Fan Letters: Sunderland supporters deeply concerned after last night’s horror show

Dear Roker Report,

I never thought I would see that disgraceful Bristol performance from my team ever, especially having been through the 70s, 80s and 90s, when you were allowed to tackle or shoulder charge a player without him dropping to the floor as if pole-axed.

We were totally outplayed and bullied by a team willing to put a foot in and close us down with pure graft, which we seem void of doing due to playing lightweight players not able to work, with any energy or strength to hold onto the ball.

When will parky learn that Hume, Flanagan and Ozturk in the same team will not give clean sheets - we’ve been there last season and Flanagan and Ozturk were bombed out for that reason. Both of them turn to jelly when ball is in our box. Hume has one trick, running down the left wing carrying the ball into the opposing half to the box, and that’s it.

My main concern now is Parky’s mindset - he was avalanched by public support to leave out Wyke and he was determined for that decision to fail, and bring him back into play by cutting out Lafferty’s supply by altering team formation, taking out Dobson when it should have been Hume. Is there any wonder why Lafferty was showing his aggression? Give me that every week please from all our players (yes, I remember Bally and John Kay fondly).

Sadly we went one down in the first half which, by the way, was on the cards from kick off, and Parky’s answer to that was Charlie Wyke, in order to retrieve the situation with a quick brace... as his record shows he’s capable of 2 goals every couple of games (not)... and to bolster our muscle power by introducing Gooch, a 4ft 2 powerhouse (yeah right) and Grigg, who couldn't hit a barn door from 2 yards.

I fear now for my team becoming an average League One side, as I witnessed last night that we have no fight or skill right through the entire team. We’re sadly missing Bailey Wright I'm afraid, we have a ready-made replacement in Smith with oodles of experience in the Championship, but with a manager who seems to think our last four games is just a blip of bad luck in our play is totally delusional.

NO, Mr Parkinson - it is a team with a great lack of fight for the badge, one that the fans so proudly wear on our 10-hour round trip on a Tuesday night going back to work the next day with a heavy heart, enduring mocking all shift from the black and white section of the work force.

I’m afraid to say that I don’t see any of that passion from the whole team as in 73 when we were a mediocre 2nd division team, who for the entire cup run rolled up their sleeves and turned over three massive clubs for the final run in, including mighty Leeds who, in my opinion, was the most physical team I’ve seen and to this day never forgave us.

I don't think this will happen under your tenure as you didn't show any passion either sitting down, resigned to defeat, blaming the ref. Please Quinny come back and save us from this dungeon of league football and sort out a rich owner - we Sunderland fans don't deserve this garbage served to us.

Jeff Angus

Ed’s Note [Gav]: It’s tough to take a result like last night, especially when we got ourselves so close to the automatic promotion spots prior to Fleetwood. All we can hope now is that the team recover properly during the three-week break and finish the season strongly.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Never heard so much dross in a after match interview, blame the ref again easy option Parky. The players are professional and if they cannot take the physical side of the game well we will not win another game because every team will use these tactics.

Tonight the three central defenders yet again system does not work, Hume going forward invisible tonight, O’Nien is not a fullback what are you doing Parkinson?

The football in the last four games has been dreadful - too many long balls... can this manager change his tactics or does he even know how to?

The season is now teetering on the edge of another abysmal failure.

The fans will turn on Parky sooner rather than later.

If Mr Donald - our now invisible chairman - dares to tell our long suffering fans to get behind the manager after this shambles, please get hell out of the club and take Parky with you. Getting rid of Mcgeady has backfired big style - yet again, bad management from the top to bottom. Hopefully it will be the play offs but that looks a long way off the way they are playing.

Mark Wild

Ed’s Note [Gav]: It feels like our last throw of the dice might be to make further changes to the starting eleven and even the system that we play in the hope it rescues the season.

You’re right, we don’t create enough and we don’t seem to have any flexibility in our play. Too many players are playing badly yet retaining their place in the side.