Dear Roker Report,
I’ve been very patient with Parkinson and wanted to give him the summer, depsite how awful last season was. The start to this season was decent - not many goals were conceded, and we were controlling most games.
However, when it comes to chasing games the bloke is hopeless. For all of Ross’ faults - and there were a lot - you had confidence, especially in the first season, that we would at least get a point if we went one goal behind. With Parkinson I dont have that faith (if you had a stat for games weve come back and won under parky I think it would make for grim reading).
Examples of managers making in game management decisons are as followed: Hull City last night were losing. Grant McCann shows some tactical awareness, makes changes and his subs win them the game. Peterbourgh on Saturday made changes when it wasn’t going their way and threw on a 17 year old striker who won the game. With Parky he doesn’t have the ability to do that, and if he does it’s “stick Grigg, Wyke and Graham all up front and hope something comes off”.
Come next tuesday, if we don’t get 6 points (4 points isnt good enough any more either, despite playing Ipswich - you get promoted by winning games, not drawing and picking up little points here and there) I’d hand Phil his p45 and get Paul Cook in on the Wednesday morning.
I believe he’d take the job in a heart beat. He would not accept a 2-2 draw against Rochdale, losing 2 0 to Bristol Rovers, bottling it at home to Gillingham... the list goes on.
He’d show some bollocks and not be a soft touch to the players. He’d bring a bit of bite in the dressing room - things I cant see parky doing. To top it off, he’d get Power and Grigg - two of the best players in the league - playing well again.
We cant miss the chance to get a manger like Paul Cook in. I know the be all and end all is to get out of League One, but eventually we’ll be in the Championship. Paul Cook could stabilise us and push us on. Parkinson couldn’t, and thats just facts.
Sorry Phil - I think your days may be numbered.
Alan Smith
Ed’s Note [Gav]:
Dear Roker Report,
I’m not claiming to be Nostradamus but leading up to the game I was telling anyone who’d listen that we would lose against Pompey. I was certain of it. And this is why...
After the Crewe game there seemed to be an outpouring of praise for our defence and the multiple clean sheets. Every media outlet and fan forums were saying the same.
Now in my experience of following SAFC there’s a phrase which has resonated through time when it comes to Sunderland: “Pride comes before a fall”.
Whether it’s laughing at NUFC being relegated or talking up our form, inevitably we come a cropper - NUFC bounce back and we suffer a worse relegation, plus financial meltdown - and in this case I knew that talk of our invincible defence and Parky making us watertight meant only one thing... and so it came to pass.
Now Parky has repeatedly stated that with games coming thick and fast that he would utilise his full squad, and yet Willis in for McLaughlin was the only change along with the returning Hume.
Parky is paid to make selection decisions and will ultimately stand or fall by them but after making the point of rotation why did he not give Leadbitter and maybe Gooch or Maguire a breather? The fact is 90% of that side is the same side that wasn’t good enough last season.
Also there was no Diamond, Neil or Kimpioka in the matchday squad. Parky said one reason that McGeady is finished is so younger players can come through. But none of them (and a fit Embleton wouldn’t have been there either) were even on the bench.
Are they seen as not good enough? From what I have seen they’re certainly no worse and in Diamond and Kimpi’s case, have a little of what we are so short of... pace.
I’m not demanding Parky goes - not yet - but his team selections often leave me fearing the worst, à la Portsmouth, and I just wish sometimes he would just try something a little different. Maybe involve some younger players, try O’Nien as an attacking midfielder.
But hey - Parky’s the boss and he is the one paid to make the decisions, and the fans only love you when you get them right.
Where will it end up? Who knows... I’m not Nostradamus.
Michael Atkinson
Ed’s Note [Gav]: Parky has very quickly flipped opinion of his ability to manage this club again. There were hints that he had found a way of working within the bounds this squad provides, but things have very quickly unravelled in the last two games.
I think we can take losing and drawing games, but the manner in which we’ve both played and set up in the last two games has seriously concerned me.
His loyalty to certain players baffles me. As soon as I saw the teamsheet last night, and saw Dobson and Power in midfield, I groaned and considered not even watching the match. The pair of them aren’t good enough and never will be good enough if we want to get promoted.
Similarly, the bench really boiled my piss. Where was Diamond? Where was Dan Neil? How much more does Benji Kimpioka have to do to get in a matchday squad?
It’s just baffling. He hamstrings himself constantly by putting players on the bench who have absolutely no chance of changing up a game. Nobody exciting... nobody with pace... nobody with ingenuity, or guile. Just more of the same.
I honestly think another crap performance with baffling selections on Saturday could see him go. We’re seven points behind the league leaders already - it’s not good enough.