Sunderland visit Gillingham in League One Last time out in the league Sunderland beat Scunthorpe and Gillingham lost at Walsall. Sunderland are the visitors to Priestfield on Wednesday, a team who were playing Premier League football two seasons ago. They are in League One after back-to-back relegations, but despite their recent woes, Sunderland are favourites for promotion from League One. Gillingham suffered their first league defeat at the weekend, but boss Steve Lovell isn’t concerned. He saw enough in the performance on Saturday to keep him happy. Lovell’s only real disappointment was with the way the Gills started at Walsall, losing 2-1. “It’s a long season and I am not too disheartened,” he said. A third consecutive away-day sell-out, over 2,000 supporters will be making the 600-mile round-trip to the Priestfield Stadium on Wednesday night. Supporters who were unable to purchase a ticket will still be able to watch all of the action, though, as the game will be streamed live on safc.com. UK-based fans can watch league games which do not take place during the blocked hours – 2.45pm to 5.15pm on a Saturday – and are not selected by the EFL’s broadcast partners. Jack Ross: “Charlie Wyke is getting ever-closer. We will travel tomorrow and remain in the London area for the remainder of the week, so he will stay here, as will Flanagan, Watmore and McGeady. Hopefully he can train next week and be available for Oxford." "The Gills play in a system similar to Luton, so that helps us to some degree. They've started the season in a positive fashion, taking Saturday aside, and we're aware of the challenge we face." "In every game we've played we've shown signs of progress, and yesterday was probably the best one to date. It was also another step forward in making our home stadium a difficult place for teams to come." "Naturally, strikers are always judged on goals, so to score three in three consecutive League One games is terrific for him. What he's done so far, and the responsibility he's had to take on because of limited options, has been big." Steve Lovell: “It’s another experience for our boys, definitely a challenge for us, and we’re looking forward to it. We will learn from Saturday’s game and hopefully on Wednesday we will start brightly, like we have in the first three games of the season.” “It’s a big game and we are all looking forward to it, but it’s just another game and there are the same three points on offer, like any other. I concentrate on us. On Monday and Tuesday we will analyse (Saturday’s game), show the boys a few clips of the first 10-15 minutes, show them what they did and tell them that it wasn’t good enough." Form: Sports Analytics Machine: Meh Prutton predicts: Meh Match Appointments: Referee:ANTONY COGGINS Assistants:Nicholas Cooper and Gregory Read Fourth Official:Conor Farrell Team Line ups Sunderland: McLaughlin, Matthews, Baldwin, Loovens, Oviedo, Cattermole, Power, Honeyman, Gooch, Maja, Maguire. Substitutes: Ruiter, Ozturk, Hume, O’Nien, McGeoch, Molyneux, Mumba. Injured: Watmore, Flanagan, Wyke, McGeady, Sinclair Taxi: NDong, Djilobodji, Kone Gillingham: Holy, O'Neill, Garmston, Ehmer, Zakuani (C), Bingham, Charles-Cook, Parker , Byrne, Eaves, Hanlan. Substitutes: Hadler, Fuller, Lacey, Nasseri, Reilly, Stevenson Betting Odds: H 13/5 A 11/10 D 23/10 My two pence: Another tricky away game, sadly I can't make it to this one, but I'll probably watch the streaming service. My guess is a 2-2 draw Ha’way the Lads
Gillingham! I'm sure it's a decent place but the only time I've been there was for the play-off defeat when we last went to the Third, and idiotically stopping for a pint meant missing the last train, then an infinite wait for a night bus journey into London involving a fascist nazi copper who was wandering around looking for any excuse to threaten anyone … FFS lads, revenge on Wednesday, get the 3 points!
Nice county, ****e hole of a ground from what I can remember, indifferent fans. Fancy a 0-1 win with lots of possession and chances.
Nice one RTB, win this one, which I think we can, then we are really on a roll. Come on you young'uns.
Even today, after thirty-one years, the name Gillingham gives me a very uncomfortable feeling in the gut. So I'll take a draw, and be dam grateful for it.
I believe we'll win. I'd like to see McGeough play alongside Power I think it'll be our best pairing if what I hear about his ability is accurate.
I think we can win this one, but do not think it will be the walkover predicted by some, but we all live in hope, be very happy with 1-0.
I think he will start Catts and maybe sub him second half , most managers stick to the tried and tested and Ross has done this before. i would also like to see Ethan Robson involved. I am sure that as the season progresses we will see more of our academy players but at the moment the more experienced players will get the nod, and quite rightly so.
Looking forward to games again for the first time in years. Question is do you change a winning team. I would leave the same starting 11 and then give any of the players returning from injury 20 mins at the end especially as I think we will be two goals up by then.
It's always an interesting question about whether you should change a winning side, I'd usually say no but I get the feeling that with Ross in charge we can change the personnel around a fair bit and still get the same level of performance unless Ozturk is involved at least. I think we could safely leave Catts in because he's been fine so far but it sounds like McGeough will offer more so I'd just bite the bullet and make the change, no room for sentimentality in football you have to play your best team. If McGeough turns out to be ****e then I retract this whole argument but I don't think he is. It might be wise to bring him on later on to ease him in to be fair, like you say, rather than starting him.
I've hammered Ozturk in here. No denying it. But I think he needs to play. Its the only way his confidence is going to be restored, by playing in a winning team. I liked the fact that he went up for every corner and was clearly desperate to score. Keep playing him, and have his back covered. Eventually he could still be a valuable member of the squad.
I certainly wouldn't start him when Baldwin and Loovens look good together, it's one thing dropping an average player for a good one but I wouldn't do it the other way round. With Flanagan to come back too Ozturk's just going to have to take his chances when he gets them which he will in a season with this many games, I haven't written him off by any means and I don't want to pick on him, I think with a bit of coaching (in particular if in doubt kick it out) he could be useful.
All good points Nacho. I'm just backtracking on my own position. We can't afford to discount or ignore a player in a thin squad on the basis of his first few games, which I was clearly doing.
Put him in the U23's they look like they could do with him Mags 5 Sunderland 0 last night . Seriously though a few games with them would do no harm and keep him fit. he must be better than he has looked so far, but no way put him in for Baldwin or Loovens at present.
Gillingham. The only team ever to relegate another on the basis of the away goals rule. Revenge please .
