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U-Turner?
One of my biggest pet hates with (a vocal minority of) Sunderland fans is that they seem to always need to single out one or two particular individuals as ‘not good enough’. Once these players are dropped (as in the case of George McCartney), or sold (Kenwyne Jones), or start playing so well they just look foolish (Craig Gordon last season), they aren’t appeased – instead, they simply move onto the next target.
From speaking to a number of my mates and various rumblings around on matchdays, it appears the current scapegoat is Michael Turner. He isn’t cultured, he’s slow, he’s reckless, he can’t pass a ball, his long balls always go straight to the opposition, he’s a Championship level defender, yadda yadda.
The facts, however, do not seem to back this up. Our 3-2 defeat at Wolves at the weekend was the 6th game Turner has missed this season, and we haven’t managed a clean sheet in any of them. The other five games were Birmingham, West Brom, Wigan, Arsenal, and West Ham in the Carling Cup. Of the 11 games he HAS played, we have recorded 7 clean sheets, including games against Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The truth is, his distribution can be poor. And he isn’t the fastest around. And he can get the odd yellow card here and there. But those things aside, Michael Turner is everything you would in a defender. Titus Bramble has rightly been getting a lot of praise this season, but Turner’s contribution has been sorely overlooked.
I just hope we can find form without him at the back, but we looked worryingly shaky at the weekend and I can’t help but feel his return will be welcomed with open arms. And the moaners will have to find themselves a new target. Craig Gordon again, anyone?
Posted by Sunderland fan Philip C
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