I'm leaving home at 6.45, won't bother with breakfast so eating at the FS around 11.15am. My train to Newcastle is at 15:09 from Sunderland. So if we kick off at 12.30 we should be done for 14.30. If you're in the FS after I'd dodge in for a pint with you mate. Failing that I'll be over on the 21st December and NYD
That's always the tricky decision, do you keep and try to develop a player or sell and sign a player that you think is better Teams with strong recruitment, data and development teams will get more of these decisions right than wrong. We have some talented footballers as you say, I'm just not sure they'll be able to deliver consistently in English football. We need more players that can help us with our promotion push. The great thing is we def don't need signings or need quantity, we can focus on signing the right player(s) that improve us short and medium term
Can't see it happening but so do I. Feels like we'll still be here same time next year waiting for Roberts to hit some kind of form. I like the lad but it's become clear he's a luxury player, great on the rare occasions that we're playing like Barcelona and not much use any other time. I agree give Mayenda a crack at it.
Thanks again RTB for a quality match day thread. I see this as a game we should be winning comfortably . I’m expecting a dominant performance similar to Oxford and a similar result. Weather looks horrendous but I’m sure the lads will put on a good display. Home win for me.
My Sky Sports + channel is still not showing that this game is covered this week. It does show the Bristol game is covered on Tuesday. I can't see any reason we'd change to a 1230 KO without Sky involvement. Its saying Leeds v Derby, Sheff Wed v Preston and West Brom v Sheff Utd 3pm KO Sunday
Safe travels to everyone today, especially those coming from a distance. Weather will be a factor but the lads have the skills to deal with it, couple of early goals and a dominant performance would be a great start to the weekend. Haway the lads
Great start, train from Leven was cancelled so drove to Kirkcaldy and that was cancelled. The next train gets me to Edinburgh at the same minute the Newcastle train leaves. So now I’ll jump on the LNER train with a Lumo ticket … … cue another row to kick off the day
Great as always RTB love these,still calm in Roker but it’s coming can feel it in me water, gona be a strange one today but I think we’ll come out on top 3-0 to the lads,safe travels to all COME ON
I ****ing hate plying Stoke. They are a ****e bunch. We often don’t turn up. Some dark days against them. Even the first Reidy promotion year they made the promotion celebrations a bit ****ing full. Today I don’t think is gonna be one of them. As always they will make the game dull and start stop but we will edge it. Weather looking about to kick right off in Shields so that will add to the mayhem today no doubt.
Regis Le Bris on Eliezer Mayenda's best Sunderland position https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...is-eliezer-mayendas-best-sunderland-position/ REGIS Le Bris is trying to convince Eliezer Mayenda to change his position. The 19-year-old has played most of his football for Sunderland as a striker and he started the season as the No.9 in Le Bris' side. But with Wilson Isidor now establishing himself as Sunderland's first choice striker and with the Black Cats short of wingers, Le Bris believes Mayenda has the tools to be a success on the flanks…. "Probably his best position so far is as a No.9 but because we don't have many solutions on the wings right now I try to convince him to play as a right winger," said Le Bris. "He's taken it really good. He could be convinced. "He has many qualities and he's still young. When you're young like that you don't have many experiences, so we trust this option. "I've said to him 'I don't expect you to play like an experienced winger but give your best and we will see because you have many qualities." Mayenda might have to settle for a place on the bench again against Stoke, with Le Bris suggesting he'll stick with the same attacking quarter of Patrick Roberts, Tommy Watson, Chris Rigg and Isidor despite Sunderland's failure to score in their last two games. After six games without a win, successive home matches against Stoke and Bristol City provide Sunderland with a big opportunity to get back on track. Le Bris said: “It is difficult to assess what we need to be more efficient. “In the last three games, we created many chances but in these games, we only picked up two points which isn’t great. “It is a question of collective dynamic and improving many, many details. We have the potential and the players in the team to do it." Today's game is the first of three against Stoke in the next month, with the reverse fixture taking place at the end of the year and the sides then meeting again in the FA Cup third round. Le Bris said: "Maybe, we’ll be best friends! We’ll see the results. It’s a tough game, they’re a good team with good players.”
You might get lucky and your newcastle train is 10 mins delayed. Failing that take a tactical toilet break when the ticket inspector is doing his rounds
If nothing else it shows a good mentality to keep playing well while we aren’t getting results. There’s got to be a positive in not dropping off and not losing the confidence to try and play. If this is a rut it’s far better than historic runs so we take the small win on that.
It's rarely a classic between us and I'll eat my hat if it is today. Take a horrible 1-0 all day hopefully an 89th minute OG
Wind watch. The calm before the not calm. 34 gusting at 70 Heavy rain 95+% Wouldn’t it be crap if we were winning and the game got abandoned.
