Sunderland 1 Swansea City 2
Mike Dodds started his third spell as interim head coach at the Stadium of Light with defeat after a double from Ronald Pereira Martins was enough to secure all three points for Swansea City.
Sunderland were unable to overturn a 2-0 half-time deficit following a wretched opening 45 minutes - that despite a consolation from Luke O'Nien.
A much-changed Sunderland side weren't at the races as Ronald was able to stab home a rebound after Liam Cullen had been denied by a fine save from Anthony Patterson.
The Swans, and Ronald in particular, were a threat throughout the first half and the Brazilian doubled their lead 10 minutes later after Joe Allen was able to rob possession from Jenson Seelt's loose pass to free Ronald inside the area and he made no mistake in firing across Patterson.
Dodds could only watch on as the visitors swarmed forward - the interim head coach fortunate his side were only two behind at the break.
Dodds garnered a slight reaction after the break but not enough to put Swansea under pressure as the game petered out before O'Nien's back post header set up a potential grandstand finish to no avail in a result which leaves Sunderland's play-off hopes drifting further and further away.
We Are Sunderland look back at the key points from defeat at the Stadium of Light:
How did Sunderland cope without Jack Clarke?
It’s been a long time since Sunderland have had to hand a teamsheet in that did not include Jack Clarke’s name, with the durable winger having started 57 consecutive games in the Championship dating back to the midway point of last season.
Clarke’s consistency in being able to feature so often, and often for the full game, is another attribute which has made him so indispensable to Sunderland over the course of the last 12-months in particular as well as his impact in front of goal. The 23-year-old has made 19 goal contributions this season – 11 more than next best Dan Neil with eight. To say he’s irreplaceable would be an understatement, but it’s a situation Dodds found himself having to negotiate with Clarke missing out with an ankle injury picked up in the defeat at Birmingham City a week ago.
Dodds was keen to play down the severity of the injury despite Clarke being unable to train this week following that defeat at St. Andrew’s and on this showing he will be desperate to have his talisman back as soon as possible.
The narrative thrown at Sunderland for much of the season has been if you stop Clarke then you go most of the way to stopping Sunderland and with Clarke out of the team altogether, Sunderland barely got started as Swansea dictated the game from the off.
So much of Sunderland’s play goes through Clarke, whilst his presence draws the attention of a number of defenders which, in itself, hinders the opposition’s attack.
Dodds started Abdoullah Ba on the left of Sunderland’s front three, which came as a little bit of a surprise following Romaine Mundle’s solid full-debut at Birmingham. But the decision may have been tied more to an overall tactical approach given Sunderland’s set-up in the first half.
Either way, if Sunderland’s first 90-minutes without Clarke in 18-months told us anything, it’s that they were unable to cope without him.
Did Mike Dodds overcomplicate things?
With Clarke missing, Dodds admitted to having some enthusiasm as to being able to potentially tweak things against Swansea, both in terms of his system and in personnel. When team news arrived at 2pm there was plenty of head scratching with most unable to put their finger on how Sunderland were approaching the game. Would it be a back three? Who was playing up front?
During the warm-up, Sunderland were going through their routines in a back four with Trai Hume, Seelt, O’Nien and Leo Hjelde. The line-up when the teams took to the field was much different.
Seelt, O’Nien and Hjelde formed a back three with Hume and debutant Callum Styles, at times, occupying the wing-back roles on either side. But that was a very fluid system, with Dodds clearly instructing his players to rotate in and out of possession. It took the majority of the opening 10 minutes to try and gain a greater understanding of how Sunderland were set-up, with Jobe Bellingham often dropping deep allowing Nazariy Rusyn and Ba as an outright front two.
The issue, however, was that it felt confused. Sunderland’s players were interchanging so much that they lost sight of what the objective had been in the game plan with Swansea taking full advantage.
Sunderland are often considered to be efficient in possession of the ball, albeit away from the kind of areas that will hurt teams, but here they were turning over possession at will – and from all angles. Neil and Pierre Ekwah, so often reliable, were outnumbered in tight spaces by Jamie Patterson, Matt Grimes and Allen.
Styles’ positioning became an issue throughout the first half as he found himself in a difficult situation up against the impressive Ronald. The Brazilian and former Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Naughton were able to find too much space down Sunderland’s left with the new partnership of Hjelde and Styles unable to find the synergy required to deal with the pace and direct threat of Ronald, in particular.
Both Hume and Styles were given licence to drift into midfield which, in turn, left them vulnerable to overloads in wide areas which is where the opening goal came from as Swansea were able to move the ball around in what you would consider the ‘traditional Swansea way’ of the last 15 years as Josh Tymon’s cross from the left was able to find Cullen who brought a fine stop from Patterson only for Ronald to stab home the rebound.
The momentum was with Swansea throughout the first half; their quick interchange and counter-attacking threat was too much for a laboured Sunderland – Pryzemyslaw Placheta, Grimes and Cullen all spurning big opportunities with Ronald continuing to be a threat.
Swansea ended the first half with an xG of 2.14 – which would have been their fourth highest of the season over 90-minutes – to Sunderland’s 0.21.
In an attempt to combat things, Dodds moved Styles over to the right wing in a switch to more of a 4-2-3-1 but the damage had already been done in the first half as the away side were able to keep Sunderland at arm’s length. That was until the introductions of Mundle, Chris Rigg and Luis Hemir stirred things in the final 15 minutes as Sunderland were able to find an unlikely route back into the game through O’Nien’s header.
