I doubt Manchester United will have had an easier afternoon all season. Sunderland huffed and puffed in the first half, with Victor Anichebe’s close range effort which was smothered by Romero, being the home side’s only chance of note. Seb Larsson’s red card was a harsh one, but it wouldn’t really have made too much difference to the overall outcome of the game. Individual errors have cost Sunderland once again. You don’t need me to tell you that giving yards of space to players of the class of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, will end in inevitable punishment. Played on a glorious day, this game had a pre-season feel to it. It was like a training exercise at times. United strolled around at will, without ever needing to find second gear. Substitutes like Rashford and Martial are luxuries that our long suffering supporters can only dream of at the moment.
Sunderland have now drawn a blank in their past seven matches, and incredibly, in ten of the past eleven in all competitions. Those types of statistics were usually hallmarks of the ill-fated nineteen and fifteen point seasons. With only twenty-four goals in the ‘for’ column, finding the net this season has been a huge problem. If Jermain Defoe doesn’t score, Sunderland don’t score. It’s as simple as that.
I said last week that the players seem to be waiting for the inevitable, and nothing I saw on Sunday has made me change my mind. The spark just isn’t there. The fire is slowly going out. Sunderland will be dropping out of the Premier League after a decade-long stay. It may be a while before we see the likes of Manchester United on Wearside again, which will be a huge shame. There will be no ‘Great Escape’ this time.
Post a Comment