Why Sunderland are set for trouble against Swansea City this weekend

Why Sunderland are set for trouble against Swansea City this weekend

0
SHARE

Three months ago, Sunderland were repeating another fierce fight against relegation and were lucky enough to keep their place in the Premier League secure. 2015-16 was supposed to give the Black Cats stability under Dick Advocaat.

The Dutch manager succeeded in keeping Sunderland in the English top flight, yet, the start of the new season did not match expectations. Only two rounds into the campaign have been enough to make everyone at Stadium of Light feeling uneasy.

A relatively favorable draw in the opening rounds ended in two easy defeats. Leicester City needed only 25 minutes to demolish Advocaat’s side, and newly promoted Norwich City were too classy in a 3-1 victory. Nevertheless, the problems do not stop there. The electrifying Swansea City will show up in Wearside on Saturday, looking towards another comfortable victory after brushing aside Sunderland’s fierce rivals, Newcastle United.

The Swans were on the edge of beating Chelsea at the Bridge and last weekend they confirmed great form with a 2-0 win. Garry Monk’s players did not have to sweat too much against Newcastle, and if they continue putting on similarly fine displays, Sunderland will be in a lot of trouble.

Sunderland’s loose back four

Younes Caboul and Sebastian Coates were too sluggish for Norwich’s attacking players, letting Nathan Redmond create four chances and complete three take-ons in their defending area alone. Both centre-backs were in no position to keep up against faster rivals, while Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt did not impress either, having a lot constant trouble with the Canaries’ wingers and letting them threaten Costel Pantillimon’s goal far too often.

Norwich’s attack is not exactly the best in the league, yet they scored twice in the span of nine minutes. Certainly, Sunderland’s back four will have to bring their game up when Swansea’s players show up at the Stadium of Light. Having Jefferson Montero and Andre Ayew on their wings, the Jacks will have enough pace and flamboyancy in order to create chances throughout the whole match. Montero outclassed officially the best right-back in the league, Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanović, while Daryl Janmaat was sent-off after 40 minutes, due to persistently fouling the Ecuadorian winger.

Kaboul has struggled to deal with fast opponents in both games so far this season
Kaboul has struggled to deal with fast opponents in both games so far this season

Both Jones and van Aanholt will have to keep Montero and Ayew under close supervision, since Swansea’s wingers do not need much space to create a promising chance. Advocaat should reconsider tightening his midfield, as the 4-4-2 setup played in first two matches did not provide the shield his back four needed.

Caboul and Coates were unable to cope with strong Norwich striker Cameron Jerome, but real problems may be shown against Bafetimbi Gomis. The French striker scored four goals in Swansea’s last five Premier League games and his fine form could continue in Sunderland. Dick Advocaat’s idea of benching John O’Shea should also be reconsidered, due to his tremendous experience against tough opponents.

Sunderland’s slow starts

Wearside conceded five goals in two first-halves so far this season, remaining useless up front without a single goal scored in the same period. These disheartening displays occurred against sides marked as bookmakers’ favorites for the relegation battle. Playing against an opposition outfit that grabs chances, we could see another appalling match from the Black Cats. Swansea made the most of their first chance against Newcastle last Saturday, scoring just nine minutes into the match and another strong start should be the template for a win this weekend.

As manager Garry Monk stated afterwards, the Wales-based team needs to continue playing well week-after-week. With this attitude Advocaat’s players could be in trouble once again if an early crack is found by the Swans.

[interaction id=”55d4b0b85323c30959ebc1ed”]

Swansea’s shining midfield

Swansea have had a great start to the season, the biggest credit lying in their rock-solid midfield. Cesc Fabregas had an agonizing match against Ki Sung-yueng and Shelvey, with only one chance created by the Spaniard. Both goals Chelsea scored in the opening round were due to lucky circumstances, and after 50 minutes played with an extra man versus Newcastle, Swansea’s clean sheet seemed inevitable. Jack Cork replaced Ki and performed well after the South Korean pulled his hamstring, neutralising Newcastle’s most creative player Georginio Wijnaldum, making him seem invisible for 90 minutes.

On the other hand Shelvey has been faultless, creating chances in both games. His assist against Chelsea earned Thibaut Courtois a red card and his marvelous pass to Gomis sent Swansea off to a flying star against Newcastle. Dick Advocaat will have to think of something much better in order to destabilize Swansea’s central-midfield.

Ayew and Montero will be a challenge for the Black Cats back line, but that could also be said for Gylfi Sigurdsson. The Icelandic playmaker provides what Swansea’s wingers need – fine distribution of the ball. The majority of his passes against Newcastle were directed to either of the flanks, in the moments when Ayew and Montero had enough space to take on opposing defenders. Sunderland could tighten the midfield with an extra man ahead of the back four, pressing on both Shelvey and Sigurdsson, two players Swansea rely the most on when creating attacks.

What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY