Sunderland host Southend United in League One Last time out Sunderland beat Doncaster and Southend beat Walsall. The Black Cats welcome the Shrimpers to the Stadium of Light. Jack Ross will be without Watmore, Wyke, Loovens and Hume through injury, Power is still suspended. Maja could return after being rested on Tuesday and Oviedo is available after his 3 game ban. Southend are in good spirits after a convincing 3-0 win over Walsall but it was slightly tainted by the injuries to Tom Hopper and Harry Lennon, the latter carried off on a stretcher with a leg fracture. Jack Ross: “We’ll come back with a focus we need to make sure that we finish this week off, we don’t want to put all the hard work we’ve done in these last two fixtures, record the results we have, to let our home record drop on Saturday.” “So we’ll come in we will recover properly and we will have a group of players who are desperate to go again, enjoying football matches, enjoying the results they are getting and hopefully that will be the same on Saturday.” Chris Powell: “I can’t ask for any more other than a reaction from the Coventry game, which we’ve got, a home win, scoring at the north stand end. We’ve let ourselves down here and you want to score goals and you want to win games in front of your fans and we need to do that more.” "It’s another fixture and another game that both teams have to deal with and we’ll be doing our best to take something from it.” Match Appointments: Referee: ROBERT LEWIS Assistants: Duncan Street and Robert Atkin Fourth Official: Kevin Mulraine Team Line ups Sunderland: McLaughlin, Flanagan, Baldwin, Matthews, James, Cattermole, Honeyman, Maguire, Maja, Sinclair, Gooch Substitutes: Ruiter, Ozturk, Oviedo, McGeady, McGeouch, O’Nien, Mumba Injured: Watmore, Wyke, Hume, Love, Loovens, Robson Suspended: Power Southend United: Oxley, Demetriou, Moore, Turner, Coker, McLaughlin, Mantom, Dieng, Bunn, Yearwood, McCoulsky Substitutes: Bwomono, Kightly, Bishop, Robinson Injured: Hopper, Lennon Betting Odds: H 1/1 A 14/5 D 12/5 My two pence: Southend are creeping up the table and had a good result midweek, but we are putting a run together and seem to be grinding out results and now starting to play some decent football. I can’t see anything but a home win My guess is a 3-0 home win Ha’way the Lads
Us by 2. Hopefully a clean sheet, so 2-0, but we can score so I'll not be too bothered if they do too. As long as we score more!
As Ross says we can't let our away performances slip by not producing at home. Southend will be no pushover and we can't under estimate them at all however our squad must be champing at the bit to get onto the pitch and we'll have enough to get the three points, 2-0 will do me.
Next game, I think, Nacho, depending on when his (insert any number that doesn't make sense to anyone expect the F.A.) game ban ends
Think he has another 2 games to go - he gets an extra one (4) for his second sending off and this is not including checkatrade v carlisle so he has one more league game after Saturday.
Me too im a big fan of him. He made his return against Carlisle 2 weeks ago and scored in what was an impressive performance by him. He picked up another injury though. Ross has stated a few times he has alot of high hopes for him this season.
Sorry all but me and my lad are coming up to watch again... been home twice this season - both draws, both with red cards against us... If it happens again I’ll take full responsibility!! FTM
Can someone please block the northbound lanes of the A1 and A19 tomorrow lads. No need to take any chances!
Sorry all - it’s now sorted... yellowbelly junior has now decided it’s all his fault so won’t be traveling north... I’ve explained he has no choice - all part of the learning experience! Please feel free to hurl abuse at the South stand...winning is for part time supporters!! See you tomorrow! FTM
Ive just realised Michael Turner plays for these, feck me i never even realised that. He was a decent servant for us but he had the pace of a snail when he was in his 20's so he must be pretty much static by now.
6-0. At some point this season we are going to hammer somebody so lets do it today. With the conditions being the way they are we have some fast & skilful players who should be able to get past their big lads. Just need to take our chances. Maja x2, Sinclair x 2, Honeyman n Gooch to round off the rout.
