Hi Guys... From what I have been reading, and our need to win I believe this could be our line up. Westwood Bardsley..Brown..Turner..Richo Elmo..Catts...Colback...Sess ..........Noble...Bendnter....... You may ask why I think Noble will start. Well we need goals, Ji has flown 11,000 miles this week so will be jet lagged. Noble banged 3 goals on Wednesday, Bruce was there and seems impressed. I think Noble could the closest we can get to SKP.. He is so under rated outside of Sunderland, hopefully that will change. Also the only other change would be Elmo, purely to replace Larssen. Why change a team that played well against United.
I'm extremely disappointed about the ji comments from Bruce. To me, the travelling 11000 miles is just an excuse not to play him. It was Tuesday for ****s sake!
but to be fair he got subbed at half time for his country because he was **** and well below fitness apparently so **** knows whats going on!!
Steve Bruce has leapt to the defence of Ji Dong-won after his conditioning was questioned by his international manager. The Sunderland striker was substituted at half-time in South Korea's World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates on Friday and was left out of the starting line-up for a meeting with Lebanon four days later. Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae introduced him after the break in the second game, but criticised the frontman's physical condition and his performance in Dubai. Black Cats boss Bruce has been quick to back his summer signing from Chunnam Dragons having recently experienced at first hand the after-effects of the gruelling journey to Seoul. He said on Friday: "It's quite understandable. If you ask a player to go 11,000 miles, I don't think he is going to be in the best of conditions, we realise that. Exhausted "He has made that trip now four times in the last few months - I made it once and I was exhausted for a week, so to ask him to play football and run around and train, it's been difficult for the boy. "He is only 20 years old, so I would have thought that maybe the coach would have understood those sort of situations, but there you have it. "He's entitled to his opinion - he's the national manager of Korea - but I fully understand. "That's why I probably won't play Ji tomorrow (against Fulham). I know for a fact travelling back after a game on Tuesday, it's very, very difficult and you are not going to be at your physical best." Couple of flaws in Bruces excuses here. He flew to Dubai which is only 3,500 miles away hardly 11,000, and i very much doubt he was in economy class. So 6 hours in a posh seat should hardly be used as an excuse. How come players all over the world seem to do longer distances and still perform, he just had a bad game. He's unfit for other reasons.(if he is unfit). Come on Bruce let the lad have a go, and not be used for some cheap PR circus. As for the rest of the team..Elmo..Catts...Colback...Sess. Hardly the most inspiring midfield going into must win games.
Comm, What a complete load of S*** from Bruce. I regularly travel 19,000 km each way, or 38,000 in a week & can confirm that the difference between economy & business is immense. For Bruce to cry over his trip is laughable. As for Ji he has no excuse. Flying business & in many cases economy, sporting representatives of New Zealand CAN & do compete in various codes every week internationally. For what its worth it takes me around 40hrs DIRECT to get from my home to my final destination each time with transit time.
The only other change I'd make would be O'Sha for Turner not that I dislaike Turner but think O'Shea has a better understanding and reading of the game.
For m it would be.. Westwood O'Shea..Brown..Turner..Bardsley Sess..Catts...Colback...Richardson ..........Noble...Bendnter.......
I would go with that. Thats about the closest I've seen to the reidy team, SKP, quinny, johnston & summerbee.
KIERAN RICHARDSON is likely to be moved back in to midfield for this afternoon's visit of Fulham - despite "not giving Nani a kick" in his last outing for Sunderland as a left-back. Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been insistent since last season that he thinks the 27-year-old's best position is as a full-back and has been satisfied with the progress he has made in that role. But with Seb Larsson sidelined through suspension this afternoon and striker options limited, Bruce has spent the international break assessing his options and playing Richardson further forward is featuring prominently in his thoughts. It is not a decision he will make lightly, but with John O'Shea fit again after a hamstring problem then Phil Bardsley can switch flanks and slot in to the left-sided defensive role. "There's a possibility," said Bruce. "You can see Kieran at left-back, he played against Nani at Old Trafford and never gave him a kick, he played against Theo Walcott two weeks before that at Arsenal and never gave him a kick http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sp...9373523.Will_Richardson_be_back_on_the_wing_/
I would play O'Shea if he's fit and put Rico in behind Bentner, think they could play off each other quite well and I would like to see Rico given another chance in that position
