Sunderland’s goalkeeping situation was a mess under Simon Grayson.
Robbin Ruiter has told The Northern Echo that he found Simon Grayson’s habit of rotating his goalkeepers at Sunderland a “really difficult situation”.
Grayson brought the Dutchman to Sunderland in the summer after impressing in a couple of trial games for the Black Cats.
He was the second goalkeeper to join under the ex-Wearside boss – who was sacked and replaced by Chris Coleman – as Jason Steele also signed from Blackburn.
But Grayson chopped and changed between the pair on a regular basis, with Ruiter starting eight Championship games under him, while Steele managed nine.
It can’t have been good for continuity and the former Utrecht stopper suggested to The Northern Echo that he was unhappy with the routine.
“It has been a really difficult situation. The changes between Jason and me were not good for either of us. As a goalkeeper you want the confidence of the manager and we didn’t really know what we were up to.
“One week I played really well, and then the next game I was on the bench, and the same thing happened to Jason.”
Despite a horrific performance at Millwall prior to Coleman’s appointment, the former Wales boss has continued with Ruiter between the sticks and he is likely to start again in Saturday’s visit of Reading.
He did show very promising signs in pre-season friendlies, which isn’t always the best gauge, but there is a tidy goalkeeper there and you wonder whether Sunderland fans will see the best of him now that Coleman has shown his confidence in him.
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