Match Day Thread Stoke City v Sunderland AFC – Saturday 21st October 2023 - KO 15:00

I didn't want to derail the thread too much.

 

The football is back and I can't wait for the 2 o clock team news, the only certainty is Neil is suspended.

Hope we get right stuck into them.from the first minute, Get ahead and then torture them with our passing football and pick them off as they try and get back in the game.

Hoping Gooch is still missing for them, only because I'm still not ready to see him playing against us

 

Ditto to all that, I bet Gooch will be hoping he misses it ...

... any mistake that leads to a Sunderland goal will have them on his back.

 

This train is rammed and people, on the Carlisle platform, are unable to squeeze on ...

... I have to get the Euston train at Preston and I'll be on it even if I have to use the terrorist method and strap mesel to the undercarriage.

 

Got to admire your tenacity Smug, good luck mate hope the result makes your day.
We've got a lovely day here, no wind or rain, off to watch the grandson on his Refereeing journey, he's doing well so far taking adult matches.

 

Have a good day mate.

We're just coming through sunshine and blue skies in the Lakes

 

5-1 today Haway

Clarke 9, 43, 75. Gooch og 67. Burstow 90.

Gooch 33.

 

Bit nervous for this game now. Keep thinking back to last season and how Neil absolutely did us like a kipper

All rests on the line up for me - if Ballard, Pritch and Ekwah are in the starting XI I'll feel a lot more confident

 

Safe travels today everyone. I am in derbyshire and the flooding is pretty grim. The derwent is very high. We live on top of a valley ridge so safe but my local football club is under 2 feet of water, across clubhouse and pitches. Rain should stop lunchtime so heading down to see what we can do but likely need to be a big effort tomorrow and Monday.

 

Safe travels to everyone going to the game

Really not confident today, hope Ekwah is in and plays as well as he can to make up for Neil not being there. Neil missing is a huge blow, got to hope the lads step up in his absence

Would love to hammer them and cost AN his job but just dont have a good feeling about this one

 

Made it to Crewe and the train to Stoke was cancelled so went to Stafford and now on the way to Stoke.

On the platform there was a bunch of drunken loudmouth idiots who I took as Stoke fans ...

... turned out to be enthusiastic Sunderland lads who like a drink and a sing song

 

Hope we turn it on. Can’t help but expect us to be physically overrun and pressed into submission. We’ll need some balls in behind today I suspect because they’ll try and swamp our passing game. Not feeling too hopeful but this lot often prove me wrong so fingers crossed ​

 

Sounds like you deserve a few beers
- and an away win

 

2-0 to the lads will do me fine. Don’t want to go too mad or Stoke’s owners will be tapping up Mowbray after the game

 

Marvellous as always RTB .
In the pack of 8or9 behind us in the table, there are 3or4 games between teams in that pack . Looking for a lot of draws there , a win for us and we push away from them a bit. Don’t tell the players though - no unnecessary pressure.
Think we’ll take some revenge today, but it’ll take a hard concentrated performance . 2-0 .

 

Gooch is fit. Just seen him walking in and he had a few photos with the SAFC fans.

 

Might play into our hands. We've seen players completely collapse against their boyhood teams

Anton Ferdinand v West Ham springs to mind

 

Any sign of our lads?