Sunderland travel to Bolton in the Skybet League One. Last time out Sunderland beat Portsmouth and Bolton beat Shrewsbury. Sunderland have been busy in the transfer market in the last few days, having signed winger Jack Clarke on loan from Spurs, while Josh Hawkes has joined Tranmere and Denver Hume joined Portsmouth on permanent deals. Jack Diamond has resumed his loan spell with Harrogate Town. New signings Jack Clarke & Patrick Roberts could be included in the matchday squad. Alex Pritchard and Bailey Wright are still major doubts to feature this Saturday. Luke O’Nien and Aiden McGeady are back in light training but will need time to regain full fitness. Lee Burge is out for 4-5 weeks while his heart condition is monitored. Bolton’s new signing Dion Charles scored a late winner at Shrewsbury to help the Trotters to move away from the relegation places. Wanderers have signed Millwall striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson on a free transfer, the 29-year-old Iceland international having signed an 18-month deal. From Thursday 27th January, in line with the ending of the government's Plan B measures, COVID-19 certification requirements will no longer be in place for those attending match days at the University of Bolton Stadium. Lee Johnson: "It was a very hard-earned win," said Johnson. "You can see that the pitch is not conducive to playing tiki-taka football, it demonstrates the reasoning behind bringing in the likes of Danny Batth, and I thought that we were extremely solid today. "We need to win all types of games and that is something I recognised early on in the season, but I don't think we addressed it early enough. "The signing of Danny has certainly addressed that and has given us that dominant first-ball winner. "I felt that it was the best way to give the team and a new player clarity to go toe-to-toe with them. "It played to his strengths today. "Whether we carry on with a back three going forward, when you've got (Aiden) McGeady back, (Leon) Dajaku, Patrick Roberts, Elliot Embleton, Alex Pritchard, is another question." Portsmouth had the better of the opening half-hour but were unable to capitalise, and Sunderland gradually took control with Elliot Embleton scoring the decisive goal just before half-time. "We had two or three chances, but it definitely wasn't a classic," admitted Johnson. "When you look at how many saves that Hoff (goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann) has had to make, I can't think of one of any note. "It was well-fought after the first 25 minutes, when I thought that they were the better side because we weren't quite composed enough in midfield and we didn't get runners down the side. "I think it changed from a Corry Evans tackle, and for the next 20 minutes we pressed better, we hustled better, we had two or three chances where we caught them on the ball, we slid balls down the sides, won wide free-kicks, and got our goal at a good time. "The second half was a difficult balance between trying to attack but also making sure that we were extremely solid. "In the second half we didn't flood the box as we normally do, and maybe that was down to a bit of anxiety if I'm honest, and trying to protect the result. "The most important thing today, without a shadow of a doubt, was those three points." Ian Evatt: “That has to be the foundation,” Evatt said. “We have to give ourselves a platform to go and win games, and we haven’t done that too many times. We have gone behind, given away sloppy goals, and it dented our belief. “Today (against Shrewsbury) we stood up to everything and didn’t concede too many opportunities and chances. We defended our box really well and I thought that the back three/five and goalkeeper were excellent in that. We defend as a team now and this is what this shape has given us.” “It has been a mixture of everything,” he said. “We are still a work in progress in possession and we’ve got loads more work to do on that, but fundamentally we have stopped the rot and become hard to beat again, which is pleasing.” “The bodies that we bought in January and the quality of the training sessions has really gone up, and that’s lifted everyone’s confidence and belief. “The club has brought in good footballers, good players, good competition, and everyone has to stand up. “On top of that we’ve got some key players back. Gethin is a huge key player for us and we have missed him immensely. Not only his football ability but his leadership qualities and he makes Rico (Ricardo Santos) a better player. Match Appointments: Referee: STEPHEN MARTIN Assistant Referees: Nik Barnard & Mark Dwyer Fourth Official: Ross Joyce Team Line ups Sunderland: Hoffmann, Cirkin, Doyle, Batth, Flanagan, Evans, Neil, Embleton, Gooch, Stewart, Dajaku. Subs: Patterson, Xhemajli, T. Hume, Winchester, O’Brien, Clarke, Roberts Injured: Willis, Huggins, McGeady, O’Nien, Broadhead, Wright, Pritchard, Burge. Bolton: (3-4-1-2) Trafford, Jones, Almeida Santos, Johnston, Fossey, Williams, Morley, John, Lee, Charles, Bakayoko Subs: Bödvarsson, Dixon, Aimson, Afolayan, Thomason, Baptiste, Gordon Injured: Sheehan Betting Odds: Sunderland 19/20 Bolton 5/2 Draw 5/2 My two pence: It was a hard fought win last week thanks mainly to a great defensive display, keeping a clean sheet and limiting Pompey to a few half chances. The top teams keep on winning so we will need maximum points here. It will be another tough one as the trotters recently beat Ipswich. I'm going for a 2-1 away win. Good luck to all the travelling fans Live Stream: (Overseas fans) https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Ha’way the Lads
Yes, the matchday thread . Looking forward to this massively. First league away game of the season for me, the bairn and me dad. Ha'way the ****ing wizard's. 0-3 Batth, Roberts and Stewart. Top stuff RTB as always. Ha'way ha'way ha'waaaaaaaayyaaaaaaa
Great thread mate Can’t wait for this one, driving down with my son. Expecting a tough game but I reckon we’ll come through with 3 points.
