“Luke O’Nien, as Sunderland captain, needs to be more vocal on the pitch,” reads a fan letter.

I attended the match against Blackburn Rovers (the less said about it, the better), and I’ve just read our captain’s post-match comments on the game, stating that it ‘wasn’t acceptable’.

I seem to remember he said something similar a couple of weeks ago and that it wouldn’t happen again? Players not putting in the effort, etc, etc.

You have to ask yourself why our captain isn’t bollocking these players during games. I never saw him utter a word to anyone, but he made mistakes as well.

It’s a captain’s job to get the players motivated on the pitch, but I don’t see this from Luke O’Nien, and it’s time he started.

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, and thank you for your letter.

On the topic of whether Luke O’Nien is an effective captain and whether he can rally the troops when things are challenging, I can see both sides of the argument.

On one hand, O’Nien is a committed and wholehearted player who’s clearly developed a true affection for the club during his six years on Wearside, and as an example of how to conduct yourself on the pitch, he rarely puts a foot wrong.

However, it’s also true that when compared to the more vocal Sunderland captains we’ve had, perhaps O’Nien isn’t quite as inspirational, but the game has changed and therefore the art of captaincy has had to change as well.

Assuming he plays against Bristol City tomorrow, we’ll get an idea of how determined he and his teammates are to put things right. The standards need to be raised and it starts with the next game.

Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I’m astounded by social media blogs and posts from fans who think they have a divine right to know every minor detail that the owners and senior management have planned for the future development and stable running of the club.

Yes, there have been some mistakes, and these have either been quickly rectified or are currently being rectified.