I think the right move was to go for another attacking midfielder (in Donovon). Our defense is poor but there is no point endlessly trying to plug holes there. I think we have to hope that Jagielka gets better and stick with Heitenga and Neill until then. Do not miss Yobo and Distin at all. Wish our right was more effective.

Overall I think we would be pleased enough with our last number of results if we hadn’t fucked ourselves by losing to Hull, etc earlier in the season.

Finishing was piss poor today, Osman was unlucky with his shot that hit the post and Pienaar shooting over but unlucky is worthless, you need to convert your chances. If your strikers aren’t doing the job and you have another on the bench they need more than four minutes to make any sort of impact.

Is there any point us turning up at games with refs like Martin Atkinson? He allows Cahill, Saha and Fellaini to get climbed on without even a hint of a foul, yet when Fellaini/Cahill collect the ball and start a move... it's deemed illegal coz the Sunderland players aren't tall enough to get the damn ball!

Anyone who thought getting Andy Reid is a good idea, that pixie-eared twit wouldn't solve any of our problems. We need a win and we need one quick.

Back four should have dealt with the Bent easily on the Jones cross that resulted in the goal. I wanted to ask Bily how he manages to show us all his flair and skill (never played hoofball, ever, eh?) for a whole 2 mins in a 90 min game and spend the other 88 mins standing around dreaming of the 2014 World Cup. Saha should have scored today. Anyway guess a loss woulda been worse to digest. See in 2 days...COYB

You start with a point and hold what you have first and foremost, attacking being a secondary consideration. He has a defender's mentality and is unable to see beyond this position to the point of not being able to recognise a strikers attributes when on his rare forays into the transfer market ( does anyone remember the Phil Neville interview in which he innocently relates Moyes comments about a scouting mission to watch Jo, "this kid’s got everything", Phil)?

It's almost as though he thinks defence is a position for a specialist whereas any player can do a striker's job, borne out in his 'one up front at home'... supported by a midfielder, a tactic by the way, almost untouched by any other manager in the Premier League.

Throwing James Vaughan on with 4 minutes left is about as good as throwing me on. I'm pretty quick and about his height. Bily played maybe two balls on the ground the whole game... and the rest we no thought huffs or back to goals crosses. We scored when Saha went off because our team does not do anything but look for him in the box whether or not he's in a good position. And even though he was a few times ago he missed.

I'd rather lose than call this an accomplishment. Call me stubborn.

I see it differently: another winnable game has gone and, in my view, we are starting to fit the profile of the unexpected relegation candidate. It seems that Osman is the first name on the team sheet. Why not start Coleman right midfield and give us something different going forward?
I never believed we would ever win anything under Moyes and I think his huge contract was a terrible mistake but I never thought he would see us relegated. Now, I’m not so sure... He and his free-loading partner Kenwright are slowly stifling the life out of this club.

And I’m certainly not happy with a draw today. At the same time, if I were a Sunderland fan, I would have just watched my side totally dominated at home and felt glad for the final whistle. We certainly didn’t fluke a draw. It’s annoying the equalizer came so late. I wish we could replace Cahill and Osman and that Bily would play for more than 20 minutes.

I’m dissapointed with a draw as we do need 3 points rather than 1, but I thought we played well ...overplayed in their box but were the better team.

I have just a couple of things to comment on: Why was Coleman not at right back? Or at the very least right midfield?

Doddy, seeing as you were far too young to see when EFC were a top side, how do you know that much about it?

Incidentally, I listened to the game on Talksport. It was the featured game.

How you can say we dominated this game is beyond me. Pienaar was the best player on the pitch, however. Substitutions were rubbish again today though. Offered nothing.

I also find the treatment of Coleman despicable. He deserved to start yet didn’t even get on as sub. What kind of message does that send out? While the likes of Cahill in stinking form walk into the team.

Cahill, as back striker, hasn’t been contributing. I don’t know how many goals he has had but it’s no more than 3. We can’t rely solely on Saha to get it done up front. This is why we need the 4-4-2. Especially with Vaughan back and Donovan coming in on loan.

We tied Chelsea with the 4-4-2, scoring 3 goals, so I don’t see why we keep playing 4-5-1. There are a lot of things I don’t understand, though. Why does Jo play? Where is Seamus Coleman? Why don’t we pass? Why would we hoof it forward when we only have one striker? If anyone can answer these questions, let me know.

My main concern is the treatment of Coleman though. It just sends out all the wrong messages if players are not picked on form and merit. He changed the game against Spurs and deserved a starting spot.

I don’t share your views on Hibbert, however. Solid he may be but player of the season!? It has been a bad fucking year if that is the case.

The way Moyes shows his own thinking and belief then Cahill, at present, is probably the only one he would rely on to at least try and get his message onto the pitch. I have nothing to back this feeling up other than to say it is just a feeling.

Anyway Blues, stop making me depressed at this time of year and go out and give Burnley a right tonking tomorrow. Please!!!!!

This season is effectively a write-off at the half-way stage — even if Moyesie brings in 3 or 4 on loan, then they need time to settle and blend in; it's never ideal to push 3/4 new players straight into a team. And even if Jags and Mikel are back in February, surely they won't reach peak till about April — by that time, we would've probably crawled above the 40-point barrier.

If Hibbert had played like Coleman did against Spurs then I would be calling for him to be in the team. He didn’t and never has. People pay to watch players perform like Coleman did that day, simply because it is very entertaining to watch. I find Moyes's decision to bench him after disgusting. If he wanted Hibbert back in fair enough. Play Coleman on the right of midfield then.

I’d also advise you to re-read your above post.

"If Moyes was managing 20 years ago, before the Sky 4 established itself, I have no doubt Moyes would be winning trophies like Alex Ferguson has been winning trophies for the past 20 years."

I think this is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever read on here.

Your support of Hibbert as our best defender shows where you are coming from. I don’t profess to be a tactical genius but I know what I see, and I see Hibbert being the weak link almost every game. It’s not good enough to throw in the ocassional decent tackle, the lower leagues are full of defenders who can do the same job.

Once again Neil, don’t settle for mediocrity — it will get us nowhere.

Any football match is only 90 mins long, give or take stoppages — want me to reel off some of the "top four" results for you this season? Managers can beat them as has been proven this very season if they take their chances and play attacking football.

DM plays percentage football whose uber-defensive ethos is not to concede a goal or goals — rather than relying on scoring more goals than the opposition.

Whereas Sunderland, who were under the cosh, managed 4 on target.