Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Blackpool – Tuesday 4th October 2022 – KO 19:45

Cracking as always @RTB - Going with a 2-0 (Embo & Pritch). Got a feeling that Michut will make an appearance.

 

Pritchard without Stewart isn't ideal is he.

He's swamped by two or three players and the inter-passing becomes too tight.

Stewart has always attract two markers which gives Pritchard the space he needs to get his head up.

 

Great thread again RTB. I am confident we will get a win tomorrow. I agree with all who say that the team needs a few tweaks, and although it didnt come off on Saturday I am still confident that the pace and fresh young legs we have on the bench gives us more than a fighting chance

HTL and FTM

 

Great thread as always still away so another game missed but got everything crossed hopefully a solid 2-0 or 3-0 to the lads enjoy all COME ON

 

I think TM might freshen it up a bit - Let's face it, he's spoilt for choice, particularly in midfield. I'd be tempted to try Ba alongside Evans and give Neil a break. Maybe try Diallo up top. Let Pritch run ragged for 60 minutes, then unleash Michut.

Whoever we put out, I think we'll be too strong for Blackpool. We will score. I'm going for 2-0 and a return to the play off spots.

 

Another 0-0 I reckon. Hope I’m wrong, we were just toothless on Saturday and didn’t threaten anywhere near enough…

 

Don't forget Preston have the best defence in the league only conceding 4! Blackpool are unlikely to put up the same kind of defensive display!

 

Important to keep the points tally on an upward grade, how often do we actually win both back to back home games? Not often..... so 3 points tonight could be huge.

 

Excited about tonight's game, think we may see a couple of changes in midfield from Saturday as we have plenty of options available.

Fingers crossed we get the ball wide to Clarke and Roberts to cause chaos high up the pitch

 

Can't agree mate, it was the Preston effect imo.

We were far from toothless at Reading, it could've been five.

 

Great thread as always RTB. Thanks. Another game for us to enjoy and hopefully get 3 points. I agree slight changes up top bit more direct pace through the middle. I think this will be an open game which will suit us unlike the Preston game. Early goal get them to make a game of it and we will be fine. Home win for me. Keep the faith lads and lasses.

 

Fast start and an early goal tonight lads. We need to start racking up some home wins

 

My team for tonight:

Patto

Gooch
O'Nien
Batth
Alese

Evans
Neil

Clarke
Pritchard
Roberts

Diallo


Although with a quick turnaround in games I can see a plausible scenario where Evans or Neil drops out for Ba.

I also think a cracking situation to be in would be one where we bring Pritchard ON for the final half an hour. With his energy against tired legs.

 

Patto

O’Nien
Batth
Alese

Gooch
Ba
Neil
Clarke

Roberts
Diallo
Bennette

Blackpool will play higher up the field than Preston did so more space in behind for that front 3. Evans and Cirkin on bench can come on if defensive solidity is needed, Pritchard if abit more creativity is needed in the final 30 minutes if we are chasing the game and Blackpool drop deeper.

 

I wouldn't call us toothless, we created plenty of chances. As stated elsewhere, Preston defend well and the number of times they threw bodies in front of the ball to block shots was very high

 

TM PRESSER

Tony Mowbray met the press ahead of the Blackpool game and updated fans on the rehab of Simms, Ballard and Cirkin and the progress of Bennette, Diallo and Michut…

SIMMS UPDATE
“Ellis’ situation won’t be changing over the next week or two, I don’t think. I’m hoping I’ll surprise you all in two or three weeks by saying Ellis is back training and you might see him on the bench, but at the moment, that’s not the case. We have to be cautious with him. If you picture the injury, it’s his big toe, it’s a ligament and it needs some time to settle down.”

