Proper Players

MD16 – Queen’s Park Rangers (Away) 2000 – Wednesday 21^st December 2011

23-year old Nicklas Bendtner has developed a seasoned repertoire for his narcissistic levels of confidence and self-instilled delusions of grandeur; however his developed talent is juxtaposed with great criticism, centred on his failure to adopt it into his weekly performances. So when a vandalism charge against the Dane and teammate Lee Cattermole brought Sunderland into disrepute, it fell to the new man in charge, Martin O’Neill, to provide Bendtner with the home truth that has eluded him for so long.

Following a grovelling apology to his family, club and country, a sincere Nicklas Bendtner took to Loftus Road with rare focus and commitment to Sunderland’s cause. And, after an alarming display of forward manoeuvres, the striker dominated his marker for a well-earned headed goal within twenty minutes. It was a welcomed performance; increasing Bendtner’s credibility with patient supporters while exploring the efficiency of O’Neill’s man-management skills.

The on-loan Gunner’s crisp form catalysed Sunderland’s one-sided opening half in which the reliable Stèphane Sességnon continued to shine through as the Black Cat’s star player. His blistering counter-attack from a Titus Bramble clearance out-paced surrounding stoppers; while his ‘fake shot’ finish was as humiliating for keeper Paddy Kenny was it was savvy from the Benin maestro. As for the goal-line clearance from Bramble; it was a steady indication of the defender’s newfound agility and awareness, as Bramble continues to drop his ‘powerhouse’ methods. This can only be a good thing for a player who is far from re-embraced by the Sunderland faithful. Lee Cattermole, who can learn from Bramble’s example of rehabilitating respect through commitment on-field, also revealed a more composed doppelganger of his manic self throughout his performance. Though commendable, but it will take more than this game for supporters to overlook his volatility.

A severely brief dip – rife with inconsistency and panic – hallmarked the Steve Bruce managerial era from this campaign as two successive responses from Queen’s Park Rangers reset the match. It was familiar and typical, but supporters won’t fault the current guard; this is a mentality error that will take a while to repair.

The death provided for travelling supporters as Martin O’Neill wildly flailed his body in gesture for his team to unload pressure over their hosts. Like Blackburn and Tottenham, the Black Cats became relentless with adrenaline and battered QPR until a rare Wes Brown goal sent the squad into relief. The job was done; but with Everton on the horizon – who boast a terrific record against Sunderland – Martin O’Neill will be hoping Bendtner can retain the commitment, effort, and goals his form provided at Loftus Road.