The beautiful game, with all those blemishes the heaviest make-up cannot conceal, is back. There may still be a Test series going on, and loads of people are on holiday or have holidays still to take, but football won’t wait.
And that means, at Salut! Sunderland, the return of Guess the Score. Let’s have a bumper entry for the opening game versus Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
For Sunderland supporters, the tricky issue of guessing the outcome of a potentially difficult away match is made trickier by the fact we don’t really know what kind of team Dick Advocaat will send out. Leroy Fer and Yann M’Vila are reportedly likely to be Sunderland players, albeit on loan, in time to play. There’s also talk of a new striker and Chris Young of the Sunderland Echo believes Danny Graham or Steven Fletcher could be about to follow Connor Wickham out of the SoL exit.
My own guess is Pantilimon; Jones, Coates, Kaboul, van Aanholt; Cattermole, Rodwell, M’Vila or Larsson, Johnson; Lens, Defoe with Fer, O’Shea and Watmore among the subs. I could be hugely wrong.
Have a go anyway. Leicester fans are, of course, very welcome to join in.
We are still awaiting confirmation that the competition will be sponsored as last season. If it is (and I shall update this posting accordingly), the winner – the reader who is first to post the correct scoreline before kickoff – will receive a prize mug; if not, it’ll have been just for fun. Predicted line-ups will not form part of the competition and while there are not many rules, one is that the winner must have a UK delivery address.
Ha’way the Lads, whichever Lads Advocaat chooses.
5-2 to us , Graham scores them all , including two own goals .
The Lads to win 3-2 and set the tone for the season (I hope).
LCFC 1 – 1 SAFC
To be honest, just don’t know. Still not sure where the goals will come from
Safc 2 lcfc 1
Adam johnson will score
LCFC 2 SAFC 1
But we will improve!
Leicester fan here – wishing you guys the best of luck for the season and hopefully we witness a great spectacle come Saturday.
Aim high, you guys deserve it.
Cheers Anton – have a prediction we won’t mind if you tip a home win.
Given last seasons results both ended 0-0, I think it will be a tight affair; both sides will be desperate not to concede. I have to be optimistic at the start of the season and a home game always helps; I’ll say Leicester will nick a 1-0 (sorry!) at home but I reckon Sunderland will make us work very very hard for it.
Looking forward to Saturday, although the last meeting was nervy, the atmosphere at Sunderland is electric – please bring some of that to Leicester with you 😉
We will – starting in the pubs on London Road!
Hate to say it but I think it’ll be 0-2 to them.
I’ll go for last season’s favourite. 0-0
My mate who is a typical Leicester fan – i.e. he hasn’t seen them live for years and despite putting me up for a few days this weekend isn’t going to the match, is seriously worried about his team. Therefore I will start the season with my usual optimism and go for a 5-1 win to The Lads.
Team: – Pantilimon, Jones, Coates, JO’S, PVA, Johnson, Catts, Larsson, Rodwell, Lens, Defoe.
Goals: Defoe 2 Rodwell, Larsson and Kaboul.
Lottery numbers 17 22 23 36 40 41 Bonus Ball 3
England 302 all out, Australia 179 for 3 (rain affected).
P.S. I’m happy for anyone else who wants to go for the same score to claim any prize should one be forthcoming – being on the staff so to speak.
Not so great minds think alike Malcolm. Identical team, same number of goals (both deluded I think).
A comprehensive 3-0 to SAFC……I hope!
2-1 Sunderland with Lens probably scoring
Sorry Sobs but I have already got this score
2-1 LCFC
A 2 – 2 draw should set us up nicely for another season of hubble bubble toil and trouble. Third last on MOTD, nowhere near SKY GOTD, Cattermole booked as he makes another attempt on the bookings in a season record. Pants – Billy Jones – Coates – J O’S – PVA – Larsson – Catts – Rodders – Jonno – Jermain and Jeremain, in a team that doesn’t look too strong I’m afraid. More additions needed.
Just noticed my score already taken. I’ll amend to 3-3!!
Wasn’t Derek Forster’s debut against Leicester in the first match of the season at age 15, score 3-3? I like it!
I think it’ll be a draw but 1-1 is taken, so I’ll go for 4-1 to the lads.
Aug 64. Leicester had some unknown by the name of Gordon Banks keeping goal (thanks to StatCat for details).
2-1 to Sunderland.
As my LCFC 0 SAFC 2 scoreline appears to have been taken (by Robbie) I’ll have to go for LCFC 1 SAFC 3!
A sneaky 1-0 away win
2-2
A steady 1-1.
0-2
As in LCFC 0-2 SAFC, Robbie?
Of course! Couldn’t predict a loss for our first match of the season.