COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Sunderland (A)

Becks boob leaves the travelling faithful cold wet and grumpy from a game that ebbed and flowed and could have gone either way ? but try telling that to any Blue who witnessed that last gasp howler.

The game started with the Blues looking lively and it took less than ten minutes for the Baines/Pienaar axis to bamboozle Sunderland down their left. An interchange of passes saw Baines clear and his perfect cross was met by the ever dependable Cahill, the net bulged and the faithful erupted. We are constantly told that the first goal in the Prem is so important but in my book this is only true if you go on and win.

Sunderland responded with some high energy play that saw their central midfield somewhat swamp ours as Arteta and Heitinga struggled for form yet it was that Baines/Pienaar axis that was our undoing when we conceded the equaliser. Pienaar was as weak as wet lettuce when the pint-sized Zenden merely left him on the deck and Baines backed off that far I thought he might join the crowd. Zenden put a low cross in that Welbeck poked home.

Sunderland were having quite a purple patch and we struggled to keep them at bay mainly by way of wild punts up field where no Blue shirt was stationed. Sunderland sent a couple whistling past the post but, as Pienaar seemed to get a second wind and cut inside more, we started to get back in the game.

Just after the half-hour we gained a corner, Baines took it and who else but Cahill headed goalwards only for the ball to be scrambled from the line by well positioned defenders. Up until the break, the Blues looked the more composed side without really making good approach work pay.

Half-time... and my contribution to the chat was that Coleman and Saha should be replaced as neither had performed well and both were guilty of giving the ball away or running into blind alleys. You could hear Neville talking Coleman through the half.

The manager decided to start the second half as we were ? so what do I know? We did start the better and Arteta at last looked as though he wanted to take part but, some ten minutes in, it was Neville?s long ball that saw the ever willing Cahill muscle his way in and lob the keeper with some aplomb, only to see an alert centre-back clear from the line and collide with a post.

The action then went helter-skelter from one end to another. Jags deflected one wide, Pienaar fired in but his shot lacked the required force. Just after the hour mark the manager took off the ineffectual Coleman and sent on Rodwell but, just four minutes later, Baines made a strange decision when inside our half: he had a choice of pass to either Arteta or Distin but for some reason he bisected them and gave the ball to Sunderland as it was their player that reacted the quicker, out-muscled Arteta, got the ball into the box that we defended for a corner. We cleared the corner but straight to a Sunderland player who played it back to the corner taker who crossed and Welbeck deftly headed them in front. We don?t seem to close down players who are wide on our left these days.

Twenty minutes to go, surely the manager would make another change? ... but no; we battled on for another quarter of an hour when the Yak was noted getting ready and the faithful sang his song. He came on for Heitinga and Saha was replaced by Beckford.

The game continued from end to end but Sunderland with an eye on the clock were getting deeper and so it was with just over five minutes remaining Arteta at last showed some form that we all know he has and twisted and turned players on the edge of the box and fired one in that seemed deflected but a goal is a goal and did those assembled celebrate.

There was a definite feeling we could snatch it but our earlier approach play in joined-up mode was sacrificed for a more direct approach looking for a break off one of the front men. One came to the Yak who swivelled well but his shot was blocked.

Four minutes went up on the board and from a rare home attack they got a man free in the box but much to the relief of the faithful his shot was wide. Time up and well at least we have not been beaten and got one more point... but wait a second ? Neville tries one more punt up into the box, Beckford is on to it, only the keeper to beat, he shoots and the yell ?Goal? is strangled in voice boxes as the ball clears the bar. With a miss of that magnitude with what was the last kick of the match left thousands feeling like we had lost.

Overall, I thought it was an entertaining game but far from a classic. I have no hesitation in naming my MotM as Cahill. If only his effort, commitment and work-rate ? not to mention his goals ? could rub off on a few others, we might yet finish a lot higher than it?s looking at the moment.

After all the games so far this season, I am left frustrated as I can see we are better than many of the teams we have played but, whilst this last third malaise goes on, we won?t get what we deserve ? or maybe we will!

The manager had called for Saha to make his own luck by working hard and getting into the right positions; well, he didn?t tonight and Cahill had to do the work of both of them. Coleman played like a player just learning the position and was easily negated by old pro Bardsley... and Heitinga just didn?t turn up. Johnny?s time at the Blues is going in a similar vein to when he played in Spain. Signed as a centre back that plays for his country in that position but neither club see him as a first pick in that position. In Spain he was moved to right-back and centre-mid with us. He left Spain and now look?s like he will leave the Prem. Strange game this footy.

Still it?s a marathon not a sprint, so I will keep my spirits up and hope for a home win come Saturday and one of our three strikers to come good sooner rather than later.

UP THE BLUES

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