In his press conference today Kit confirmed that Emererson Hyndman was expected to be out for 5-6 weeks. He also said that Scotty Parker was doubtful for tomorrow’s game because of “a niggling injury and illness“. There was no news given about Sean Kavanagh though. So far as team selection for this games goes Kit made one comment that I found interesting and that was, “ McCormack won’t permanently be playing behind the front two - I’m aware of the hat trick he scored as a striker”. I’d really love to see us going for this one; abandoning the so-called “diamond”, bringing in at least one winger and getting McCormack up front. However from that comment can we read into that we’ll be going 4-4-2 with McCormack again one of the ’flat four’ in midfield? I reckon so! Jazz Richards isn’t eligible, having already played for Swansea in the Cup, which means Jack Grimmer will return. And a probable starting line-up is - ……………….Bettinelli…………… ..Grimmer…Bodurov…Hutchinson….Stafylidis…. …Fofana…LVC…Tunnicliffe…McCormack.. ………….Woodrow..Hugo…
Can't see Fofana playing on the right, more likely to be LVC. If Kavanagh is fit I'd like to see him play left wing and have Tunnicliffe and Fofana central. I'd love to see a McCormack Woodrow partnership up top but I think Dembele will play, he seems to get all cup games. I think we'll go: -------------------Bettinelli------------------- Grimmer--Hutch---Bodurov---Stafylidis LVC---Tunnicliffe---Fofana---McCormack ------------Woodrow---Dembele----------
Take the point about Fofana, FI. Certainly didn't mean him to be stuck out on the right wing like in the first half against Reading. It's just that all LVC's assists and goals have come through the centre and I'd like to see him predominantly coming from there. You're probably correct about Dembele as well, despite him not having shown anything so far this season to merit selection. With all the departures and injuries, the bench should be interesting. I see that Solomon Sambou isn't in the U21 starting line-up against Man United tonight .... hmmm??
Think Kacaniklic will take over the role of Ruiz, Woodrow to start, Grimmer back in for Richards. Again no real width, but lots of movement up front. ……………….Bettinelli…………… ..Grimmer…Bodurov…Hutchinson….Stafylidis…. …......Fofana.......LVC...........Tunnicliffe........ ...............Kacaniklic.......... …...….Woodrow.... McCormack.... Could be an open game, Johnson normally has a good game against us, so our full backs will be tested, sounds like Defoe might be on the bench, but Wickham can be a handful, and we mustn't give freekicks away cheaply as Larsson can be deadly. Cattermole sounds as if he is out, so LVC and Kacaniklic have missed out on a kicking.
Assuming that Parker is either injured or being kept in cotton wool, I think Super Brian has nailed the strongest available option (though I'd quibble about formation and who goes where in midfield - I'd pick a diamond with Tunnicliffe in the withdrawn, central role, LVC right of centre, Fofana left of centre and Kaca at the point behind the strikers). That said, I don't think I've called one starting eleven right in the last 18 months, so I suspect that Kit will spring a surprise somewhere. We'll see.
I'm really looking forward to this one tonight. I hope we give it a real good go. I'm happy with the transfer window as it was. With have a squad packed with potential for the future but they are not ready to go up to the Premier league this year. The rest of the season is about developing this squad so we go up next year and in my opinion having a real go tonight so we have some interest in winning something. We can win tonight - McCormack up front for me. COYW
Is the game on TV? Unfortunately out of the country and can't go... Either a stream or Gentleman Jim for me... COYW
No it's not on TV and it was a struggle to find a decent stream for the game in Sunderland so I think GJ is your best bet.
The referee tonight is Mr Tierney. please log in to view this image He made his Premier League debut in August when he refereed Swansea’s 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, but has not been given a top flight fixture since. Instead it’s been Championship games (he did our one at the Cottage against Watford), with the odd Capital One match thrown in. Another of the North West Mafia. He’s based in Lancashire, so I hope the weather doesn’t make him too angsty on the trip down. Not that he needs it - in his 24 games so far this season he’s shown 80 yellow and 6 red cards. .
