Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Luton Town FC – Saturday 13th May 2023 - KO 17:30

Mowbray didn't want to risk his hamstring with Tuesday to come ...

... and a possible start in a back four

 

This club man.

Good value for the win on the day, we started well and they scored against the run of it. That buoyed them and they settled into the game where we had more of a frantic spell. Their press was effective and we struggled to make the ball stick, having said that they didn't pose any more of a goal threat than we did in that spell. The Amad goal is just ridiculous isn't it, he has no right to bend that in the far corner from that angle at all. Big goal and a big moment and that lit a fire under us again. We got on top from then on in and looked far more likely to get the next goal. Joff strikes wide, Roberts has one deflect wide after a quality run - it was coming. As it was it came from a rather predictable source in Clarke, feigning to go down the line before cutting back onto his right, sending the defender for a biscuit in the process and teeing up a lovely inviting ball for Hume to head in, lift off.

We then started to frustrate the living piss out of them with our passing and movement, they conceded niggly foul after foul and we managed the game superbly. Patto didn't have a notable save to make in that second half. These lads are a credit to the club and the city, we've gone beyond putting square pegs in round holes and have moved on to the triangles with all these injuries, yet these young lads take it all in their stride.

On to Tuesday, I'm relaxed.

 

There's no arguing that Luton is a dreadful place with a scruffy little ground and supporters to match who think they're intimidating ...

... a bit of a Millwall-lite.

I thought those who travelled might be more football minded SC holders but the ones I encountered were varying shades of unpleasant.

On their forum they're asking people to make our visit as horrible as possible ... fans, players, staff.

FFS, if this lot reach the PL it won't be the happy fairytale the pundits believe it will.

 

Just back home from a lovely 10 days in torremolinos

 

Excellent post mate ...

.... some great observations and you made me laugh.

Have two likes.

 

Could be wrong mate but I believe that's true of our entire squad.

 

One saving grace - big Mick Harford. There is a chance I will be in his company Tuesday. Will know tomorrow. That fella has done a lot for me and fundraising for kids football over the years. I also have a Sunderland shirt signed by him, Quinn and Phillips, Defoe, cant be many of those around.

 

https://www.a-love-supreme.com/single-post/mowbray-post-luton-2

Here's what Tony Mowbray had to say following Sunderland's 2-1 win over Luton on Saturday...


TIGHT GAME

“As we thought, it was a tight game. Obviously we went down to a set play early in the game, the first corner they had. We couldn’t get rid of it, they won the first contact and then won the second contact. But I think over the 90 minutes we did very well against their set plays and strangely enough we scored from a set play, very similar to their goal against us in the league - a free kick on the edge of the box that was touched inside then bent in."

OUR GOALS

"Amad is a magician with his left peg and he’s scored many goals like that for us this season, so it was no surprise to anybody and it was a great goal. The second one we’d been talking about keeping the ball alive and taking quick corners around the edge of their box. It was a flat cross in and a brilliant goal. So 2-1 into the next leg but nobody’s getting carried away, we know how tough it is at Luton. They flood your box with lots of big players, you’ve got to deny them set plays and corners. They showed tonight they’re a good footballing team, they moved the ball around well and have some very athletic, talented individuals. We have to get ready and start feeling as if it’s 0-0 and go to Luton looking for a positive result.”

FANS

“I think it’s important when you’ve got a stadium and support base like this, you have to show the fans that we’re working really really hard. I thought the stadium was amazing today and gave us a huge boost, it’s almost like a 12th man. I’m sure that’s been said many times at this football club over the years but when they’re wrapped up in their football team and enjoying it, the tackles, winning it back, running for each other, that sort of stuff is just important as the shots and the flashes across goal. The team understand that and they worked really hard against a big strong, experienced football team tonight and we got a decent result. Any positive result tonight was good for us, even a draw would have been a good result as well. But to go with a goal advantage is really good.”

EKWAH

“He’s grown into the football club and he’s amazing really, the lads all love him. He’s a really nice human being, he’s strong, he’s good a wand of a left foot. As I’ve said, we just try and jee him up sometimes to actually understand people are going to push and kick and fight him, and he has to stand up like a man and use that physicality. He did that brilliantly today. The talent is very obvious in his left foot, how clever he is and some of the little passes he plays. And how strong he is winning it back, so delighted with Pierre’s progression over a very short period of time since coming in January. Alongside Dan Neil, I thought they looked really solid in midfield today.”

