Team Focus: The Unenviable Task of Keeping Up Sorry Sunderland for Advocaat

After conceding 4 first half goals to a Villa side that had netted just 4 goals all season on the road before last weekend's drubbing, Gus Poyet's fate at Sunderland was sealed. Many of the home fans left before the interval, with some taking the opportunity to volley abuse towards the Black Cats bench on their way out.

It was a dark day at the Stadium of Light, leaving an atmosphere that was too toxic to ignore. Any faith that Poyet could repeat their previous end of season heroics dissipated with each passing and laughably straightforward goal scored by Sherwood's visiting Villans. With a performance akin to that which saw them humiliated at Southampton earlier in the season, the team's character has been called into question.

Enter the Little General. It is now the unenviable task of Dick Advocaat to lift the doom and gloom on Wearside. Something that, on the weekend's evidence, is an even tougher task than it was last season.

Sunderland's defending against Villa was shambolic. Some have suggested suspiciously so. The appointment of a manager renowned for the organisation that he brings to his sides should help in that instance, but as much as it would seem to be the case from the weekend's showing, Sunderland's main issue isn't their defensive resolve or understanding.

Remove the aforementioned freak results against Southampton and Villa and the Black Cats have conceded 31 goals in the remaining 27 games. That's not the defensive record of a side that should be fighting for their lives at the bottom. Sunderland had conceded just 9 goals in their 8 league games previous to Saturday's debacle.

Instead it's their failings in front of goal that have cost them all season long, with only Villa having failed to score in more league matches this season (14). The arrival of Jermain Defoe, to now, hasn't proven to be the answer, with the England international without a goal in 5 - a run in which Sunderland as a whole have scored just once. Defoe's WhoScored rating in that time stands at a dismal 6.09.

Between them Sunderland's other two strikers - Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham - have scored just 7 goals in 50 league appearances this season, with those 7 goals scored over just 4 matches. The former hasn't found the net since November and the latter, who proved to be Sunderland's saviour this time last year, has failed to progress as expected, and not for the first time since a big-money move from Ipswich.

Behind these three Advocaat is left with a team of grafters whose confidence is well and truly shot. The same players have shown that once they are down in a game they have real problems finding a way to get back into it. Sunderland have picked up just one point from a losing position since September.

If you break the resolve of a team of runners and disgruntle their organisation a lack of quality tends to expose itself and, like a tattoo-clad topless super fan, it isn't pretty. The faith in the notion that the impending return of Lee Cattermole will offer some form of respite may yet be blind. The Black Cats have conceded more goals per game in the 19 matches that their tenacious midfielder has started (1.53) than in the 10 he hasn’t (1.4).

Meanwhile, though Sunderland rank 14th and 13th respectively for possession (46.2%) and pass accuracy (77.4%) this season, no side has had fewer shots (299). As was the case for Villa under Paul Lambert, possession is one thing but having the creativity to find holes in opposition defences is another. Only Hull have created fewer clear cut chances at goal this season (21) and the only Sunderland player to create more than one chance from open play per game - Emanuele Giaccherini - is out for the season.

Advocaat must somehow manage to find a creative spark from within, with Sunderland 'reviewing their position' having suspended Adam Johnson whilst under police investigation. It seems, however, that bypassing a midfield that lacks imagination may be the Black Cats best bet for now. A more direct approach worked wonders for Crystal Palace last season and, to a lesser extent, is beginning to pay off at Villa too.

One reason for optimism is Sunderland's remaining fixtures, most specifically those first up for Advocaat. Although away meetings with Arsenal and Chelsea are undesirable to say the least the next three matches against the teams placed 10th, 11th and 12th in the league couldn't have been much more favourable. A trip to face a West Ham side that are faltering towards a bottom half finish allows the players to get away from any animosity from the home crowd before a crucial Tyne-Wear derby against a Newcastle side similarly struggling for form.

Four successive victories against their local rivals have been the only real thing that the Sunderland fans have had to cheer in recent seasons and a fifth would surely be seen as a catalyst for survival.

It's a survival they'll need to ensure before a trip to Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season, with Jose Mourinho unlikely to show mercy after last season's shock defeat ended their title hopes and all but assured Sunderland's top-flight status. Add to the mix that the visitors will likely be attempting to spoil a league-winning party for their hosts and a repeat of their 1-0 win in West London last season would be even more miraculous.

It’s over to you, Dick.

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