Sunderland star lambasted after what he did in win vs Newcastle – ‘That’s twice now…’
Sunderland claimed the bragging rights in the North East as they beat Newcastle 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.
This weekend’s clash was the first Premier League meeting between the Black Cats and the Magpies since way back in March 2016, and it was the hosts who came out on top at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been receiving interest from other clubs after his side’s excellent start to the season, and they enjoyed another impressive afternoon against their bitter rivals.
An own goal from Nick Woltemade proved to be the only difference between the two teams, as Le Bris’ men climbed up to seventh with another victory.
Paul Robinson fumes at Omar Alderete for lack of care
Omar Alderete has been a key player for Sunderland at the heart of their defence after joining in the summer.
The Paraguayan has quickly become a mainstay in the starting XI, and he has formed a formidable partnership with Dan Ballard across his 11 league starts so far this term.
Alderete has brought invaluable top-level experience for the Wearsiders since his arrival, having previously played in both the Bundesliga and La Liga.
However, the 28-year-old had a rare lapse in concentration in the first half of the derby victory, when he gave the ball away and almost set Newcastle away.
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson was quick to jump on the poor moment from the defender, and he emphasised how dangerous it was for him to use the ball in that manner.
“That’s twice now where Alderete has been careless in possession,” Robinson said during BBC Radio 5 Live’s coverage of the game.
“The one thing that Sunderland can’t afford is to give the ball away in those areas. The first time Alderete gave the ball away to Woltemade, he was slightly on his heels, and it was an opportunity where he could maybe have got through on goal.”
Omar Alderete’s concerning duels statistics
Alderete’s performances for Sunderland so far this season have generally been strong, but he showed signs of weakness at times during Sunday’s derby.
The ex-Hertha Berlin man won just 40 per cent of his duels during the game, according to Sofascore, as he had a difficult time contending with Woltemade in the air.
His lack of success against the German didn’t cause his team too many problems on this occasion, but if he gets into the habit of regularly losing challenges to his opponent, then it will undoubtedly come back to bite his side at some stage.
Le Bris will understand that derby clashes are often not conducive to perfect performances, but he may be tempted to keep a close eye on Alderete’s displays in the coming weeks.