Sunderland welcome Shrewsbury Town in the Skybet League One. Last time out Sunderland beat Oxford and Shrewsbury drew with Ipswich. Alex Neil admitted that he got his team selection wrong for the first half against Oxford, but was happy to see the Black Cats grab the three points after making the necessary changes and was really pleased to send the fans home happy. Alex Pritchard should be available after missing out against Oxford, and Elliot Embleton will be pushing to start the game after grabbing the late winner. Shrewsbury manager Steve Cotterill was nominated for manager of the month after an 11-point haul from six games, including a 5-0 drubbing of Morecambe and a stunning 3-0 win at leaders Rotherham. Salop are safe in mid table and are on a good run of form. Alex Neil: "Elliot is important and all of the substitutes are important between now and the end of the season" said Neil. "If you think of the last two or three matches, we wouldn't have the points that we have got if it wasn't for the guys coming onto the pitch and impacting the game. I can't stress enough how important those lads are. It's difficult to keep their minds focused and to keep them motivated because obviously they are disappointed that they are not playing, but time after time they are coming on and doing well so they are obviously in the right place to help the team. What I'm saying to them is that while their time to shine might not be right now from the start, it might be next week or the week after. When you speak to the senior lads who have been involved in promotion-winning squads, everybody is crucial and they need to keep their minds clear, focus on the job at hand, and not think about their own future. It's about the team ethic at the moment, and that has to come first." Steve Cotterill: “The first five minutes weren’t very good, but then it became an even game in the first half. I thought that they were excellent, they played with a good tempo and I thought that they deserved the lead, and that took the wind out of our sails a little bit. We worked our way back into the game in the first half and it was important that we didn’t concede another before half-time because that probably would’ve been the game done then, but I think that it was a pretty equal game in the first half. In the second half, we changed shape slightly and we couldn’t get enough pressure on the ball so we made a change. Shaun’s very good at landing on second balls and there were a few times where we played a ball forward too long too early when we didn’t need to do that, but it had become one of those games and Shaun can do that. He can land on second balls and thankfully he landed on that one today and it was a brilliant finish. When the ball turned over, it was about us keeping it a bit longer. It doesn’t matter how good the other team is, if you keep the ball it can potentially take that heat out of the game and we didn’t do that well enough in the early part of the game. I think that we came into the game after the first five minutes and we could’ve scored a couple of goals ourselves in the first half." Match Appointments: Referee: Darren Bond Assistant Referees: Robert Merchant & Akil Howson Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse Team Line ups Sunderland: (4-2-3-1) Patterson; Cirkin, Wright, Batth, Winchester, Evans, Matete, Pritchard, Embleton, Clarke, Stewart Subs: Hoffmann, Doyle, O’Nien, Neil, Roberts, Gooch, Broadhead Injured: Burge, Willis, Huggins, McGeady. Shrewsbury: (3-5-2) Marosi, Pennington, Flanagan, Leahy, Daniels, Vela, Fornah, Bennett, Nurse, Bowman, Udoh Subs : Pierre, Whalley, Burgoyne, Bloxham, Caton, Craig, Janneh Injured: Ebanks-Landell Betting Odds: Sunderland 7/10 Shrewsbury 7/2 Draw 5/2 Team Characteristics: My two pence: A great result at Oxford and another late winner from Elliot Embleton. I’m hoping to watch this one on the stream if I can escape for 2 hours. I’m going for a 3-1 home win Live Stream: https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Ha’way the Lads
Really looking forward to this one and would be surprised if there wasn’t 33,000+ in attendance. Ha’way the lads
Great thread as always @RTB. Personally think Clark needs time out and wouldn't mind seeing Broadhead in to replace him. As always praying for a fast start and a couple of early goals but will settle for a last minute winner as long as its 3 points to us at full time
Great thread as always RTB. Obviously I am hoping for a comfortable win however as long as we get the 3 points I will be happy.
Great stuff as always. Im hoping he ditches the back 3 and goes with the 4 you have in your lineup. I'd like to see Broadhead start as well. 4-0 to the lads, nice and comfortable
RTB I like you team Shrewsbury has nowt to lose... so will play with freedom.. we need to be careful and get 3 points.
Games against these are always tight which surprises me. If we play with a bundle of nerves then we could come a cropper, so hope Neil has us right up for it from the first minute as a slow start will help them immensely. Any win will do, I'm at work so the dreaded phone updates for me which I hate.
I liked Flanno. Limited as a player but a good lad and always gave 100%, he will get a round of applause from me before the game and then he will become just another opponent.
Great thread as usual @RTB and very much appreciated. I'm off up to Dunbar on Friday so hoping to get there and set up in time to watch the match on my phone. I'm going for a comfortable 3 nil win, but hope the goals come early(ish).
Thanks again for setting the scene so well RTB, another huge game in the offing and I would happily go along with your team and bench, if we are to go up this season, and I think we will, it will be because of our strength in depth, and the managers ability to read a game and adjust to suit , so far he has been brilliant or lucky, whichever, long may it continue OaU.
Another brilliant thread RTB. Happy with the back 4 you have nominated. Shrewsbury will be a threat at set pieces, including our old friend Flannagan, so happy to see Baath in. I would be tempted to play Neil rather than Mattete, as I think that may give us the sort of possession in their half we will want. Might sound odd but this might just be the game to give Stewart a rest and play Broadhead as our 9. Stewart looks just a touch jaded to me, and I would fancy Broadhead being picked out with through balls from Neil and Pritchard to be too hot for Shrewsbury. Flannagan wont fancy being up against pace so much. I am not convinved by Clarke either and would give Gooch a game. Mind you Neil seems to get results, if not always performances, so whoever he opts gets my support.
Love these threads RTB. 4-0 resounding victory to start our promotion push as the others fall away around us. (I'll get another drink)
Cheers RTB. I’d be tempted to start with Gooch & Broadhead in place of Clarke & Stewart. Both look jaded, lost a bit of confidence. But maybe they come on as impact subs. I sense another tight game though. 1:0 will do me, but a few more goals would help - our nerves and GD needs a boost
Great thread RTB I sense a tight game here as Shrewsbury will come and give it a go, and play with a bit of confidence whilst the result to them is immaterial. 2-1 to the lads Hawaaaaay and FTM
I would always play Stewart, but a wee break might do him good with 2 bigger games coming up - Plymouth and Rotherham. A more confident LND would have buried that 1-on-1 against Oxford, but I don’t know if a rest or more shooting practise/game time is what he needs. Let’s see what Alex decides…
