Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Cardiff City FC– Sunday 24th September 2023 - KO 15:00

Sunderland welcome Cardiff City to the Stadium of Light in the Championship.
Last time out Sunderland beat Blackburn and Cardiff beat Coventry.
Sunderland won their third game in a row after a battling performance against a really tough Blackburn team to move up to 4th place.
Rusyn is available for selection and could be included in the squad. Bennette has a viral illness and is likely to miss out again.
Erol Bulot says Aaron Ramsey will be fit enough for consideration for Sunday's trip to Sunderland. The Wales captain missed the 3-2 win over Coventry City in midweek, although the boss said in the aftermath he was just being rested. He will now be available for the game at the Stadium of Light, with Bulut confirming his only absentees will be Callum O'Dowda and Josh Bowler.
Tony Mowbray:
"I do sit and worry sometimes that if Ballard gets injured, with total respect to the young centre-halves we have behind him, they're not Dan Ballard. But I believe Luke O'Nien's voice and organisational skills are just as important as what Ballard brings.
"His composure to pick the first pass on the transition is really exceptional and he's a really talented footballer as well."
"But, listen, I think the team is better than last season. I know we had Amad last season who is an amazing individual footballer who could damage teams. But I feel the position play of the team is better this year."
Erol Bulot:
"He (Ramsey) will be ready for Sunday, I spoke with him, he feels good. Today he was on the field, he made some runs. Physically he is in very good shape and mentally he is in very good shape. We need him."
"When we speak about the last game, I have no new injuries. So I am glad. But we have some previous ones, like O’Dowda, today he started running on the field. Josh Bowler still has an injury."
“Like all games! They had a great win against Blackburn and they played good. They are a young team and they work hard. They stay tight and close in defence, but all teams have issues, so we will analyse that.”


Match Appointments:
Referee: STEPHEN MARTIN
Assistant Referees: Mark Dwyer & Matthew McGrath
Fourth Official: Gavin Ward

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Huggins, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume, Neil, Jobe, Clarke, Pritchard, Ba, Burstow.

Subs: Bishop, Triantis, Hemir, Seelt, Auchiche, Roberts, Rigg, Rusyn , Taylor.
Injured: Evans, Alese, Matete, Mayenda, Cirkin, Dack, Ekwah, Pembele.

Cardiff (4-3-3) Alnwick; Ng, McGuinness, Goutas, Collins; Wintle, Ramsey, Ralls; Tanner , Ugbo, Grant.
Subs: Runarsson, Romeo, Sawyers, Robinson, Adams, Panzo, Siopis, Meite, R. Colwill.
Injured: O’Dowda, Bowler


Betting Odds:
Sunderland 5/6 Cardiff 3/1 Draw 11/4

Prutton Predicts: 2-1

My two pence:
Three wins on the bounce and going for a fourth, hopefully there are no new injuries to report. A great result at Blackburn despite the first twenty minutes where we could easily have conceded 2 or 3. Cardiff gave us a good game last season winning 1-0 and are in similar form to us, winning 4 from the last 5 games.
I’m going for a 3-1 home win.

Live Stream:
This game will be available to home and overseas fans
https://safc.com/news/team-news/live-video

Ha’way the Lads

 

Great thread as ever RTB, love it. I'm going for a 2-1 win to the lads.

Hhhaaawwwwaaaaayyyyyyy the lads

 

Nice one RTB, good team, can't wait

 

I hope our style will suit this game as Cardiff do tend to sit a bit deeper and try to hit on the counter. We seem to be a bit more resilient of late and our defending can be a little suspect at times however we now have strength height and pace in our team combined with some very technically gifted players. I have gotten the last 2 predictions right with 3-1 but this time I think I will hang my hat on a 2-0 to Sunderland with a goal for Burstow as I think one of our strikers is due a goal and another penalty as we seem to cause panic in opposition penalty areas

 

Cardiff will have a bit of confidence after their last 2 results and so of course we will.

I'm going for 1 _1

 

I would bring Roberts back in for Ba, just think he ran himself into trouble too many times on Wednesday and doesnt have Patricks finishing or passing ability. He will come good eventually but Roberts gives us so much more.
Great Thread as always RTB.

 

I can't get to grips with Cardiff tbh.

The manager looks capable but the players seem prone to errors and a lack of concentration. They managed to lose at home to QPR, with only 3 attempts on goal but just beat Coventry 3-2 with 3 attempts and 30% possession.

They've twice let 2-0 leads slip which suggests they start well but tire just like QPR, Blackburn etc ...

... sounds like the supporters will need to be patient but we're quite good at that.

They've not won away this season.

 

Results are a mixed bag against this lot. They have some big lads so we’ll have to be careful against free kicks etc. We won loads of second balls in our box the other night but we can’t rely on that every game we need to be better clearing our lines.
Patto has to boss his box again he’s started to stay on his line a bit which is a worry.
If it’s down to playing football we win comfortably, if they sit in then patience will be a virtue both on the field and the terraces.
Great thread again RTB, thanks for that.

 

Great thread as ever RTB fantastic information. I'm sure we have enough in the locker to beat these as Mowbray said after Wednesday only our own attitude to this game will stop us winning. I'm sure he will have them ready. Not sure if I can make this one as a relapse after my recent surgery has me hospitalised again. Hoping to be out for the weekend but that's not my decision. Home win. Keep the faith lads and lasses.

 

Great thread as per @RTB
Tight game but we will prevail.
2-1 home win.

 

I’ll take a nervy 1-0 right now!!

Bart

 

Great stuff as always. I can't see anything other than a home win, the lads are flying.

Really looking forward to the match.

 

According to the What the Falk podcast, the Cardiff fan thinks that they're vulnerable at the back so our front line could be in for a good day. Home win all the way for me

 

On the contrary,I would try to find a way to play both of them. Last year Pat and Amad...this year Pat and Abdou looks like it could work.

 

Hope you make it out marra....if not,there's always Barnes and Benno...but,beware....Barnes will be telling us about the history of one of the Cardiff players from when he was 9 years old,Benno will be talking over him with grunts and groans,the pair will be correcting each other as to the scores in other matches in the league.........and,hey-ho,we've gone up the pitch and scored!

 

Woo hoo loads of strikers

 

This is excellent news!

 

Thanks again RTB for these brilliant threads, we are building up a nice head of steam, another win with late goals would be my guess. OaU
PS Looking forward to seeing Rusyn asp.

 

Just imagine those who were bitching about having no strikers,and what a **** job KS and the recruitment team were doing. Now,we have 4....but....hang on....we don't need them...we've scored 11 goals in the last 3 matches without them! ****ing hell man....couldn't script it!