Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers – Skybet League One Last time out Sunderland drew with Blackpool and Bolton beat Southend. Phil Parkinson welcomes his former team Bolton Wanderers to the stadium of Light on Boxing Day. Sunderland are now 13th in League One, four points off the play-off places. George Dobson is unavailable after his controversial red card against Blackpool. Bolton are bottom of League One with 5 points after starting the season with a 12 point deficit. Former Black Cats, Liam Bridcutt and Daryl Murphy are both expected to play. Steve Parkin: “Disappointed with the first four minutes when we conceded. After that it was a good reaction to conceding the goal” “The aspects of our play early on were a little bit apprehensive. The first half at the end of it we grew into the game and showed more bravery on the ball, it was important to get on the ball and we played some good stuff.” “We got back into the game, we had a chat about body language being important and reaction to disappointment important too. The lads took it on board and there are no guarantees you will score first.” “If you go behind you need to see a reaction, the lads showed a good reaction and sticking to the game plan. Good to see Charlie score a good goal to get us back in it.” “The lads showed a lot of character.” Keith Hill: “I heard a great analogy the other day about a caterpillar, a caterpillar does not wait all of it’s life to become a butterfly, it’s happy being a caterpillar working a caterpillar’s life.” ”At this moment in time, I do believe we’re working a caterpillar’s life, you know what I mean, and that’s just where we are in the football pyramid at this moment in time.” “We can’t keep waiting to become that butterfly, we have got to get on being a caterpillar, that’s the situation we are in at this moment in time that we are in now, we are embracing it.” Prutton predicts: Meh Match Appointments: Referee: ROSS JOYCE Assistant Referees: Barry Gordon and Simon Clayton Fourth Official: Paul Brown Team Line ups Sunderland: McLaughlan, O’Nien, Ozturk, Willis, Hume, Power, Leadbitter, Gooch, McNulty, Watmore, Wyke Subs: Burge, McLaughlin, De Bock, Flanagan, Grigg, Maguire, Kimpioka Injured: Embleton, McGeouch Suspended: Dobson Garden Leave: McGeady Bolton Wanderers: Matthews, Zouma, Bridcutt, Earl, Emmanuel, Lowe, Murphy, Dodoo, Chicksen, Murphy, Darcy Subs: Wright, O'Grady, Verlinden, Boon, Senior, Graham, Alexander Injured: tbc Betting Odds: Home 21/20 Away 13/5 Draw 11/5 My two pence: A must win game if ever there was one, Parkinson will face a tough test against his former team with Bridcutt and Murphy out to spoil the Christmas party. It’s time to squash these “Caterpillars”, my guess is a 1-0 home win. I’ll be watching it on SAFSEE from South America – I know, it’s tough but someone has to do it. Ha’way the Lads
Thanks mate a great thread and a good team featured again, RTB, come on Parky get this lot out on the pitch, and go for it, give the crowd something to cheer, and get the ball rolling with a 2-0 win, to make the New Year a one to look forward to. OaU.
Will it even be played? Or will the Bolton players be molly coddled again and tucked up in bed for the winter? Is this weeks game not cancelled due to concerns for the bairns welfare? F*ck it. 7-0 to SAFC. We are going to smash them.
4-0 grigg twats the trotters with first hat trick for sunderland and Murphy own goal seals the win for parkys men
Voted as always for the lads, but I have a gut feel that this is not going to end pretty and the whole realisation of where we are as a club will be staring us in the face. In the local mall I slipped one of the elves a tenner to see if he could 'arrange' us the win. I hope that this doesn't break any FIFA rules concerning fixing of games....
