After Blues lost at Middlesbrough, Andy Munro is a bit despondent.
If it’s the hope that kills you then most Bluenoses will live a long life, because even the hope has disappeared.
Yet another pitiful and flat performance against the Smoggies, despite the likes of Harlee Dean beating his chest in the Mail sports pages…talk about setting yourself up for a fall. Brett Assombalonga was just too quick and clever for the ‘new soap powder’ central defence pairing of Roberts and Dean. Even worse, Stewart Downing looked the veritable pace merchant when faced with the full back ‘might’ of Grounds and Nsue.
Steve Cotterill’s spin was that the difference between the teams was their centre forward and he insisted that there was full commitment and that nobody pulled out of tackles. However, in reality, our midfield ‘terriers’ were more like well fed poodles and until we brought on some width in the form of Maghoma and Cotterill, we never looked dangerous.
One can only feel sorry for Che Adams, having to play down the middle with the sort of support where even Lionel Messi would struggle to make an impact. It’s not only gone pear-shaped, the pears have even fallen off the tree. Cotterill keeps saying he’s confident that he’ll turn things around but he seems to be whistling in the dark. A wounded Sheffield United away and rampant Wolves at home, Chris Coleman now in situ at Sunderland…we’re looking basement material and it’s no more than we deserve.
We need to start every game with a proper winger and give a couple of our promising youngsters a chance to get the crowd going but there’s no sign of Cotterill going down that path, as yet. It’s looking like the proverbial bleak midwinter and we’re still only in November.