Newspaper Clippings - Loose - Volume 1 - page 56
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NPGZ - A - 1-022 22 SHIELDS GAZETTE SPORT Centre - back not ideal but Hume will play anywhere Joe Nicholson joe.nicholson@nationalworld.com @ joe_nicholson96 Trai Hume admits it's not ide al for him to be playing as a centre - back for Sunderland but says he will operate any where for the team . The 21 - year - old has estab lished himself as the Black Cats ' first - choice right - back since breaking into the side at the end of last year , but has been asked to move infield during wins over Cardiff and Birmingham . At 5ft 9 , Hume isn't the tallest in Sunderland's squad , but has shown his aerial prowess against some im posing strikers this season . " Their striker was proba bly about 6'3 , 6'4 , Hume told the Echo when referring to Birmingham frontman Lu kas Jutkiewicz . " The strikers against Cardiff were massive . " Obviously it's not ideal for me to be playing centre half against them , but you just have to do as best you can because obviously we're short in that position at the minute . " If the gaffer wants me to play there I'll give my best to try and perform . " " He just asked me ifI'd ev er played there before and I said I played there when I was younger for a couple of years . " He said ' alright , just be you , I know you'll be alright ' . Ifitted in and think I've done that . " Hume has also benefited from playing alongside Dan ny Batth , who has captained the team following a season Birmingham City boss John Eustace rued his side's set piece defending as Sunder land battled back from a goal down to seal three vital Championship points at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon . ONS D The visitors had taken the lead through youngster George Hall as their counter attacking strategy worked to great effect against a Sunder land side struggling to open " At the back he com mands people in front ofhim , he demands the people be side him and is a top player and a top lad . " At the other end of the pitch , Hume scored his first goal for Sunderland to equal ise against Birmingham . The full - back admits it's Trai Hume in action for Sunderland against Birmingham City on Saturday . Picture by Frank Reid ending injury to Corry Evans . " Danny Batth is a perfect example , " Hume added . " He's obviously wearing the arm band now Corry's not there but he's a leader and that's the way he's always been . been a long time coming , es pecially after making just three appearances in League One last season , and register ing only two Championship starts in the first half of this campaign . Still , Hume has now been selected for 17 of Sunder land's last 18 league games , while adapting to the speed of the Championship . Birmingham boss Eustace critical of his side's set - piece defending ond half thanks to a superb goal from Amad , where he gathered Jack Clarke's excel lent pass before cutting in side and scoring . Mowbray felt the goal be fore the break was a defining moment in the game and Eu stace also recognised its sig nificance . He also rued his side's lack of end product from some of the other openings they cre ated on the break . SPREADE them up without a recog nised striker to lead the front line of attack . But Tony Mowbray's side levelled seconds before the break through an unlikely av enue , a rare goal from a cor ner as Danny Batth and then Patrick Roberts headed the ball to the back post , where stand - in centre - back Trai Hume converted . Sunderland then went on to seal the points in the sec " Obviously signing here the club was in League One , I didn't really watch League One before I signed or any thing like that , " he admitted . SEWERS PLA " It was just trying to get used to the level as quickly as I could , and then obvi ously getting promoted I got to watch the first couple of games in the Championship because I wasn't playing and saw how good the standard was . " I knew whenever I came in I would have to perform as best I can to try and keep my self in the team . " The win over Birmingham moved Sunderland to with in two points of the play - off places with four games re " We've been disappoint ed in the final third all sea son , really , " Eustace said . " We've created a lot of chances , got into good areas and it's something we need to improve on in the final third . " Their winning goal is a touch of class . " I was very pleased with the performance . I thought we were excellent . First half we were very good , very dis appointed in the manner we conceded the goal - that's not like us , sloppy from the set piece , we've been outstand ing all season from that . " To lose two or three maining - starting with tomorrow's home fixture against Huddersfield . " We have a game Tues day so we focus on that and nothing else , just keep going game by game and try to pick up as many points as we can , " Hume added . " If we're in the play - offs at the end of the season then we're happy , but if not it's still been a great season for us . " No one expected us to be pushing for the play - offs so being close to that has been a great season for everyone . " headers in a row and give them a lifeline just before half - time was disappointing . " The lads brushed them selves down , they were dis appointed but the way we started the second half was really good . " We had a good chance to take the lead again , but over all just really disappointed to lose , I didn't think we de served to . We came here against a good team , we went toe to toe . Overall it was a good performance . " Birmingham have a role in the play - off race as they still have face Millwall and Coventry City to face . www.shieldsgazette.com Monday , April 17 , 2023 Cirkin's red removes rest decision for Mowbray Tony Mowbray says he would likely have opted to rest Den nis Cirkin for Huddersfield Town's visit to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night . However , ' resting the play er ' is no longer a decision he has to make as Cirkin is sus pended for the game after picking up two yellow cards and receiving his marching orders in the win over Bir mingham City , but Mowbray has said that he would likely have looked to bring Luke O'Nien back into the line - up . The 2-1 win was Cirkin's second start in a week , fol lowing his extended absence as he recovered from the con cussion he suffered at Mill wall in early February . After his team - mates helped secure three crucial points in the closing stages of the game , Mowbray said that he believed in the long run