ROBERTS

“First and foremost about his performance, I thought he was amazing today - as good as I’ve seen Patrick all year. His ability to run with the ball, slip it through people’s legs, play one-twos, he’s just an amazing footballer. He’s taken a knock basically. He’s quite bright in the dressing room, he’s not sitting there worries he won’t make Tuesday, I would be hopeful he’s going to make Tuesday."

PRITCH

“As with Alex Pritchard as well, I would hope he’s going to make Tuesday. So we’ll get everyone in tomorrow, see how they’re feeling, see what it’s like and try and prepare to travel on Monday and see if we can get a positive result against Luton at Kenilworth Road.”

SECOND LEG

“I think we have to just see it as a one-off game that we have to try and win. We can’t go with the mentality of trying to keep hold of what we’ve got. We haven’t got the defenders to deal with their directness to be honest. We have to keep the ball away from the goal and we have to play with the ball, go and attack and we have to play as much in their half of the field as we can, and keep them away from our goal. If we allow them to pile their number eight’s forward along with their two big strikers, and their wingbacks pushing on, all of a sudden they’ve got six players around the box and it’s really dangerous. So we’ll go and play like it’s 0-0 and try and go and win the game like we always do.”

 

Agree with him 100%. He is a proper manager.

I also thought Roberts was his best ever. He was my MoM as I thought he stood up defensively really well, and carried us forward as always. He was just brilliant.

 

Love listening to TM, he's an educated football man through and through.
On a side note when have we ever had three left footed players of such quality and this young?
Roberts, Amad and Ekwah....our cup runneth over indeed.
Changed our restaurant eating time on Tuesday, should be back in the B&B in plenty time to tune in.

 

Heard that interview on the radio, it's a great attitude that Tony is instilling and the squad are responding to a man. I would have settled for a draw at half time on Saturday but we went one better. Unlike the Coventry hackers and brawlers, Luton are a decent footballing side, even so they were walking a tightrope in those final 15 minutes and we could have nicked another, which strangely enough may not have worked in our favour. A good start on Tuesday is imperative , so bring it on . OaU

 

Actually quite a few of them have wands for feet.

 

I thought Luton put in a very strange and erratic performance.

They looked overawed by the occasion and we flew at them. When they scored their confidence soared and they looked decent. But they absolutely went to pieces when Hume scored and looked totally unprofessional. They have a dreadful recored in playoffs which must prey on their minds.

Sunderland's confidence is a lot less fragile and I think that'll count on Tuesday ...

... if we score early on it could push them over the edge

 

Anyone know why Championship teams only get 2 full days of rest between playoff legs and League One and Two teams get 5 (or 6 for Salford and Stockport)

Seems a bit weird.

 

If they don't score early on it will really weigh heavily on them, and the crowd could do the rest, ably assisted by our attack . I am not by nature optimistic even at the best of times, but I am confident that this team of ours is by far the best team in these play-offs, and we will give a good account of ourselves on Tuesday and beyond. Its remarkable really considering the circumstances of how far we have come of late OaU

 

Im still reflecting on just how good this young team actually is. We do need a couple of wise heads in there (Luke, Pitch, Gooch) but the core of this team is phenomenal. Really confident they would do a job in the PL with a couple of additions

 

Am enjoying the Luton narrative. They started off with "little Luton" against arrogant Sunderland, Now it's the "look at them, they think the tie is over" despite no-one actually saying that.
Sub-narrative about "kenny" being a hostile environment and how they'll all be up for it etc. Smacks of Sheff Wed last year and Portsmouth in 2019

 

The comments directed towards us are ridiculous sometimes, yeah we’re a big club but we’re not spending a fortune and we’ve been in the wilderness for bloody ages. We have the 8th most expensive squad in the league at £59m according to transfermkt but £25m of that is 3 loan players (Amad, Gelhardt, Michut).

Not our fault we have a sensible owner, large fan base, good but inexpensive manager who plays attacking football, and a superb transfer setup. Not to mention an academy that works despite being almost destroyed by the previous regime.

It’s jealousy, nothing more.

 

I love where this club is heading. People moan about Speakman. The WMS lot can't stand him, but a mate of mine knows him well and says he is absolutely committed to the model of young players and even Stewart's injury didn't faze him. He IS a bit marmite, but you can't knock what he's achieved. All of this comes from KLD of course. The bairn has been a breath of fresh air