Player observations

[Bassey the warrior]

Here's my two cents (or pennies). Their player Amad Diallo looked pretty tasty, a cheeky loan bid for the Man Utd player next season would be a good option on the right flank.

Solomon first half was outstanding but clearly still building up his fitness as he tired second half. Kurzawa looked great going forward and decent at the back, he's looking better with every game as he regains fitness. Definitely a big upgrade on Bryan.

Tosin and Duffy were both excellent tonight, Duffy's vital goal line clearance was a big moment. Wilson slowly getting back to the player we knew but continues to be wasteful in front of goal.

Obviously we were playing Championship opposition but still plenty of positives with several fringe players staking their claim

[Caedal]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

[RaySmith]

Here's my two cents (or pennies). Their player Amad Diallo looked pretty tasty, a cheeky loan bid for the Man Utd player next season would be a good option on the right flank.

Solomon first half was outstanding but clearly still building up his fitness as he tired second half. Kurzawa looked great going forward and decent at the back, he's looking better with every game as he regains fitness. Definitely a big upgrade on Bryan.

Tosin and Duffy were both excellent tonight, Duffy's vital goal line clearance was a big moment. Wilson slowly getting back to the player we knew but continues to be wasteful in front of goal.

Obviously we were playing Championship opposition but still plenty of positives with several fringe players staking their claim

Though Wilson scored a great goal, well laid off by Vinicius I think.

But agree he was wasteful, should have had a hat -trick in the first half - but it was him who had the pace and skill to break through their lines and create good scoring chances, but his shooting was just a bit off, others also  should have scored for us.

But I thought Wilson was looking much more like his old self, after the injury.

Agree wih your other player assessments.

[Motspur Park]

I don't think Tosin played badly and his more recent games have seen an improvement. I think coaching is key to this and all of our backs seem to be reading the game better, anticipating and making crucial interventions before the opposition forwards meet the ball.

[Sting of the North]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

Care to elaborate on what made Tosin rubbish? Because to me he won nearly everything on the ground and in the air and also was very assured with the ball. What did you spot that made his performance "absolutely rubbish"?

[toshes mate]

I thought there were signs of the Adarabioyo from the Parker era when players broke out of the shells his madness limited them to and not always in a complimentary way either.  Not encouraged by that moment late on one little bit as he surely should by now have got those blemishes out of his system.   There is a good player in him but he needs to discipline himself and read the game better.  I was quite shocked to see it from him as I thought in the long term he had matured away from bad habits. 

[Bassey the warrior]

I thought there were signs of the Adarabioyo from the Parker era when players broke out of the shells his madness limited them to and not always in a complimentary way either.  Not encouraged by that moment late on one little bit as he surely should by now have got those blemishes out of his system.   There is a good player in him but he needs to discipline himself and read the game better.  I was quite shocked to see it from him as I thought in the long term he had matured away from bad habits. 

He has a mistake in him but which player doesn't. Not a starter for me but an excellent back up and still room to improve given his age.

[simplyfulham]

I did think that Duffy looked a bit suspect at times.

Again, it might be more a case a of he's come in cold and is lacking match sharpness and fitness. But his passing looked very very shaky at times.

I did wonder if he could have reacted a bit more to Jack Clarke's shot in the box, seemed to stand off him a bit perhaps?

[Maidstone Lee]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

Agree with all of that.

[TC's Sporran]

I thought wilson should have put vini in instead of taking one of his shots. one of his shots was weaker than a pass. used to be a fave player of mine but hes not shining at the minute.

[bill taylors apprentice]

I thought BDR was poor when he came on but he's not a RB and Reed was very poor and was either giving the ball away or running around like a headless chicken.

Not easy coming on when the game had become frantic but they should have been more composed.

[keithh]

Watched the whole game & also thought "headless chickens at times". Sunderland seemed fitter & faster. Some of our passing was shockingly poor & we were fortunate not to get punished. We won but I just knew that they'd get another goal late on. Couldn't understand why Silva looked annoyed when we got the second goal. Pleased to get this game out of the way. Sunderland ran themselves into the ground & were exhausted at the close. Wilson should have got a brace at least. Now for Leeds!

[General]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

Care to elaborate on what made Tosin rubbish? Because to me he won nearly everything on the ground and in the air and also was very assured with the ball. What did you spot that made his performance "absolutely rubbish"?

For one, in a one on one defensive header he was again the wrong side of his man and despite the considerable height advantage got pushed off the ball. The resulting header led to one of Sunderland's goals. It was sunderlands second goal. Watch it back. He lost the header to a smaller player who was behind him. He essentially misjudged a long ball from a free kick.

He's just not a very strong physical presence and he should be.

For me other criticisms of him at the moment, for a player I've been a fan of historically (both in our previous pl campaign and last year), he ball watches a lot, is slow on the ball and ever so flat footed and doesn't dominate in the way he should given his height.

He needs to bulk up and be more aggressive in games for me.

His positioning this season has also been randomly suspect. He is constantly the wrong side of the player he's marking.

