And talking our games being re-arranged to suit other teams/police etc is every one happy we are playing on sunday 2pm against Carlisle ?, I am waiting for it to be switched again. Chelsea are bringing 3,000 supporters up tomorrow the gate should be about 23,000 I reckon, I am going like £15 a ticket.
Gus Poyet has ordered Sunderland to shake off their losing mentality and become winners in the Capital One Cup tonight. The Sunderland boss has vowed to make a serious bid for a semi final spot against Chelsea tonight, by refusing to tinker greatly with his first team. Poyet says he wants continuity, and will continue to find his best XI , using the home clash against Jose Mourinho's side to hone a more positive mental attitude for their crucial relegation battle . The ex-Chelsea player has given every player his own individual mission to improve on, as he seeks to revive the club's results, and has been constructive in any criticism dished out. Now he wants the mental side to change and said: "We want to get out of the relegation zone, and progress in this cup, and if we want to do that then we have to become winners. Winning football games. To become winners you have to win the next one. We want to win the cup game for that reason. "I think we get very close most of the time. I think that as soon as we start winning then it will be the opposite way around - a deflected shot will go in, the own goal will not go in, that the decision of the referee will be for us. "Suddenly when you are winning games you all become winners. That's why it is so important in the next game. It is an opportunity to start winning games. You have to take that opportunity." Poyet could make one or two changes to the side that drew against West Ham, and has joked he might ring Chelsea boss Mourinho and asking him not to pick Eden Hazard, who was brilliant in their league clash recently. He said: "I hope the only call I can make to Jose is to ask him not to play Hazard. It would, though, be nice to see him play and see us mark him well and make sure he is not the outstanding player we saw the last time. "Let's hope we can beat Chelsea and we will be very, very confident for Norwich. We have been creating chances. On the day we have just lacked a few qualities. "It's a competition. You can't go in to a season thinking I don't care about this one. It's about playing and about becoming winners. A winner is somebody who wins most of the time. That's what we have to try to be." Poyet insists Sunderland are not as bad as their points total of nine suggests adding: "We are not as bad as the table shows, but it is also true that the table never lies. We are there. We have nothing to hide. "I am looking for consistency. There will not be massive changes for this game. "I used to hate it as a player when managers changed it. Absolutely hated the rotation system. I hated it. I didn't like to feel like I was at my best in one game then in the next I was sitting on the bench for no reason. Somebody thought I needed a rest when I didn't." Poyet has admitted it is "flattering" to be linked with the vacant Spurs job - but insists he is concentrating on Sunderland's relegation struggle. The Uruguayan coach, a former Spurs player and coach, has advised fans not to put any money on his succeeding Andre Villas Boas. Poyet said: "It's flattering but I just came here and I am concentrating on here. My aim here is to help the whole club. I have heard the news but nothing else."
José Mourinho has a piece of advice for Gus Poyet before the League Cup quarter-final at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday. "Gus is trying to avoid relegation so he has to play the kids from the academy in our game and keep the guys fresh for the next weekend," said Chelsea's manager. Quite apart from not being a big fan of rotation his Sunderland counterpart is too intent on trying to imbue his struggling players with a winning habit for Mourinho's suggestion to stand much chance of being taken seriously. "I don't try to look too far ahead," Poyet said. "If I start thinking about Norwich [at home on Saturday in the Premier League], already it gets difficult to make decisions. But if we want to get out of the relegation zone, then we have to win matches, become winners. We want to win the cup game for that reason. Let's hope we can beat Chelsea, then we will be very confident for Norwich." For Mourinho the League Cup offers the prospect of silverware in a transitional season. "When you are in the quarter-final, you smell the final. It's not very far. We are going to try." Poyet does not doubt him. "If we give them chances, they will score," he said. "I don't think it will be a weak Chelsea. I am expecting a very strong one." Undaunted, Poyet, a former Chelsea player, will attempt to counter Mourinho's side with several of Sunderland's better individuals. "There will not be massive changes," Poyet said. "I am looking for consistency. I used to hate it as a player when managers changed it. I absolutely hated the rotation system. Hated it. I didn't like to feel I was at my best in one game then in the next I was sitting on the bench for no reason. Someone thought I needed a rest when I didn't." He feels the chance of semi-final involvement will inspire players stuck firmly to the bottom of the Premier League. "It's a competition. You can't go in to a season thinking I don't care about this one," Poyet said. "It's about playing and about becoming winners. A winner is somebody who wins most of the time. That's what we have to try to be. "Everybody talks about confidence. That is such an important word in football. There is no better game to improve your confidence. If we can beat Chelsea and reach the semi-finals then the confidence should be high. Suddenly when you are winning games you all become winners. That's why this quarter-final is so important. It's an opportunity to start winning games. You have to take that opportunity."
