I'd not be risking Roberts personally. Not considering we have no suitable back up for him. He's a long term injury away from being Rigg or Mayenda needing to play there for the playoffs. And if it becomes Mayenda that leaves us with no substitute striker. (that old chestnut )
No way would I be moving Mayenda from his current position the way he’s playing but looks like Robert’s is back anyway. I think Regis will play the same formation to start and the switch to 442 again later. I wouldn’t drop Jobe either. He’s too important. Rigg instead of Browne in that am position maybe but I’ve actually no complaints about anyone from Saturday. Can we play better - yes. Does it require team change - Regis will look at what we did as a team more than looking to drop individuals and that’s fine by me.
I'd like to see us play both Isidor and Mayenda, but i understand the need to keep one striker fresh and tbf, we were very good at times in that Cardiff game. I'm of the same opinion that maybe we shouldn't risk Roberts. I think it's a good game for Aleksic to come in and play wide right, but then drift inside as Roberts did, with Browne going to the outside. There's a few combinations I think we could line up with that would make plenty of sense, simply playing our game is always the way to go, when we take our time for long periods we become a bit complacent. Plenty of short quick passes to get to grip with the game, then attack like we know we can. Mayenda was marvellous Saturday.
The chatter from today about Isidor being grumpy about not starting is noteworthy. Really illustrates the problem with squad building when it comes to strikers in my view. When there are so few minutes available up top, how on earth do you keep players content unless there's a VERY clear hierachy? Definitely one to think about for next season. Keeping both Isidor and Mayenda happy next season if we stay down will be very tough - maybe impossibly so. What on earth we then do with Abdullahi and Ogunsuyi is another matter entirely. Certainly I wouldn't be thinking about adding more strikers this summer if we're still a champ club. In fact I probably wouldn't even bother if the vultures manage to chip one of those two away from us.
If he is declared fit he should play imo. I dont really subscribe to the notion of not risking him. He is fit or not in my book. And we really need the win to hammer home the little in roads we have made on the top 2.
https://not606.com/threads/sunderland-stadium-of-light-11-3-2025.417207/ There you go unlike last year at the SOL we might make a go of it
Was paraphrasing. But the point stands. It's tough to keep two genuine first team strikers truly happy in a team that only plays one up top. That's why City only really have Haaland - and why Liverpool built their squad around versatility in that front three. Something that the club will need to consider going forward, now that we've got reliable options.
It’s what the club have tried to do I think. Isidor and Mayenda (and Rusyn) were both signed as forwards who could/can play right across the front three. Just happens that they’re both more effective through the middle. They may have abandoned it since (the links to Cannon and the signing of Danns probably suggest so) but it definitely seems the plan for a fair period of time.
Yeah indeed. Speakman's much derided liking for versatile forwards is really just sensible squad building tbh. The only sustainable way to have options that are available in the first team picture - ones that aren't rusty, disconnected or flat out pissed off - is to make sure that we have tonnes of versatility in forward areas.
This will be a tough game against a side who don't give a lot away and I live in hope that it's not going to be a repeat of the dour 0-0 at their place. A game in which both sides failed to excite. After his performance on Saturday, Mayenda has to retain his place. Whether that is instead of Isidor or Roberts is up to RLB, but we have to get at them, hem them in and punish their mistakes. I thought Hjelde had a decent first half against Cardiff, but was found wanting in the Second. I still don't see him as a LB. For that reason, I hope we bring Cirkin back in, even though he's clearly not at his best at the moment. I would play Neil and Jobe with Rigg or Aleksic ahead of them. If we are leading and he hasn't been booked, then take Jobe off to protect him for the last 20 minutes or so. Whether we keep Patterson in, is a bit of a quandary. His shot-stopping is unquestionably good, but given the two goals he conceded against Hull and Cardiff and the fact that Preston have some big lads, I would expect them to be putting a few players around him on crosses and set pieces. It might be worth taking him out of the firing line, rather than risk diminishing his confidence further. Moore does seem good on balls into the box. I'm hoping the side keep me warm tomorrow night with a great performance, but I'll be content with freezing my nads off and scraping a 1-0 win, which is what I think we'll get. OaU.
If paddy is fit play him and leave Mayenda in the striker role. If he's not, I'd have isidor left and mundle or Watson right (Mundle for me). Isidor had one bad game left and it seems he's been completely written off in that role. Mundle could do a decent job on the right, I reckon.