[Sting of the North]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

Care to elaborate on what made Tosin rubbish? Because to me he won nearly everything on the ground and in the air and also was very assured with the ball. What did you spot that made his performance "absolutely rubbish"?

For one, in a one on one defensive header he was again the wrong side of his man and despite the considerable height advantage got pushed off the ball. The resulting header led to one of Sunderland's goals. It was sunderlands second goal. Watch it back. He lost the header to a smaller player who was behind him. He essentially misjudged a long ball from a free kick.

He's just not a very strong physical presence and he should be.

For me other criticisms of him at the moment, for a player I've been a fan of historically (both in our previous pl campaign and last year), he ball watches a lot, is slow on the ball and ever so flat footed and doesn't dominate in the way he should given his height.

He needs to bulk up and be more aggressive in games for me.

His positioning this season has also been randomly suspect. He is constantly the wrong side of the player he's marking.

Thanks for getting back to me. I agree on the situation that lead to the second goal, although Kurzawa should still have cleared it of course. I would also be happier if he could cut out those mistakes from his game.

But I also saw a player that won so many headers and tackles all game and solved a great many dangerous situations almost single handedly. And yet, your conclusion is "absolutely rubbish". That is what I don't get, and I have seen it after several games even when we have kept a clean sheet. For me it looks like absolute hyperbole because of a player not fully living up to your expectations. But that is just my interpretation.

[General]

I thought Tosin was absolutely rubbish.

What struck me last night was how fast the Sunderland players looked, especially the wide players. I thought Clarke and Diablo looked decent.

We should have had the game out of sight in the first half. Wilson and Solomon seemed to refuse to pass the ball, and Wilson missed several decent chances.

Care to elaborate on what made Tosin rubbish? Because to me he won nearly everything on the ground and in the air and also was very assured with the ball. What did you spot that made his performance "absolutely rubbish"?

For one, in a one on one defensive header he was again the wrong side of his man and despite the considerable height advantage got pushed off the ball. The resulting header led to one of Sunderland's goals. It was sunderlands second goal. Watch it back. He lost the header to a smaller player who was behind him. He essentially misjudged a long ball from a free kick.

He's just not a very strong physical presence and he should be.

For me other criticisms of him at the moment, for a player I've been a fan of historically (both in our previous pl campaign and last year), he ball watches a lot, is slow on the ball and ever so flat footed and doesn't dominate in the way he should given his height.

He needs to bulk up and be more aggressive in games for me.

His positioning this season has also been randomly suspect. He is constantly the wrong side of the player he's marking.

Thanks for getting back to me. I agree on the situation that lead to the second goal, although Kurzawa should still have cleared it of course. I would also be happier if he could cut out those mistakes from his game.

But I also saw a player that won so many headers and tackles all game and solved a great many dangerous situations almost single handedly. And yet, your conclusion is "absolutely rubbish". That is what I don't get, and I have seen it after several games even when we have kept a clean sheet. For me it looks like absolute hyperbole because of a player not fully living up to your expectations. But that is just my interpretation.

I've personally never said he's absolutely rubbish. That was someone else. I mentioned that i'm a fan but something this season has seemed off. Perhaps with Diop's arrival he's become unmotivated or lacking in enthusiasm. I think he has a lot of potential, but perhaps has too high opinion of himself, or has got by a bit too casually up until now. I'm not suggesting he hasn't worked hard, but he does have an aura of finding it all a bit too easy and for me it stands out and bugs me, he's clearly talented but he's, for whatever reason, resting on laurels and not showing up in a way I think he can.

He may do well in instances, but at this level if you clock off once or twice, which he has the ability to do in most games i've seen him this season, it can cost you points and games. It's been a frustrating thing to witness time and again.

He does get caught the wrong side of an attacking player far too often, giving them a head start, he can be too lethargic at times when he plays his passes along the back and it invites pressure on. He's a physically imposing player who lacks aggression and in my view needs to bulk up and switch on a bit more.

I'm glad you see what I said about the goal, sadly though it's not the only instance this season where he's been the cause of an action that has led to a goal. I remember him against Newcastle in the middle of our six yard box ball watching as Wilson prodded the ball into that area, only for Isaak to get from behind Tosin's position to ahead and score the winning goal.

That sequence can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSjQzVoI888 and the build up to the goal is from 2.26mins in. He has been and is a liability for us this season, sadly.

I don't for one second though think that's because he's not got it in him to be better, but he's coasting and it's costing us and we're conceding goals as a result. And to think he only came on as a sub against newcastle as a CB to prevent goals being score, it's the whole point of the job and he dozed off at the most important time not to.

I think he needs a kick up the backside, not because I think he's useless - far from it, but because I think he needs to be more 'on it' and hungry to prove himself and match the potential he has. He said he wanted to be a premier league captain once, he has it in him, but he's not performing to that standard yet.

I think he could be a colossus and it'd be exciting to see an in form, intense partnership of Diop and Tosin for years to come, but he needs to improve.

[Sting of the North]

Thanks for the well written post, and apologies for confusing you with another poster. I largely agree with the problem areas for Tosin, although I don't think he has generally been anything close to a liability this season. Many good games, but agree he could be even better.

Cheers