Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Saudi State FC - FA Cup 3rd Round – Saturday 6th January 2024 - KO 12:45

Right, more important things on the agenda now. MASSIVE game tomorrow. Need Ekwah and Neil to have the game of their lives - that’s where it’s won or lost for me. First 20 is going to be pivotal. Daren’t give a score prediction just yet - but I’m sure I’ll come back after a few glasses of merlot with a resounding win for the lads. HAWAY!

 

The scum's threat appears to come from the wings in the shape of Almiron and Gordon. Their midfield is strong with those 2 dirty Brazilians.
Going to 3/5 at the back might give us an extra body in midfield, but we're better in a 4-2-3-1

I'd be tempted to stick with the team we started with v Preston. It relies heavily on our full backs having good games because Clarke and Pritchard aren't going to be tracking back.

A fast start and utilises our strengths with Clarke v Trippier (or whoever). Needs a big game from Jobe, effectively covering 2 positions and Hume on his own at RB to allow Pritch to play close to JB/NR

I expect a defeat, but there's always a chance

 

Tears in my eyes and hairs on the back of my neck standing up watching that

 

Agreed

 

Tomorrow these lads, most of them just starting out on their professional careers have a chance to achieve greatness.

The one thing I do know is these same young lads will give everything they have and leave everything on the pitch for us, the shirt and the club.

And that will do for me, make me proud lads

 

Haway the lads.

FTM.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2e52g91l5o

A mayor has claimed away fans are being treated like "hooligans" ahead of Saturday's Wear-Tyne derby.

In order to receive their tickets, Newcastle United fans must travel on a convoy of specially-operated buses to Sunderland's Stadium of Light ahead of the match on Saturday.
The independent mayor said fans “don’t like being labelled hooligans and banned from public transport”.

However, Kim McGuinness, Labour's police and crime commissioner for Northumbria, said the claim "sounds very much like the comments of someone who has never attended a derby match in this region".

 

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...orth-east-ahead-of-fa-cup-derby-clash-4468493

 

Let them run instead

 

They always do

 

Speaking of which, it'll be dickhead central tomorrow with 6000 of them wandering about - there's no way it's not going to kick off - so keep your heads on a swivel and stay safe everyone.

 

Yeah still hopeful however we set up we have a decent chance but quite big underdogs no doubt. Prich has to start, even if he’s drifting to the right I wouldn’t expect burn to be bombing down the wing all game so he shouldn’t be over relied on tracking back.

Really is a game of individual battles and I think we have a decent chance in all of them. We have to be at our best at the back and we’re going to need some magic from Clarke or Pritch. But we’ve seen them do it plenty before

 

I am going all out to get after them, in every aspect. I am a coach, but sometimes you have to be alive to the emotion and the situation. Howe wont be doing that, he will be plotting his players to get through this with minimal fuss. If I were Beale I would let off every handbrake going. I would want Hume tackling them from the off, I would want Ballard to get after Izaak. I would be telling Neil to get on the ball and play through them. Pritch will have free reign to drive at them. I would ask Clarke and Rusyn just to turn and run at them time and again. I would play Rigg and ask him to be a hero. Sometimes, rarely, football games are won with heart not brains. Tomorrow for me I would be asking for every heart to rule the head. We as fans can terrify them and the ref. Haway man, lets make this the greatest all time SOL atmosphere. Sunderland songs all day long.

 

Make the bastards ****ing walk!

 

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Loved this fella, had a bit of heft on him but what a sweet foot!

 

Jozy Altidore's finest moment - What a goal from Borini

 

South stand looks class. Not sure if the lads that do the displays get on here but love the work they do and it’s a shame it sounds like they are packing it in (hopefully KLD can look into getting them back on side). Would have liked a mention against the mags ownership (don’t think they were allowed) but also happy were going all about us and getting behind the lads.

My favourite one was the sheff wed one, defo helped with the atmosphere and looked class, great game too.