Roker Roundup: Former Sunderland ‘player of the year’ breaks down shambolic defending v Coventry

Collins analyzes Coventry defending

After the shambolic defending during the 5-4 home defeat by Coventry City at the weekend, former Sunderland defender Danny Collins joined us on the Roker Rapport podcast - full details of how to listen can be found down below.

While he was with us, we asked him what went wrong against Coventry and what he would have done differently.

Collins said some of the blame should go towards the central midfielders - Grant Leadbitter and Max Power - for allowing the opposition forwards so much room to run into. He also believes the team could have tightened up and made sure they came away with at least a point rather than pushing and getting caught out:

In general, looking at the goals, it looked open. They turned the ball over and there were a couple of goals where they are picking it up and they’ve 30-40 yards of space to run into, the Coventry boys.

I think the first one, O’Nien might have tried to thread one in and it got cut out, the lad’s put it in the bottom corner. Someone has tried to play it into Charlie Wyke, the lad’s nicked in front of him, they’ve picked it up on the half-way line, drove at Sunderland and it just seemed too open.

I think if I’m in there, the score’s 3-3 or whatever it was at the time, you’re having a word with your centre midfielders, getting hold of Grant and one or two of the other boys and Max Power was in there yesterday and saying sit yourselves in, steady the game down and just be organised and solid.

Obviously it’s not ideal at the situation they are in at the minute, they’ve drew 17 games already this season. So you’re at home, 4-5 games to go, you’re looking to kick on and win it to try and cement one of the automatic spaces but situations are different in games and I thought yesterday, just looking at the game - I mean I’ve only seen the five minute highlights and it was like a basketball match when you’re watching it - I just think you’ve got to steady it down.

If we have to take a point, we have to take a point. It’s not doom and gloom in a way but to concede five at home when you’re looking to cement second in the table. It’s not great.

The Roker Rapport podcast will be available later today (Monday, 14 April) and in it we will be reviewing the Coventry game and talking with Danny Collins.

You can listen to it as soon as it’s available by subscribing on iTunes, Acast, Spotify or YouTube, entering ‘Roker Rapport’ into your nearest search engine or by following us on social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram).

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Target set for Premier League trial

Non-league outfit Hastings United confirmed last month that their young midfielder Adam Lovatt missed out on a January transfer deadline day move to Sunderland after the transfer could not be concluded in time.

Now the Isthmian League side’s chairman David Nessling has revealed that Lovatt will be joining Premier League club Leicester City on trial later this week.

Lovatt will be joined on trial at the King Power Stadium by his Hastings team-mate Jamie Fielding.

Another move for Papy?

Since his move to relegation threatened Guingamp in January, things have not been going well for former Sunderland defender Papy Djilobodji.

The Senegalese international was sent off for an horrendous tackle on only his second league appearance for the Ligue 1 side and was subsequently banned for six games.

Since that suspension he has been relegated to a place on the bench, only appearing for a late cameo as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Monaco earlier this month.

Despite the Guingamp spell going about as well as his Sunderland spell, Djilobodji is attracting interest from elsewhere with reports in Greece suggesting that he is being targeted for a summer move to Olympiakos.

The 30-year-old only signed a six-month deal with Guingamp and according to Kostas Nikolakopoulos of Olympikos publication Red Champion, Djilobodji is a target for the Greek side.

Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images