It’s questionable as to whether manager Chris Coleman is now just trying to say the right things following another defeat for Sunderland against Bolton Wanderers in midweek.
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media following Tuesday’s one nil loss to Bolton Wanderers at the Macron Stadium, Coleman was very much keeping a stiff upper lip as he spoke about the players showing the ‘heart and spirit’ we required to pull ourselves out of last place in the Championship table with us now five points from safety.
In a sense there was reason for him to talk up the performance, as we dominated possession on the day and had the greater chances overall, but we failed to get the vast majority on target and only tested their goalkeeper three times – and with a fortuitous chance falling to Zack Clough, well he won the game with is moment of composure when it counted.
‘In terms of our performance that was a lot more like it tonight. It was never going to be easy coming here and it was a big game for them as well, but I think we were the better team over the 90 minutes.’
Coleman went on to say.
‘They got that goal which was incredibly fortunate, but after that we really dictated. Maybe we will get one of those decisions and they`ll come to us – I think you earn them – but tonight we drew a line in the sand after the last four games where we were performing for 45 minutes here and there. That`s not good enough and it has to be for 90 minutes with that type of heart and spirit, and then we`ll have a great chance of getting out of trouble.’
The former Welsh manager went on to say.
‘We have to march on, march forward, because I thought we showed good team spirit tonight and there was a good balance about us which is what we need moving forward. If you`re going to lose you have to leave everything out on the pitch, and I thought we left everything on the pitch tonight. I`m disappointed because we`ve lost three points and it was another opportunity for us, but I can`t criticise the lads` endeavour and work rate.’