the chance to take a rest might be no bad thing either for Cirkin or the club . " I haven't really looked at it back so I haven't really dis cussed with him but I've said to him that it's fine , it's pro fessional football , " Mowbray said . " If anything , he might well have been left out on Tuesday night - anyway because he's been out for a long time and then he's played back - to - back games . If he'd played another one , he might well have been at risk of getting an injury . So for him to sit out and watch the game , it might not be such a bad thing for him . " We've got Luke O'Nien who is an amazing footballer and personality , we'll find an answer . " Mowbray will also con sider recalling Joe Gelhardt to the starting line - up for the game against Neil Warnock's side , who currently sit still just one point outside the rel egation zone . PF Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray watches on at the Stadium of Light . Monday , April 17 , 2023 www.shieldsgazette.com Phil Smith philip.smith@nationalworld.com @Phil_Smith Attacking gamble brings reward for the Cats ' management team Tony Mowbray has chal lenged his Sunderland play ers to take their play - offhopes to the final day of the season after his attacking gamble landed three crucial points against Birmingham City . It was another afternoon in which Sunderland's lack of striking options caused them problems , the visitors sitting deep and breaking from mid field when they won the ball back . It left the Black Cats trail ing towards the end of the first half but Trai Hume lev elled just before the interval , and Mowbray broke the game open midway through the sec ond half by introducing Joe Gelhardt . It left Sunderland with an ultra - attacking midfield but it paid off as Amad scored an outstanding goal . Mowbray's side then had to defend res olutely through the last ten minutes after Dennis Cir kin was shown a second yel low card for a foul on Tahith Chong . " It was an important time to score the equaliser , we started really sharp and then they score with one of their first attacks , " Mowbray said . " It was important to score before half - time to give us that confidence and belief that we could go on and win the game . " It was about finding a way to win , when you've got players like Amad who can do that then we've always got a chance . " Clarke has done it plen In fact , the Manchester United man came directly up against 24 - year - old Arsenal defender Auston Trusty , who has been one of Birmingham's standout performers this sea son . It was a fascinating bat tle as Amad drifted in from the right flank and linked up " It was a tough game , attri tional , a team in a midblock who tried to frustrate us . " We tried to play through them because it's the only way we can play at the moment without a target forward or real speed in behind . " It gives teams a chance ylesports STARS IN BEETINS Trai Hume celebrates his first Sunderland goal on Saturday afternoon as he levels the scores against Birmingham City just before half - time . Picture by Frank Reid ty , Roberts has done it , we do have the players who can un lock defensive units . it , leaving Dan Neil virtually on his own with two tens in front of him . against us and their goal is a perfect example because you normally wouldn't force the ball in that area of the pitch , but we kept going and found a way . we did have the chances after . " We could have made it a bit easier but we dug in at the end and found a way . " We won a lot of headers and put our bodies on the line . " " I sat with the staff for 20 seconds and we had that de bate , and we decided to gam ble the game really . " We felt it was worth gam bling even if it meant we lost For most of the first half , Trusty did a good job to limit that threat , making nine in terceptions in total ( accord ing to Wyscout ) and seven in the first 45 minutes . While Sunderland were dominating possession , most of it was in their own half as Birmingham closed their op CON ponents down quickly when the ball was played forward . Amad did receive plenty of touches of the ball , though , even if he was forced to drop deep at times while complet ing 43 of his 48 attempted passes ( 90 % ) . That included eight passes into the final third and some neat exchanges with Roberts , yet Sunderland once again lacked a cutting edge up top . Still , Birmingham and " But we did create more chances . It's really danger ous with the youthfulness of our team to think we can start [ like that ] against good teams with just one midfielder like that . " We just felt it was worth the gamble at that stage and SHIELDS GAZETTE 1 Deja vu for loanee Amad as he again proves difference against City cessful proved significant . Amad Diallo wasn't the only Premier League loanee on the pitch during Sunderland's 2-1 win over Birmingham City . play with Patrick Roberts , with Sunderland right - back Lynden Gooch also looking to get forward . Trusty will have known all about the threat Amad posed , after the forward cut in from the right to beat the Blues defender and score back in November's reverse fixture - also a 2-1 win for the Black Cats . It came after the game had opened up in the closing stag es and Jack Clarke switched the ball from left to right with an excellent lofted pass . Amad was in space but had Trusty and retreating Bir mingham midfielder Hanni bal Mejbri inside of him . In the end , Mejbri only ended up getting in his team - mate's way , briefly obstructing Trusty as Amad darted inside It was a case of Deja vu here . Sunderland now sit just two points off the final play off place , but Blackburn Rovers still have one game in - hand after they were held While Amad completed just one of his three attempt ed dribbles at the Stadium of Light , the one which was suc SPORT to a goalless draw with Hull City at Ewood Park on Satur day evening . " I've just said to the players there , ' make it exciting right to the death if we can ' , " Mow bray said . " Let's try and get to Pres ton with something to play for , but we'll only do that if we can take points from the next three games . " with some brilliant footwork . There was still plenty to do , yet that was all the Sun derland man needed as he wrapped his foot around the ball and drilled a low effort past goalkeeper John Ruddy to win the match . It's not the first time Sun derland supporters , or Bir mingham fans for that matter , have seen such quality from the Manchester United loa nee . NPGZ - A - 1-023 |
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