1-0 at half time. Good to see Hugo get a goal, felt like it had been a while (13th December to be precise!)
According to the radio we had a certain penalty turned down aswell just after the goal- 2 -0 would have been it - Sunderland struggle to score at the moment
Men against boys at times tonight. We gave it a go. Ref was shocking - again. Fofana had a fine game. Pity but we didn't deserve it.
Just back from the game and thought I would,note down my thoughts especially as Iit was my first game in about six weeks so perhaps a fresh perspective .. 1. Sunderland probably just about deserved it but having said that for all there possession they didn't really create anything and for a Premiership team playing a very young championship team weren't overly impressive. 2. I was in the Hammersmith end so couldn't really see the penalty but even if it was a foul it looked much softer than a lot of fouls he let go and also softer than the penalty incident where Ross was fouled in the first half. 3. This was the first time I have seen Fofana properly and having read such mixed reports I was interested to see him for myself, well to be honest I thought he was the best player on the park, great energy a few missed placed passes but broke well got tackles in very impressed sign him up. 4. Betts has been brilliant all season so no blame should be thrown his way, but that first goal was very much a turning point, he is young and will learn, other than that incident thought he looked good for a 21 year old keeper good prescnce
Cookie gives a good assessment and I agree Sunderland played better and deserved to go through. We started shaky and gave the ball away very easily, our half time lead was fortunate. Sunderland for all the possession didn't create that much, although I was always wary of Defoe. Forfana had his best game so far for us, just needs to learn how to shoot after these great runs, The Ref and linesmen were rubbish - and Sunderland fan attendance of 4000 was very impressive for a Tuesday night.
I would like to add there 10 minute cameos Roberts and especially LVC looked good and probably should have come on early also Fofana should nt have come off, Symons is getting a lot of stick for this on the FoF site but let's nit forget he is learning as well hopefully second half of the season manager and team can grow together
I wonder if the Ref is going to auction his signed Sunderland shirt or frame it and hang it on the wall? Our passing was poor, but I can't remember us once being given a free-kick near their area for numerous fouls on Woodrow, McCormack and Rodallega, and the Ref plays on !!! Yet the other way round and it's a foul. MOTM for me was Hutchinson.
The ref was awful tonight, that yellow card for the player who slapped Fofana in the face was a disgrace it's either a red if you saw it or nothing if you didn't , plus Mannone time wasting once they took the lead, the Hammersmith kept counting out loud for the ref and one time got up to 17 seconds before Mannone kicked it!
At least your ticket for the Ipswich game is safe Bidley. Agree with all you say SuperBri. I was surprised at the start when Kaca played right midfield and Fofana left, but it worked. Well not well enough I suppose. However, both were really good in those positions - I’ve never seen Kaca put in as many tackles in previous matches. The back four also did well (albeit Stafylidis did his usual drifting away from their winger again and again), with Hutchinson outstanding. I’ve read Kit’s “Reaction” on the website and have to say I don’t agree with his criticism of the lads, well not totally. Yes we mis-passed more than we’d all have liked but for me it was more a night of if only ... I don’t mean the ’if only Bettinelli hadn‘t.. ’ kind. Rather it was the number of times we were in a promising position and the ball always seemed, unfortunately, to be with the wrong player. Just two of those ‘if only .. examples, to illustrate: 1. Latish in the first half Fofana made an interception and then a brilliant run through their centre before passing out to Woodrow just left of the box. Cauley stopped, looked up and then put the ball high and behind three of our incoming players. If only that had been McCormack or Kaca out there … 2. Right at the death of normal time, we had excellent play involving LVC and others before the ball was played out to Tunnicliffe free on the right, but his cross was too near their keeper who easily collected. If only it had been LVC or Roberts out there … I honestly thought this was a game of margins, where the ‘rub of the green’ made the difference. Okay I’m inevitably biased, but one of those margins was the referee - where he seemed to err in favour the Premiership side because “they were bound to be less crude than a Championship side .. wouldn’t they“? And there were other margins; like Bettinelli’s bloomer at a critical time in the game; like my “if onlies ..”; and so on. In my view “the lads done okay” and didn’t fail by much.
