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Gus on the defensive
It's a slight concern how defensive Gus gets when his side gets a hammering. The players need to take responsibility for this result, I agree with that. But don't detach yourself of all blame, Gus. Win together, lose together and all that.
What can you take from a defeat like that?
I'm inclined to say not a lot. This Sunderland team is one of the most ambiguous sides the history of the Premier League, I reckon. The latest riddle appears to be whether or not this game can be taken in isolation - as a freak result. You'd like to think so. The fact we conceded more in one game than we had previously done all season suggests as much.
In fact, the result is that embarrassing that you can almost laugh about it now; whereas a hammering by three or four would have sparked many debate as to where the main deficiencies lie. Maybe the players will give us that reaction, knuckle down and get a result against Arsenal.
Maybe they won't.
When you look at a side like Burnley, you see a side that draws games because they don't quite have enough about them. Is that us too? One win against a very ordinary Stoke side might suggest to some that it is. And Burnley are certainties for the drop in my eyes.
I don't know what to think at the minute.
The squad suddenly looks thin
If the victory against Stoke sugar-coated the injury situation somewhat, then this result highlights it. I love it when people suggest the whole team should be axed. To bring who in? Ricky Alvarez and Emanuele Giaccherini are the two you'd normally turn to but both are out. The back four picked itself because we don't have anyone else. We need a reaction from this group of players.
Let's not speak of this again
Apart from having to prepare and host a bloody podcast, I never really want to talk of this result again. The players shocking lack of effort in the second half annoys me but I am loathe to waste any more emotional energy on it. The players surrendered so aren't worthy of me putting any more effort into this, frankly.