Highlights
- Sunderland suffered a disappointing 4-0 defeat against Middlesbrough, marking the end of their recent winning streak.
- Dan Neil’s red card for dissent had a significant impact on the team’s performance, leaving them with 10 players and making a comeback incredibly unlikely.
- Despite the setback, Neil has had an impressive season overall, with two goals and two assists, earning praise from both his current and former managers.
Sunderland squared off against Middlesbrough hoping to make it three consecutive wins, and further boost their early play-off chances in the Championship. Come the full-time whistle, however, the Black Cats had endured an afternoon to forget, heading into the international break on the back of a disappointing 4-0 defeat.
Tony Mowbray will undoubtedly be frustrated by his side’s capitulation, with all four of the visitors’ goals coming in the second half. In truth, however, following Dan Neil’s controversial red card, Sunderland were always likely to drop all three points. Following the midfielder’s dismissal, journalist Josh Bunting took to Twitter to deliver his verdict.
Why was Dan Neil sent off against Middlesbrough?
In a moment that will anger Mowbray, it wasn’t a foul that led to Neil’s sending off. Instead, the midfielder simply failed to bite his tongue when speaking to one of the officials and received his marching orders thanks to a second yellow card for dissent just before the half-time whistle.
Down to ten men, Sunderland struggled, and goals from Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isiah Jones, and substitute Marcus Foss left north-east rivals Middlesbrough out of sight.
Delivering his verdict on the Neil red card, Bunting tweeted: “What is Neil doing there? That is just the immaturity we have at times, that’s the problem with young players on occasions. When you’re on a yellow, to be sent off for dissent is just criminal, [we] have played ok after the opening 15 minutes and then down to ten for a moment of madness.”
Sunderland will now be left pondering what could have been during the international break, before hoping to bounce back in style in their first game back against Stoke City. The defeat against Middlesbrough has not damaged the Black Cats’ promotion chances too much, with Mowbray’s side still as high as fourth following the weekend’s results.
How has Dan Neil performed this season?
Aside from his moment to forget in his most recent outing, Neil has enjoyed an impressive season so far in the Championship, starting in all 11 games for the Black Cats, scoring two goals and two assists.
The midfielder has earned plenty of praise during his time at the Stadium of Light, too, including from former manager Lee Johnson, who said, via Chronicle Live: We were really pleased. Dan was pleased, which is good because we want players to be enthused and love what they are doing and what we are doing as a club.
“The pictures summed it up – the one where he is sitting in the crowd at 10 or 11 years old as a starry-eyed kid, and another one where he is actually living that dream.
“You can see and feel the passion that he has got for Sunderland when you are coaching him, and he’s a great kid and a really good football player with bags of potential, and we’ll try and hone that as quickly as possible.
“He’s technically a very good player, you can see the way he manipulates the ball, and I think he has added another dimension to his game in being able to drop and drive, as we call it, and receive the ball and commit players.”
