Phil Smith and James Copley react as Sunderland lose a third game in a row
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00:00Hello, welcome to the Stadium of Light. Sunderland have just lost 1-0 to Blackburn Rovers.
00:05Third defeat on the spin, Phil, no win in four. There's the old debate at the moment, isn't there?
00:11Freshness or momentum, which do you prefer?
00:15Listen, I think today was much better. I think in terms of the level of performance in the last home game,
00:20I think given the experience on the side, I thought there were some really good individual performances,
00:24especially like Harrison Jones in the first half did really well.
00:26I did think Sunderland played okay. I think it's a really harsh result in that.
00:30I don't think Blackburn Rovers really offered anything in fair play.
00:33They totally had one good chance to score.
00:35The concern is that even despite another good performance, Sunderland have only had two shots on target
00:41and that is a theme at the moment, whether Sunderland played well or whether they played badly.
00:44They're not really worth it in the opposition goalkeeper and that's the thing that makes me a bit nervous going into the next month's playoffs.
00:49Can you switch that back on? I don't know is the honest answer to that.
00:52I do think the next few games, we've got to go much stronger now.
00:55I understand the rotation, but I think it's time now.
00:58We need to get some feel-good factor back. We need to give the fans something to get excited about.
01:01Give them a bit of positivity heading into the playoffs.
01:03It's surely time now to really focus on creating some more chances and getting some more settled partnerships on the pitch.
01:08Yeah, and I don't think today was too bad at all.
01:10I think it was very toothless. There weren't too many clear-cut chances.
01:13Sunderland had a lot of the ball.
01:15I thought Blackburn Rovers were very lucky to take the lead when they did.
01:17It was a very good move, but probably their only really attacking chance.
01:21It was their only shot on target. Three shots on target the whole game.
01:25That's it.
01:26But at the other end, you know, Sunderland did look a little bit toothless and I agree with you.
01:29I do think coming into these last two games, you do have to build a little bit of momentum.
01:33Start playing around your strongest team and really attack these two games.
01:37Because momentum is important in sport and football. We say it all the time.
01:41And as you mentioned, Harrison Jones, I thought it was excellent.
01:43I think it just goes to show, doesn't it, that sometimes your first start for a club, you can be a bit dazzled in the headlights.
01:49And it does take time for you to grow in the shirt.
01:51And I thought as second league appearances go, second league starts go, that was pretty good.
01:57Yeah, look, we said after that game, the Swans game, that we'd seen him in the end of 21 to be a lot more brave, a lot more decisive.
02:03And we hoped he'd show that if his chance came again.
02:05And he did listen.
02:05I thought there was some decent individual performances.
02:08Like, given he's never played a league game, Joe Anderson did okay.
02:11So I don't have too many issues with individuals today in terms of the performance level.
02:15I just think at the moment there's a bit of a lack of aggression, a little bit of lack of conviction.
02:19How many times did we get into good crossing positions today and there was just nobody flooding the box?
02:22You know, there was players, we just seem to be lacking that little bit of intensity and tempo at the moment.
02:27And I really do think that there's a bit of a danger going into the playoffs if you don't start scoring goals again.
02:32I understand about the fitness and the pressions.
02:34And I think we do expect something to improve when, you know, you start to get a more familiar team.
02:38But I do want to see something to shift approach a little bit now and start to go through the gears.
02:43Because the place has gone flat.
02:45And I can understand why fans have gone flat.
02:47Because it's really difficult coming to watch these games at the moment.
02:49And I get why LaBrice has done what he's done.
02:51And ultimately, we'll see next month whether it's the right approach.
02:54But you've got to give people something now.
02:55I think you've got to get a little bit of urgency, a little bit of energy going into this whole club, really, going into next month.
03:00Yeah, QPR and Oxford are two very winnable games.
03:03Or Oxford and QPR, I should say.
03:04Sam Ed played in the middle of the day.
03:05I thought it was more like what we expected of him.
03:08I mean, it wasn't like an 8 out of 10 or a 9 out of 10.
03:11But he looked a bit tired.
03:12He looked a bit sharper.
03:13A little bit more aggression in his play.
03:14Still gave the ball away a little bit.
03:16But that was more like the signing we thought we were getting in the summer, wasn't it?
03:20Yeah, a little bit tentative in possession still.
03:21I think sometimes you want him to move it forward a bit quicker.
03:24You can hold on to it a little bit too long, play a little bit safe.
03:27In terms of him getting around the pitch, in terms of him closing down opposition players, making covering runs, he looks much, much sharper.
03:33So, fingers crossed.
03:34I think it's good that Daniel got a rest today.
03:36I think that hopefully we'll see the benefits of that.
03:38But Sam Ed does someone look like probably off the bench.
03:40Don't get me wrong.
03:41I don't think he's going to start any playoff games.
03:43Because he's someone who could potentially be a bit of a useful bench option.
03:45So, that's a definite positive.
03:47Lots of individuals can take some positives away from today.
03:50But I completely understand why this place feels so flat.
03:53Because people are just looking for next month and they just want to have something, a bit of positivity, a bit of energy to really go into those playoffs with confidence.
04:00So, it's up to someone now, I think, to see that.
04:02Yeah, hopefully they get them on the whistle tomorrow, Phil.
04:04Leave your questions below in the comments.
04:06There'll be a podcast as well at some point.
04:07Plenty of content over at the Southern Apple website.
04:10We'll see you next time.