Sunderland travel to Blackburn in the Championship. Last time out Sunderland beat Wigan and Blackburn beat Middlesbrough. The Black Cats claimed 3 valuable points coming back from a goal down to win 2-1 with goals from Elliot Embleton and Dennis Cirkin. Tony Mowbray could make a few tweaks to his starting eleven as captain Cory Evans is available to face his former club after his one game ban. Deputy captain Lyndon Gooch picked up a foot injury and could miss his first game of the season. Blackburn had a good away victory at Middlesbrough to move up to 5th in the table, they went 2-0 up in the first half thanks to Sam Gallagher with two well taken goals and should have been further ahead. Rovers held on despite Boro making a strong comeback in the second half with Duncan Watmore pulling a goal back but Kaminski made some fine saves. Tony Mowbray: "I think the lad stood on his foot, really, I think he's been trampled on, and he (Gooch) was really sore and bruised, and it twisted as well a little bit. "He tried to carry on but at half-time he was in a lot of discomfort so we brought him off. Whether he can recover in two or three days [in time to play at Blackburn], we'll have to wait and see." "Abdoullah was rotated out. I have a lot of empathy with the group. Leon Dajaku was left out the other week, [Edouard] Michut was left out the other week, yesterday we left Ba out. They all have an opportunity tomorrow to come and knock on my door - we're training today." "I'm trying to integrate a lot of players to make them feel part of what we're doing. They're new, and they just have to work hard. "They have to keep their heads down and show, when their opportunities come, that they can be a part of this group - and I would say that this group is quite tight, if you think of the ones who have been part of the League One campaign, and been to the Gillinghams and the Fleetwoods and grind out results at those grounds. It's difficult for outsiders to show that they have the same qualities to help this team move forward and those young lads have to know that it isn't as easy as just having loads of talent and being the best player." Jon Dahl Tomasson: “I think it was a brilliant performance to get the three points against a big club in Middlesbrough away from home. Our play on the ball was extremely good in the first half and we scored two good goals through Sam. One was better than the other, the first was a tap in and as for the second, what a strike! “Every time we went forward we created chances and we should really have killed the game. The ‘keeper of Boro did well, he made big saves and stopped it from being 4-0. They got the goal just before half time and it is never the best time to concede a goal. “We showed character in the second half and showed maturity with a really young team," he added, with three teenagers named in the starting XI. We defended the box, we defended the crosses and defended the points with our lives. Thomas made some great saves and our fans really helped the team as well.” Match Appointments: Referee: CRAIG PAWSON Assistant Referees: Marc Perry and Scott Ledger Fourth Official: Matthew Donohue Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (4-3-3) Patterson, Cirkin, Alese, Batth, O’Nien, Neil, Evans, Embleton, Pritchard, Clarke, Roberts. Subs: Bass, Hume, Wright, Matete, Michut, BA, Bennette. Injured: Huggins, Ballard, Stewart Blackburn (4-3-3)Kaminski, Phillips, Hyam, Scott Wharton, Morton, Travis, Pickering, Brittain, Wharton, Gallagher, Brereton Subs: Pears, Garrett, Carter, Dolan, Hedges, Szmodics, Dack. Injured: tbc Betting Odds: Sunderland 9/4 Blackburn 5/4 Draw 9/4 Prutton Predicts: meh My two pence: A great result and a good team performance against Wigan showed that this team just don’t give up, Patrick Roberts ran them ragged but the return of Dennis Cirkin made the difference in the end, providing the assist and scoring the winner. I wasn’t impressed by Blackburn when they lost at Wigan last week, however they are more of a footballing side than Wigan and they have some good strikers in Gallagher and Brereton-Diaz. I’m going for a 2-1 away win. Live Stream: Live on Sky Sports Football from 19:30 Ha’way the Lads
Great thread as always @RTB. Like the look of your line up, especially the back 4. Watched them play wigan last week and didn't see anything to scare us. 1-3 to us, Baath, Clarke and Roberts
Great thread as always Rtb. Hopefully they keep up their record of win lose win lose. I thought I read somewhere that Pritchard was suspended after his booking at the weekend. Anyway I'm looking forward to this one and would gladly take a point now. Keep the faith lads and lasses. If Pritchard is out maybe Diallo up top between Clarke and Roberts.
I haven't seen that about Pritchard being out - he only has 3 yellows. That pattern of results is totally bizarre please log in to view this image A good omen though...
Great as usual @RTB I've gone an away win. I've gone for an SAFC win every game so far, as I genuinely feel that we can beat anyone in this league. 2 - 1 to the lads, Clarke and Roberts.
It's a tight league, only 15 points between first and last in the championship, 26 in league one, 22 in the prem.
Me too. Love going there tbh.people and pubs are so friendly. From my experience anyhow!! Sadly can’t make Tuesday. No ticket firstly and work commitments as well. Will be watching though. Enjoy it everyone who is going.
RTB Blackburn are going well, but I will still go for a win. Who needs strikers (probably us) but if we can keep a clean sheet and nick a goal, voila 3 points. Can't really argue with your team.
We'll get more space against a side who play football if you know what I mean, keep the back four same as we finished at the weekend if Goochie doesn't make it, it seems a good fit and can see us keeping a clean sheet and getting a goal or two ourselves. Great thread again RTB, HTL. PS...See Its another game against a top 6 team, do we never get to play bottom six teams as I can't remember when we last had a game against a struggling team, probably the Boro iirc.
Great thread RTB I wasnt confident on Saturday and the lads were amazing. I feel more confident for tomorrow so will probs jinx it Id like to say a win but I feel a draw HTL
The opening post keeps getting even better. Well done sir. Watching some of the other teams, I can see no reason why we shouldn’t be at least top six this year. Assuming injured players get fit and no one leaves in Jan. It’s hard to see how the TM seen in press conferences could motivate anyone, but it seems to be working. So a narrow win tomorrow. Please.
Yes, in the press conference, he is Eeyore or Marvin from Hitchhikers Guide... But on Saturday 2nd half he had made tactical switches and got the team up for it.. so perhaps like Truss he is wooden in front of a camera?
Personally i can see how he motivates the players, he is very clever at praising their talent and bigging them up whilst often mentioning things they need to improve on. You can see how he is trying to nurture and give them the confidence in their ability, he might not be everyone's cup of tea, but we may have just found the right man to bring these young lads through
Great thread RTB, you really are a star putting it all together for us, can't thank you enough. I agree fully with your team and choice of subs, assuming Gooch is unavailable. Even if he was , I would think that back four is the stronger, and fit Gooch further forward for this one. They attack a lot down the wing through Brereton-Diaz in particular, stop him and we are well on the way to another 3 away points . OaU
