Sunderland travel to Walsall in the Emirates FA Cup round 2 Last time out Sunderland beat Barnsley and Walsall lost at Portsmouth. Sunderland travel to Walsall for the second time in the space of seven days. The Black Cats expect to have the same squad available as the other night against Barnsley, and don’t anticipate anybody who has not been fit to be available. Denver Hume had surgery yesterday and it will probably be about eight weeks before he is back. Dylan McGeouch will probably still be out, and Lee Cattermole is coming along but it’ll be too soon for him. Charlie Wyke should start to join in with training from next week, but Ethan Robson is probably still three or four weeks away. The Saddlers will look to bounce back from the away defeat at league leaders Portsmouth. Jack Ross: “I didn’t have any issues with the game last week other than it being competitive and a big challenge for us. I thought last week it had a cup tie atmosphere around it because of the support we brought and then how the game unfolded.” “So I expect the same again this weekend. I don’t think we’re going to go into anything different than we faced last weekend. It showed last week how tough a challenge it was to go there and get a result, and I would expect the same again this weekend.” “He (Watmore) trained again today, and we’ll look at the Checkatrade game on Tuesday and potentially his involvement in that. If he does become involved in that, it’s another really big step for him because it’s a first team game. I think I said that prior to his 23’s game, that’s him pretty much there, which is brilliant for him, first and foremost.” “Naturally, for me, the F.A.Cup is still a big tournament. To progress in it, we’re going to have to work harder than we’ve done in a lot of recent years because of when we entered the tournament. Again, the incentive is to just progress to the next round, regardless of the fact that although the teams that enter the competition just to keep progressing, that’s what we want to do.” Dean Keates: “We have got to the point now where I keep saying that they need to keep learning and developing as players, but it has got to start sinking in now. Football is all about moments.” “In the clinical moments, we weren’t clinical enough. At the start of the second half, Josh Ginnelly has a great chance but he puts it over. A few minutes later we have a corner and it doesn’t go to plan and 20 seconds passes by and it ends up in the back of our net. As I have said, we have got to be better, it has to start sinking in.” “Other than the Burton game in the first half, we just aren’t helping ourselves. We are shipping goals at the moment and they are coming from our mistakes. We aren’t giving ourselves a chance to win the football match.” “You can’t be expected to go and score three goals every game. When you aren’t being clinical in the oppositions 18-yard box and you are shipping goals at the other end, you give yourself an uphill task straight away.” Match Appointments: Referee: Carl Boyeson Assistants: Ken Haycock & Chris Isherwood Fourth Official: Tom Reeves Team Line ups Sunderland: McLaughlin, Matthews, Flanagan, Baldwin, James, Honeyman (c), Power, Gooch, McGeady, Maguire, Maja Subs: Ruiter, Loovens, Ozturk, Oviedo, O’Nien, Mumba, Sinclair Injured: Watmore, Wyke, Hume, Robson, Cattermole, Love Walsall: Roberts, Delvin, Martin, Guthrie, Leahy, Wilson, Kinsella, Dobson, Ginelly, Gordon, Ferrier Substitutes: Morris, Cook, Dunn, Johnson, Fitzwater, Osbourne, Ronan Injured: tbc Betting Odds: H 13/5 A 6/5 D 13/5 My two pence: Hmm seems like only last week we were playing Walsall away… Hopefully Max Power has learnt his lesson and we have a decent ref this time around. I am half expecting the Walsall players to wind up Max Power at every possible opportunity. My guess is a 3-2 away win. Ha’way the Lads
Going for a 2 - 0 to the lads.....I think karma will strike and Power will get one of the goals. It will be interesting to see how many of their players are writhing on the ground after he makes a tackle. Just needs to keep his head and not getting into being provoked. Would like to see O'Nien given a start for this game. I think his performances, goals, attitude and desire deserves his starting place. Ha'way the lads!!!
Another tough game but pay back time for last weekend. 2-0 will do me nicely and any non league club at home in round three.
Aye I'd like O'Nien to start too, I think he was overawed by it all at first but he's got to grips with it now and looks a useful player.
A banker In most people’s Acca I’d say. Bet you chaps are having a bit of a ball at the moment and fair play I’ve said many times on the forum that my best season in recent memory has been the Championship year. New grounds, different scenery, goals... hope. 1-3 to you and Skybet have 16/1 as the price.
Absolutely brilliant thread mate, great effort. There's no real pressure on Ross, or the team, so I'm expecting us to play some good football as we did before Power was sent off. Ross may try a few little tactical things with Oviedo, McGeady, etc and might even have Watmore on the bench. I wouldn't expect him to play, other than late on if we were 3 or 4 nil up, but it would be good for the lad to be there and to watch our style of play. Did I just say 'style of play'!!! ..... been a long time since I could say that tbh. I was there, with Sid, and it was some match. I was going tomorrow, still might, but will be at Accrington, the Bristol Rovers game, then Portsmouth so I'm not sure. Hope everyone there has a great time. A win could be a double edged sword though. A 200 traipse to a club with a small ground, only to lose, would be a game we didn't need. A televised 3rd round tie, against a top 4 PL side, could provide the funds for another player in January. I'm going for 3-0 and Liverpool on the Friday night
Anybody watching Solihull v Blackpool on the BBC. Nice to see Darren Carter still playing for Moors. Easy to see why Blackpool are just outside the play offs, they have some really big lads in that team.
I like the sound of that. That's my bet this weekend Just checked he's 4/1 to score at anytime. I'm on it.
Pity we didn't have a player called Karma in our team....that would be worth a double for him and Power to score...great odds right?
Anybody know how many tickets we've sold for this game, see it's pay on the door so not as many as last Saturday.
Someone needs to remind Chris Maguire that it's now December... Another goal of the month up for grabs Even though it wouldn't count