But it was a route which would lead to nothing as Swansea held on to condemn Dodds to defeat in his third first game in charge.
Was this a case of Dodds trying to be too clever in his approach to outthink Luke Williams’ side following the success of his tactical approach when last in charge against Leeds United? Next week's trip to Norwich City may determine that.
Callum Styles makes his Sunderland debut
In from the off, Sunderland supporters finally got a glimpse of new boy Styles after recovering from surgery on his appendix.
With Dodds making four changes from the defeat to Birmingham, there were plenty of questions prior to kick-off regarding how Styles would fit into the Black Cats’ starting XI.
A versatile midfielder, the 23-year-old can also play as a left-wing back, with the team selection suggesting that Dodds would switch to a back three, the Hungarian international out on that left flank.
Out of possession, that was the case, but in the early stages of the game, in possession, Styles drifted into central areas of the pitch to provide an overload with Neil and Ekwah. In turn, Ba drifted out to the left, with Jobe pushing up as a number nine.
It was the infield runs from Styles that caused the hosts a few issues in the opening ten minutes or so. The first half chance of the game coming from the Hungarian, finding a pocket of space midway inside Swansea’s half, his chip in behind finding Rusyn, but his effort going high and wide.
After that, it was the Black Cats who caused their own problems. Disjointed all over the pitch and unable to get to grips with the plan Dodds had instilled, the runs of Sunderland’s wing-backs left space in behind for Swansea’s wingers, with Ronald and Placheta running riot. The interim head coach reverted to a 4-2-3-1 after going 2-0 down, with Styles moving out to the right wing.
Sunderland were improved after the change, but Styles was ineffectual in a position – in his defence - that isn’t his natural one. A tough game to judge him on given the whole team were off the pace, disjointed and lacking in quality.
He showed neat touches here but it was a baptism of fire, particularly in that opening 45 minutes.
How did Mike Dodds fare on his return to the Sunderland dugout?
Dodds was relatively relaxed about taking the top seat in Friday’s press conference. It may only have been two months since he last sat in the chair – but it has felt much longer than that. A lot has transpired.
Despite the disruption felt from the outside of the Academy of Light, Dodds was steadfast in his assessment and description of things not being quite as misaligned inside the building. Dodds certainly has the respect of the Sunderland dressing room and there certainly felt to be something of an uplift in mood around the Stadium of Light with him being placed in temporary charge once more following Michael Beale’s exit.
As we have seen in his previous two stints in charge, Dodds paroled his technical area with a keen enthusiasm but was left a little forlorn as the first half unfolded. Although there was a reaction in the second half, there will be plenty for the interim head coach to dissect from this game, both from himself and his squad of players.
Dodds accepts the expectations of Sunderland supporters and a style of play which may suit – but here the two did not marry up. If Dodds is to put himself in the shop window at the end of this 13-game tenure, he will also know there will need to be improvements.
Where does this leave Sunderland?
Sunderland had already dropped eight points off the pace ahead of kick-off after Hull City’s draw with West Bromwich Albion in the Championship’s early fixture. But with their away form having been an issue all season and a tough run of fixtures to come, Sunderland could ill-afford, you feel, a slip up here.
Sunderland have stagnated at best since Tony Mowbray’s exit through Beale’s tenure and now back here with Dodds. They remain 22 points from last season’s total of 69, which was only enough to reach the play-offs on the final day of the season and was one of the lowest points totals required in the Championship era after this, their 15th defeat of the season.
Sunderland remain tenth in the Championship, but there is a gap forming between them and the chasing pack ahead of them – one which this time feels as though it will be insurmountable following a result like this. And with games against seventh-placed Norwich, table-toppers Leicester City and fourth-placed Southampton to come next, it feels as though it may remain that way.
Support for Tony Mowbray
The news of Mowbray temporarily stepping down from his managerial duties at Birmingham came as a shock to the footballing world earlier this week with former clubs, staff and players all showing their support for the 60-year-old.
Despite Mowbray being the one to drive the final nail into the coffin of Beale after his side came from behind to beat Sunderland at St. Andrew’s, the former head coach remains a revered figure on Wearside for his exploits during what was an uplifting 15-month period on Wearside.
Mowbray, against the odds, guided Sunderland to the Championship play-off places last season and helped instil a sense of renewed hope and optimism around the Stadium of Light before his exit in December.
That decision remains one of debate for Sunderland supporters, but it is one which has certainly not played out the way owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman had anticipated, with the embers of Sunderland’s play-off hopes almost extinguished it feels following this defeat to Swansea.
The club released a statement in the week showing their support for Mowbray as he steps away from football for medical treatment. Dodds, who replaced Mowbray in December, revealed how Mowbray had contacted him after being placed in caretaker charge once more to wish him well in the role over the course of the final 13 games of the season – a moment which clearly struck an emotional chord with Dodds in his pre-match press conference.
Sunderland’s players went through their warm-up with t-shirts addressed to their former boss which read ‘We are with you Tony’ before the Stadium of Light faithful then showed their support for Mowbray in the 60th minute of the game with a standing ovation and chants of ‘There’s only one Tony Mowbray.’
The whys and wherefores of Mowbray’s dismissal are likely to be debated throughout the remainder of the season and into the summer, should Sunderland continue to show no signs of improvement. But in this moment, those debates can take a back seat as the footballing world, and Sunderland in particular, come together to show their support for Mowbray.
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