da poker： Phil Parkinson hasn’t had much success since his arrival in the north-east but he has also experienced very little luck too, and that was evidenced once again last Saturday.
da apostebet： A brilliant goal by Blackpool made the three points difficult, particularly after going several matches without a win, but Parkinson’s system and his trust in Charlie Wyke allowed them to get an equaliser.
They could have got the win if George Dobson didn’t make a reckless challenge which resulted in a red card, and that epitomised the way players just aren’t doing what Parkinson wants right now.
Dobson’s actions will have a long-term effect, too, as he will miss key games over a busy festive period coming up, including matches against Fleetwood and Doncaster – two teams near Sunderland in the table.
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Parkinson has varied his formations since his arrival but after operating with a 5-2-3 formation in the previous two matches, and seeing improvement, he could look to maintain the style.
Dobson has been important to the success of the new formation. He made three tackles against Blackpool, the second-most of any player in the side, while his 84% pass accuracy gave the Black Cats a foothold in the match.
The new formation relies on a player to provide that combativity in midfield, otherwise, there is a risk of the opponent overloading the middle of the park, and without Dobson the team could suffer.
Max Power has started regularly this term but his displays have declined significantly with each passing game, and it is a worry that Sunderland only have Grant Leadbitter to call upon to play alongside him.
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The only silver lining for Parkinson is that Sunderland don’t have a match this weekend, and that means he has several days available to prepare his squad for the Boxing Day fixture against Bolton.
That should give him adequate time to increase his players’ understanding of his style, and what he wants them to provide, which in turn could lead to the Black Cats’ first win after eight without one.
Leadbitter and Power will be important to making that a reality, and if they seize their chance with the former slotting in well, then Sunderland may start to turn a corner.
Meanwhile, fans have had cause for excitement and many are pleased to see David Jones join the club as a non-executive director.