Sunderland travel to Lofthouse Road to face QPR in the Championship. Last time out Sunderland thrashed Southampton and QPR beat Middlesbrough. Sunderland moved up to 9th as they blew away in-form Southampton to kickstart their Championship season in emphatic fashion at a raucous Stadium of Light. Saints had won three and drawn one of their opening four games but never recovered once Jack Clarke stooped to head the home side in front in the first minute from a beautiful curling cross by Trai Hume. QPR recorded a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. Goals from Andre Dozzell – his first for the club – and Jack Colback saw Rangers finally rewarded for their ever-improving performances in recent weeks. QPR climbed two places to 17th after registering a first win in three and the west Londoners' past four league wins have all come away from home - against Burnley and Stoke City in April, and against Cardiff City, and now Middlesbrough this season. Tony Mowbray: "The result is important for the team and the spirit. "It's been a tough week in the build-up to it in terms of speculation around a lot of our players. In training yesterday, there were rumours about certain clubs looking at certain players and it disrupts young footballers. "I can see them talking to each other, and yet they showed great professionalism today. We all turned up and did what we hoped we could do. "I'm happy with the day and happy for the fans. On paper this is a really difficult game. I looked at their squad on the back of the programme and just saw name after name after name of really experienced high quality footballer." Gareth Ainsworth: “I’m so, so pleased – we have deserved this, We didn’t do any business on transfer deadline day, but I told the boys that we are a team and didn’t need to do any more business. “I told them to come with me, because we’ll achieve – especially with performances like that. The performance was the same as Ipswich, the same as Southampton – but we got the points we deserved today. “Losing Steve Cook before half-time was a big blow, but Jake Clarke-Salter was fantastic when he came on – the boys emptied the tank again. The lads were superb and I’m really proud.” Match Appointments: Referee: DEAN WHITESTONE Assistant Referees: Daniel Leech & Lee Venamore Fourth Official: Ben Toner Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Cirkin, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume, Neil, Ekwah, Clarke, Dack, Ba, Jobe Subs: Bishop, Huggins, Seelt, Pritchard, Rusyn, Roberts, Rigg, Hemir, Burstow. Injured: Evans, Alese, Matete, Mayenda. QPR (3-4-3) Begovic, Kakay, Clarke-Salter, Fox, Smyth, Field, Colback, Paal, Dozzell, Armstrong, Chair Subs: Willock, Archer, Dixon-Bonner, Larkeche, Kelman, Duke-McKenna, Adomah, Kolli Injured: Cook, Dunne, Dykes. Betting Odds: Sunderland 23/20 QPR 11/5 Draw 5/2 Prutton Predicts: 1-1 My two pence: A few familiar faces in the QPR side, Jack Colback & Jake Clarke-Salter. Hopefully we can repeat last season’s result, the 3-0 win was swiftly followed by their manager, Neil Critchley being sacked. I think uncle Tony will keep an unchanged side from our last game - unless there are any new injury concerns. This is one of the easiest games for me to get to, so I’ll be there to watch it live I’m going for a 2-0 away win. Live Stream: This game will be available to overseas fans on https://safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Ha’way the Lads
Thanks mate. Yip, due to the 5-0 hammering team will probably be the same but the bench is going to be outstanding.
Great thread as always, hope to see you there mate, we'll be at the Sindercombe if you fancy it ... ... Southampton are a much better team and QPR aren't comfortable playing at home so no reason we can't win. Their defenders will have seen our 5-0 and be wondering how they can stop us. I don't think they will, we almost always score and the defence is really starting to settle. Dack and Clarke in a calm and professional 2-0, Ha'way the Lads!!!
I fancy us. Very good performance in our last game and confidence will be sky high as well as new additions joining the squad. 0-2. Ha’way the lads.
Football is back, it's been a.long two weeks. No idea if TM will keep the same team as last time or if changes will be made, but if we don't then neither do QPR. Either way, we have options in the front 4 that all have a good case for playing. Bloody lovely isn't it and the bench will be very strong
Off to a rather wet West Scotland tomorrow so a win would make it more bearable. We seem to do well at their place and we're playing without fear, and not just the last match. Happy for any of our lads to get on the scoresheet just bring home the points. Safe travels to all those going and thanks again RTB, top lad.