HA'WAY THE LADS MACKEMS ATTACKEM Well fought win last game but hopefully our midfield get to grips early in this one to save my blood pressure. Lets push on for promotion now and I think we're in good shape to get it even with our injury list. ........................ Bolton is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, historically and traditionally a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th century, introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition. Bolton was a 19th-century boomtown and, at its zenith in 1929, its 216 cotton mills and 26 bleaching and dyeing works made it one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton spinning in the world. Famous people from Bolton (I thought there might be a few) Fred Dibnah, steeple jack and tv personality, put him top as although he bored me to tears with that droney accent as a kid in the 70's when me dad watched him. I grew to appreciate him and his later programs in later life and enjoyed watching him with me Da. Peter Kay, slightly funny fat comedian, ok phoenix nights and max and paddy was good. Paddy McGuiness, Peter Kay's bum chum. Vernon Kay. (Not related to Peter Kay, although surprising as most are related there, especially the corner shop owners) crap DJ and presenter. Allan Ball, footballer/manager. Hylda baker, pickle woman . (One for the oldies) Frank Finlay, old time film and TV actor. Stu Francis. Crackerjack, old tv presenter, probably Vernon Kay's dad, John Harewood, inventer of the self winding wristwatch. Thanks john ( a good excuse for ****ing) Tony Knowles, snooker player, crap. Francis Lee, football tosser Paul mariner. Footballer Sarah Cox DJ. Amy nuttall, actress on some soap apparently.
Another great thread @RTB Be interesting to see if the new lads come in or if we stick to roughly the same 11, personally I think a couple could do with a rest and it's nice to have some decent options. As usual I'm hoping we start fast and get a couple of early goals but suspect a nervby start before growing into the game. Heart says 3 nil to us, head says a tight 2-1 to us
Results against these in recent seasons have been very tight and I expect the same at the weekend. If their playing surface is better than ours, and how can it not be, then that'll help our passing game. Going for a 2-0 win with our second late on to settle the nerves....great thread again RTB
Quick question on the Covid passes. I understand they end today but I've just read on BBC website that apparently Bonko has said venues can still ask for them to be shown 'if they wish'. Has there been any word from Bolton if they are needed?
Another great thread RTB. I'll go for an away win for the lads. Got good memories of going to Bolton - usually for the day out! One that sticks in the mind is a game at Burden Park during the 90s. Relatives were over from Australia and wanted to go to a match whilst they were in the North East, the only one at home was the mags. Every member of my family went to the game, relatives who were up from the midlands for the reunion party on the same night, cousins, uncles - the lot. Me? I got hold of a mate and drove down to watch the lads play Bolton away than go up the road!
Just gotta keep winning, to keep the pressure on the likes of Wigan & Rotherham who both should win their games. So 0-2 for me and Oh Yes, FTM Bart
very nice match thread again RTB always appreciated, instead of of going on im just going for the win its what we need to get out of this **** ref league
It’s a 0-2 for me too. Really hoping for more clean sheets and less nail biting for the rest of the season.
you can't call Fred dibnah ! my hero, got all his dvd's, and who would be able to play him if they made a film, Jason stathom ? maybe not hard enough though. anyway 1-2 to us.
Great thread again RTB. Going by their managers comments, they struggle once they go behind, so an early goal should help to settle us and unsettle them. We must start better than last week but having won that game we can hopefully get back to our fluent best. Batth made a difference defensively last week and I'd love another clean sheet on Saturday. They gave a good account of themselves at our place and looked dangerous, so we'll need to be on our guard. I'm confident that we will score, so I'll go for a confident boosting 2-0 win and hope that Wigan and Rotherham slip up.