Hi all, Manchester-based Sunderland fan, here in peace to give you some views on Marton. I've been a season ticket holder for over 15 years now, and going all the time since I was 5.
Basically, you're going to want to keep an exceptionally tight defence, because the lad is really rather shite. While he has all the attributes - Young, tall, athletic... for some reason he's shit-scared of catching the ball, and punches and flaps at every opportunity. He's terrible at organising the defence too, takes no control over situations. Even when directing defenders where to go on freekicks and corners. Just no communication at all.
A typical situation - Corner - Fulop stand about playing with his gloves, defenders go for man-marking and cover the posts in the absence of anyone helping them out. Fulop runs out, half collapses and tumbles into a defender. 1-0 to the opposition, Fulop looks at the ref, he's not impressed, proceeds to shout at defenders. Oh if only you'd done that before the corner Marton.
I see some have cited his height and with that he should comfortably deal with Villa/Spurs' putting the ball in the air. If anything, the signing of Fulop encourages them to do that, as he comes flapping for every cross, running into strikers and his own defenders looking for the foul, or paws it away like some sort of massive cat.
In the games he played 'well' this season were when Gordon was injured, so we had little other option. As for playing 'well', the truth his, he played 'alright'. To the level you'd expect a keeper given the patchwork defence we put infront of him.
I'm honestly hoping this works out for you, so that a) you get in the top 4, and b) someone might buy Fulop.
He's not even good enough for us I'm afraid, and theres got to be a reason why a fully fit, international keeper can't even get on the bench for the reserves at our place. Since January, he's slipped behind a young lad Trevor Carson as the back-up to Gordon, and in the reserves, they prefer to start with Carson, and put the U18 keeper on the bench. I find it hard to believe that this is to stop him getting injured and putting off prospective buyers.
Like I say though, good luck. God knows you'll need it with flapper-Fulop in the sticks. I think I speak for all SAFC fans when we say "Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out"
I hope you get 4th, I like Man City as a club and the fans, and it will break up the monotony of the 'big 4'.
We'll do our damndest to stop the red-shite getting the title on Sunday.
