Sunderland travel to Northampton in the Skybet League One. Last time out Sunderland drew with Wimbledon and Northampton beat Gillingham. Lee Johnson will be happy to get back to playing football games after the Covid lockdown at the Academy of Light, thirteen players having tested positive for Covid-19 including all three goalkeepers. Northampton beat Gillingham 3-1 to move out of the relegation places on Tuesday. The cobblers are the division’s second lowest scorers and have the fourth worst defensive record, recently suffering back to back 4-0 defeats, against Oxford United and Lincoln City. Kyril Louis Dreyfus: “Moving forward, we have a long-term plan which integrates Sunderland’s proud traditions with a modern structure and approach. We will seek to be at the frontier of research and innovation in all performance domains and place great emphasis on player development and the team’s style of play.” “We want to create a team that is entertaining to watch and that embodies the spirit and the culture of those who attend, thereby reconnecting the team with its fanbase, whose support will be so vital to our success.“ “If we all play our parts, I firmly believe that we can restore Sunderland AFC to the top tier of English football and I can’t wait to get started.” Lee Johnson: "First and foremost, our three goalkeepers have all tested positive, so that leaves us in a bit of a pickle, depending on how we recover.” "One in particular has struggled quite a lot and the health and wellbeing of a player has to be at the front of any decision that is made.” “We want to win every match, but given the circumstance, I’ve had a lot of games in football, whether watching, playing or as manager, and I’ve never known anything as carnage as it was today.” “Every time I picked a team, 3 players got taken out of it – yeah it wasn’t ideal. Like I say my job today had to be to focus on and control the actual controlables - that was all that I could do.” Keith Curle: "If we want to go out and compete playing football with some teams we will be in for a difficult afternoon, but in finding ways to win we give ourselves another opportunity when we are all on the same page, and I think that is important.” "We are gaining an identity, we are gaining a way of winning games that is effective for us and our group. It might not be respected and it might not be applauded by others, but ultimately we have clear objectives of what our main aim is this season.” "Some might say that it is short-termism, but within football and within football management your short-term aim is to win the next game." Match Appointments: Referee: LEIGH DOUGHTY Assistant Referees: Graham Kane and Mark Russell Fourth Official: Mark Jones Team Line ups Sunderland: Burge, McFadzean, Willis, Wright, Sanderson, Leadbitter, Power, Embleton, McGeady, Grigg, Diamond. Subs: Matthews, McLaughlin, Dobson, Neil, Maguire, Gooch, Curry. Injured: Xhemajli, Kimpioka, O’Nien, Hume Northampton Town: Mitchell, Jones, Bolger, Sheehan, Hoskins, McWilliams, Sowerby, Adams, Watson, Rose, Ashley-Seal. Subs: Arnold, Harriman, Horsfall, Holmes, Missilou, Chukwuemeka, Marshall. Injured: tbc Betting Odds: Home 5/2 Away 19/20 Draw 23/10 My two pence: At last the takeover is no longer a rumour and I hope that you all have a very Happy New Year. After 3 weeks without a game, we are now 11th and 10 points behind leaders Lincoln, but we do have 2 games in hand. Hopefully with the new structure in place we can get out of this league and start looking forward to the good times again. I’m going for a 2-1 away win. Live stream £10 https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Ha’way the Lads
I once went to Stoke and the game was called off because the wind had taken the roof of the main stand
It's fcuking worse than the fixed odds this, I've always believed betting or forecasting on your own team is bad ju ju. It's like sex and drugs though, one just can't help ones self.
Who knows? ...total silence from SAFC so far this week. Only one was of concern so my guess is - we will.
Brilliant stuff. 0-6 Ha'way ya red and white bastard's ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK Is Quinny in goal or what?
cheers RTB... Great to see a match day post.. However, we shall have fingers crossed that it goes ahead.. We need a win!
Top post that mate. Going for a 0-2 win to the lads. Hopefully the extra rest has done them good and they come back sharper.
good thread again RTB ill go with WOLFYS prediction so long as the match is on have my doubts personal
personally from that team selection wouldn't let Grigg or Power anywhere near the first team, But Lee is the man and looking forward to see what team he will put out