Football talk thrives on whats ifs.
What if Jack Ross, suitably impressed by his much-changed team’s latest winning exploits in the Carabao Cup, decided the same side can surely coast past MK Dons in the more important matter of the League One promotion race?
It was, after all, a fine 1-0 win against Sheffield United, albeit also much changed after their 2-0 Premier League triumph at Everton.
But we know it won’t happen because football doesn’t tend to work that way. A few of Wednesday night’s stars may get into the squad but the chances of Ross announcing an unchanged side are less than zero.
Over to you the readers. What sort of line-up would please you and convince you Sunderland will gain three points to compensate for lost ground at home to Rotherham and at Bolton? It’s the kind of game we should be winning with relative ease but have developed a habit of only drawing.
And for the purposes of this posting, what will be the score?
As usual (for now), it is not a prize competition but a just-for-fun invitation to predict the Stadium of Light scoreline.
Ha’way the Lads, whichever lads Ross selects.
And as a reminder, here is how the SAFC team shaped up at Bramall Lane:
Burge; McLaughlin, De Bock, Lynch, Flanagan (C), O’Nien; Power, McGeouch, Maguire, Embleton; Wyke
Subs: Patterson, Dobson, Grigg, Leadbitter, Hume, Taylor, Connelly
The eternal optimist says would love to see a clean sheet in the league for once , but don’t know if it will happen , the Ross doubters have been quiet since Wednesday let’s hope it will stay that way I am going for a 5-0 nap hand for the lads stid ftm coyr
The Lads to win 2-0, would be happy with a strong performance and a clean sheet.
1-1. Our form’s mystery continues.
I followed the energy drink no-one drinks cup-tie on SAFSEE and, as has been mentioned, after Flanagan’s heart in mouth howler we seemed in control throughout untl their late chance across the face of goal.
Two games in 4 days will probably be too much for de Bock and Lynch if they’re playing catch-up on fitness, but by all accounts, the only one that looked goosed late on was Maguire, who played well without McGeady.
I would love to see us get a settled defence, and if we don’t keep a clean sheet on Saturday with a different set up the knives will be out again.
Unless it’s 5-1 or something……
I’m going for 2-1 tho.
… and how right your were
A lot will depend upon who’s fit if, as Jack Ross suggests, we had more than half a team unable to travel to Sheffield through injury. Add Embleton to that list.
None of those who played on Wednesday did their chances any harm, if Jack Ross and more importantly Pete Sixsmith and Sobs are to be believed, (and why wouldn’t I) so might a back 4 be made up of summer signings? If McLaughlin (C) and De Bock prove to be reliable full backs that will release O’Nien and Hume from those positions, allowing Maguire to play wide right where he provides a real alternative to Gooch.
McGeady is a puzzle for me as he is undoubtedly our most skillful player yet the team as a whole often seems to play better when he doesn’t start.
I wouldn’t like to predict who will start but Ross now seems to have at least two players to choose from for every position. What is more important tomorrow is that those who do start put in the sort of performances we saw in the first 30 minutes against Rotherham rather than those we saw for the last hour of that game.
I was following Wednesday’s game by text whilst travelling on the vaporetto between Arsenale and Murano in Venice and drew a few strange looks for my reaction when it said Max Power had scored.
Earlier that day I had been enjoying a couple of Bellinis (well you have to don’t you) and beers during happy hour in a bar, not far from the Rialto bridge when I recognised the accents of the couple who came and sat at the next table and we then spent the next ten minutes debating the possible team and whether or not the prospect of a Sam Allardyce return would be a retrograde step. You’re never far from a Sunderland fan.
I’ll be back at the SoL tomorrow to witness a 3-0 win.
Mclaughlin (gk)
O’Nien (rb)
Willis and lynch (cb)
De Brock (lb)
Power and Dobson (cm)
Gooch (rw)
Hume (lw)
Wyke and mcnulty (cf)
Subs: burge, ozturk, mclaughlin, mcgeouch, maguire, grigg, leadbitter.
This is the team that i would like to see. Seen as though mcgeady is injured and maguire doesnt seem to play well without him. But i also would like to see burge been given a chance in goal. We will win 4-0, 3 up at half time. Wyke with a brace, gooch from 18 yards out and willis from a corner.
3-0
Burge won’t play.
McGeouch will come on as a sub. So will Grigg.
Both will score.
Someone whose surname begins Mc (not me) will also score, unless it’s Maguire.
Wednesday’s back 4 will all feature at some point.
I know these things. My record speaks for itself
I am unable to join the members of the Heart of England branch of The Sunderland Supporters Association on their coach journey north to watch the game but I am sure they will rejoice in the somewhat nerve-jangling 5-4 win to The Lads.