This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Aiden McGeady and Chris Maguire have come under significant criticism after being caught eating McDonald’s post-match, but Chris Sutton has taken the opposite viewpoint.
What did he say?
Sutton isn’t usually afraid to voice an alternative opinion on matters and his defence of the Sunderland pair is a fair one to make, though the recent events regarding McGeady suggest there is an underlying issue regarding his attitude.
He raises a good point in relation to the Irishman, however, suggesting he has a successful career to boast of and therefore hasn’t reached the level he has in football without adhering to a disciplined diet and mindset.
However, he is neglecting the fact that their behaviour is a little suspect given Sunderland’s predicament, particularly as the incident happened after yet another loss – their seventh in ten games.
Sutton took to Twitter, stating:
Right mindset
Sutton is fair to suggest footballers should be given the freedom to make their own decisions and eat what they want, but if Phil Parkinson is to turn around a sinking ship then he needs all his players on board.
With squad morale likely at a low point due to the endless poor results, it is tough for Parkinson to build team spirit, and that means the only way results are likely to turn around is if everyone is pulling in the right direction.
Incidents like two key players not travelling back with the squad and eating fast food is a show of disobedience to Parkinson and undermines the work he is trying to do. It shows a distinct lack of togetherness.
As a result, Sutton is rather uninformed in giving his opinion and should instead be considering the other circumstances involved, such as the fact that the performances of both players have tailed off significantly, with Maguire, in particular, bearing the brunt of fan criticism.
They should, therefore, be doing all they can to help their new boss and get Sunderland moving back in the right direction, rather than tarnishing the club through negative actions.
The actions of McGeady may have contributed to him being made available for transfer, but fans are backing him over the manager in that development.