BALLARD INJURY UPDATE
"It'll depend on where the team is - I think he could potentially be on the grass before the World Cup break. In my mind, if the team is functioning and the defensive units are doing well and we're not in any rush, my mind would probably be to give him that time to train with the team, to work hard and show me that he needs to play. He's 6 foot 4, fast, good with the ball, he has a lot of qualities that you need. I think he'll be on the grass before the World Cup but it might be during that break that he gets the time he needs on the training pitch."

CIRKIN INJURY UPDATE
“Dennis is ready, He’ll be on the bench, I think. He’s over his injury, I had a good chat with him and together we just felt there was no need to risk it at the weekend, it gave him extra time to train. We think that was the best way to do it. He feels ready, and I expect to see him on the team sheet (tonight).”

BENNETTE ON THE BUS
"Fantastic, wasn't it? Mind, I did feel like saying the legendary players of the past in the North East would all be getting the bus home! I thought it was great - he's a lad who is acclimatising and he's got his dad with him. We were at Watford and his dad hadn't arrange his trip home, he had no idea where Watford was! So he came back on the team coach with us - I think it just shows you the reality of a lad who has come half way around the world from Costa Rica to play for us. He probably needs to pass his driving test but you can see what a good kid he is, a nice kid who is always smiling around the building. He's in a good place, with a World Cup to look forward to. He knows he has to get into this team and he knows it's difficult, because Jack Clarke is in a rich vein of form. We know we can rotate from the bench now, replacing a really good player with a really good player. It allows us to build Jewison into the team and hopefully he can become a really big player for us. I'm bringing these players on because they're talented boys and I see that in training. We spoke at the start about the news from Middlesbrough, I'm a manager and so I need to win games. It's no good for me to give these lads a game but we lose. They're involved because they're showing they can skip past people; they can shoot and get us goals. I watch them against our 'first-team' players in training and they're not out of their depth, and that gives you the confidence to play them."

MOWBRAY ON DIALLO
“He’s just a young boy really, but he’s supremely talented. To see his touch, and see how fast and direct he is, it’s a lovely thing to watch on the training pitch. You see how talented he is, and you can see why he’s at Man United, but you can also understand why he’s out on loan, to develop the core materials you need to be a competitive footballer. He needs to find a better end product. He has all these soft, lovely feet and brilliant skills, but he needs to shoot when he gets in the box. When he sees the goal, he needs to shoot, and he needs to add goals and assists to his name. It’s not enough just to be a lovely footballer who can dribble and go past people, but never have an end product. That’s the message, yet it’s not a simple one. You have to keep repeating it to him all the time – we have to drill into him that we want him to shoot and get in the box. Can he score a scruffy goal, can he get a rebound off the goalie? We have to get him into those positions, but when it all clicks for him, he’s going to be some footballer because he’s got every attribute you want.”

MOWBRAY ON MICHUT
“He (Michut) fell a week behind when he first arrived because he picked up a little injury, and needed some time to adapt to the intensity of the training. He’s catching up. I’m looking hard now to give him an opportunity because I think the supporters will see that he’s more than capable of playing in our first team. He’s very elegant and he’s got two lovely feet. He’s got a great passing range, very confident with the ball, and he will be involved very soon. I can feel a little bit of frustration from him, and I don’t mind that. He will be given an opportunity very soon.”

 

Cracking thread again RTB. I think we will give them a good hiding, I am going for a 4-0 win, Preston came to defend and did so easily, Blackpool need the points and will be more open. I would like to see Diallo given a chance up front, we need to try something else. I like Embleton but its just not clicking for him at the moment. We will wallop somebody soon and tonight could be the night.

 

Wey this season has taught me to go into matches with no expectations and just to support and enjoy watching this young squad develop. I'm confident that at worst we will still be in this division at the end of the season and that's massive after 4 years in the league which shall not be named

 

Let’s see how we go tonight. I hope he freshens things up.

 

I love the way this guy talks about these kids. He's all about making them feel top of the world, not dragging them down and teaching them "realism" - which is what I sensed Alex Neil might be like.