I think they will score as they will be on a high also after their victory against Boro but I also think we will be strong especially in attack and feel we will have plenty in the tank for a fixture that will probably be more awkward for us as I don't think QPR will play as openly attacking as Southampton tried and will be more compact defensively. That said for me we win the game and I am hoping for a 1-3 and fancy a centre half to score.
Great to see the return of the thread @RTB. Superb as always. Thanks for your ongoing work. Much appreciated. Think we will have too much for these. 3-0 to the Lads. Clarke, Jobe and Ekwah
Great thread. Shame we had a break after our last performance. The lads must have been buzzing. I loved the celebrations all the players had with Rigg and Bennette. I am not too focussed on QPR. Not to be disrespectful but it has to be about what we do. Same team as Southampton would make sense, unless Roberts is back? Rusyn from the bench to make an impact. Rigg to get more game time and keep me smiling. Ekwah set a new standard for himself against Southampton, complete domination of a very good opposition midfield, more of the same from him and I can see another exciting team performance.
Ainsworth said: “People might be surprised to hear me say this after losing our first seven games but I have no doubt we have got a team good enough to stay up this season. If they continue to play like they did today they will certainly do that." Relegated with Wycombe. .............. This season at QPR. "I've got to look past this result. We're a mile away from where we were last season and it's so good to see. The boys were brilliant and gave everything. "I'm gutted we haven't got anything from it but I'm also hugely happy with the performance. Mark my words - and I really hope I'm proved right here - I think we can achieve things. I think we're going to be fine. Write us off at your peril this year." Nothing to be worried about imo.
Great stuff as always, looking forward to this one. I think Roberts will come straight back in for Ba if fully fit and have a seaky feeling Burstow will start ahead of Jobe after he was away with England, he's played a fair few minutes already this season. Glad I don't have to make the call though
QPR fans seem quite chipper about their team and prospects this season now having been inconsolable about it all a few weeks ago. Mowbray’s press conference is this afternoon. I’m looking forward to hearing his first impressions of the new lads.
I’d take a draw now tbh - happy to get a little unbeaten run going. This team is capable of winning anywhere in this league though so not daunted by the game, looking forward to it.
What happens on the pitch always dictates what fans think about the season ahead - after the Preston game most of us were pretty downbeat, suddenly 3 games, 6 points and 7 goals later we're largely optimistic. FWIW I think it will be the typical physical, spoiling tactics game that Ainsworth employs, so assuming we can play around that and stay string at corners then I think we can win it (despite voting for a draw)
Humour is always a personal thing and I find Mowbray's hilarious, the subtle way he stifles a laugh and tolerates some of the dafter questions has me howling. After the comments about his demeanour, during the window especially, it'll be interesting to see how he comes across now. He has another year, his man on the pitch in Dack, two new fit strikers and the club didn't sell half of the team. I doubt we'll notice any difference tbh. I think too much was read into his mood, probably due to the mood of the supporters imo ... ... whatever the case I'll be looking forward to Tony's comedy half hour, it's the way he tells 'em
Great thread @RTB, thanks mate - and hope you enjoy the game along with Smug this weekend I think we can win this one but would be ok with a draw Im going for Dack and Clarke to score Hawaaaaaaay
The thing they're most positive about is that he's moved away from that (apparently at the players' request(!)) and that they've played some nice, slick football along with showing a bit of defensive robustness. They seem to think they'll be ok this season - I appreciate there's always some recency bias in that though as you say.
Always look forward to these threads I agree think he will keep the same starting line up as Southampton, hard to change a team that won 5-0 against one of the league favourites Subs bench for me: Bishop Seelt Huggins Pritchard Rigg Roberts Rusyn Burstow Pembele/Hemir Cant decide on the last sub spot as would probably be harsh on hemir but id want to get pembeles into squads asap
