we were a goal behind to a team that did the fundamentals a lot better than us.

“They were aggressive, competitive, physical. That have them a platform to go and create and we were deservedly behind.”

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Ross added: “Second half we do that and take something from the game.

“A lot to contemplate, first half is a long way off. The second half was a huge difference, it emphasises that you need to do the basics to show the quality you have.

“We’ve got players with quality but you need to do the basics.

“It’s not very often I’ve said that in my time here, we’ve been frustrated by results at times but there’s been very few times when I can be disappointed with the application. That was the case in first 45 but credit to them, they turned it around.”

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The Black Cats have drawn their opening two League One fixtures, the draw at Portman Road following the point at home to Oxford United.

Sunderland travel to Accrington Stanley on Tuesday evening in the League Cup.