Wow wasn't expecting Sunderland v Saints to be the commentary game on 5 live. Although they may well change games if there is something developing somewhere else.
Jamesons it is then. Right, I`m off down the road. South Shields for a curry tonight after the cup final (come on Wigan !).
BBC pre-match reports suggests Fox could return after serving his ban- I thought it was a 3 match ban for straight red?
Not for all straight reds (ie not ones given where you're the last man), but yes the BBC have got this one wrong. I don't know if their stats guy there maybe looked at the fact that Fox had been booked in that WBA game, and just assumed that his red was for two yellows. Either way, sloppy stuff.
I hope Puncheon starts, been a bit of mystery as to why since he signed his contract, he's barely played. Maybe have been the return of Lallana and form of Jay-Rod, but I think I'd prefer to have him back on the right for this game, even if it means pushing Jay Rod up front more alongside Rickie.
Actually i take that back, fox hasn't been terrible lately. Except for getting sent off and leaving us with 9 men!
I've said that at least 3 times lately! Drives me insane when people say a red card is a 3 match ban! Oh and last man isn't a red card offence. You can be last man but not get sent off if the attacker is taking the ball way from goal and the angle is too acute to be judged a clear goal scoring opportunity or he takes a heavy touch before being fouled and he may not have reached the ball. Sorry, as a referee I'm picky about these things.
Lallana playing centrally, Jay on the left and Punch on the right, Rickie up front, interchanging as need be.
Not sure if I'd play them like that (I'm in two minds, with that being one of those minds), but I'd certainly play all four. Davis has played well recently, but with no Fletcher nor Sessegnon, Sunderland don't pose a massive attacking threat. I don't think we'd need three of them in there. And besides, if Morgan is still out, then Davis gets to keep his place any way. I'm just very eager for Puncheon to play.
A point will take us above them and there for gurantee us premier league football next season. But 3 points would be better
So it does.... Keep forgetting to factor in that both sides cant get maximum points. Wigan have to which means villa would lose and we stay up on goal difference.
Yep, I agree with that. However, Adam Johnson these last two games has been playing like the player we thought we had signed. I really don't see us losing tomorrow. I will go with either 1-1 or 2-1.
We're somewhat unpredictable, in that we have a habit of scoring goals early in games in which we aren't favoured (though, actually, we're predictable in doing the unpredictable, I guess). If you sit back, you'll probably contain us long enough to prevent that, as packed defenses confound us. If the game stretches out a little, though, I can very much see us winning; we score that early goal, and you'll have to start committing forward...a dangerous proposition given both your current lack of attacking players, and our ability to pick off any passes through the middle of the park.