GUS Poyet believes he is getting closer to finding his best Sunderland team. And for that reason, he will keep the changes for tonight’s Capital One Cup quarter-final tie against Chelsea down to a minimum. The Uruguayan has steered Sunderland through 10 games since taking over the troubled club in mid-October and has yet to name the same side in consecutive games. But he was heartened by the display of many of his players in the goalless draw against West Ham at the weekend in a 4-1-4-1 formation and says gradually the first-team picture is coming together. “If you ask me how have I found my best 11 or my starting 11, I would have say I’m close,” he told the Echo. “I’m close. So it is not the time to be making a load of changes. “I’ve been searching for that best side since I came here and against West Ham it was not perfect but it was getting there in terms of what I think is probably the best team we have available. “Given that we played so well against West Ham and controlled the game and should have won it, I don’t intend to change the side too much for the game against Chelsea because I want to see if we can maintain that sort of standard. “All the statistics suggested we were the better side against West Ham – we just couldn’t get a goal – but I do feel as though we are getting there. “There will be a little bit rotation in the games ahead and we will see what happens there because if we start scoring a goal or two because of the changes, that might make the difference. “But I think the West Ham game showed we are improving.” Poyet was keeping his cards close to his chest in terms of his team for tonight’s cup tie against his former club, although he has revealed that Jack Colback’s absence with a virus continues, while Phil Bardsley (pictured above), who limped off in the closing stages against West Ham, will be fit to play a part if required. “I don’t know exactly the team, but I’ve got a pretty good idea,” he said. “It could be one or two changes, but it’s not going to be five or six. “There are a few players that need to play for different reasons and other ones who need to stay in the side. “But if you manage that correctly, then it helps you, especially if there’s a player who needs a rest.”
No surprise really. Loads of matches coming up and Christmas ...... plus a lot seem to believe we have little chance of winning.
I flew back for the FA Cup, against Everton, when we laid down and died ........... I think that's helped to kill some of the interest for tonight, plus our recent cup 'exploits'.
Well im skint after having car tax and season ticket to pay out of this months wage so ill be watching on tv :-/ Don't know if I've ever watched us play at home on tv, will be very bizarre.
Whats sky got to do with anything? all games are on TV for **** sake. Sunderland fans have to many excuses for not going. bet the ****s will want to go the Semi Final or Final tho.
We'll have a repeat of this please football gods [video=youtube_share;O-x7jrHBnTI]http://youtu.be/O-x7jrHBnTI[/video] [video=youtube_share;vP18UxTFx-k]http://youtu.be/vP18UxTFx-k[/video]
Mourhino has never lost a league cup tie over 90 mins ! (15 matches) , that is daunting and they have got to the quarter final 10 times out of the last 13, and they have beaten us in the last 9 matches up here, but things can change, and they have not beaten us for years in any cups !. And Chelsea cup game in 1992 I was in the main stand paddocks left hand side camera view, and it was a great night, as well as 1985. Let's hope for another big win for tonight.
