Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Blackburn Rovers FC – Monday 1st April 2024 - KO 15:00

Sunderland welcome Blackburn Rovers to the Stadium of Light in the Championship.
Last time out Sunderland beat Cardiff and Blackburn lost to Ipswich.
The Black Cats remain in 12th place on 51 points after a much-improved display in South Wales.
Mike Dodds welcomed Bradley Dack, Patrick Roberts and Aji Alese back into the squad along with Ballard and O’Nien to shore up the defence as the Black Cats beat Cardiff 2-0.
Jack Clarke continues to work his way towards full fitness as he recovers from an ankle problem. Elliot Embleton and Dennis Cirkin are both out of contention whilst Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins are both undergoing their rehabilitation programmes for their respective long-term injuries.
Blackburn were unlucky to lose 1-0 at home to Ipswich, Rovers went behind to a goal keeping error and then had the ball in the net twice but both ‘goals’ were disallowed.
Rovers have now not won in eight league games and are just three points above the relegation zone on 42 points. Sammy Szmodics leads the goal scoring charts for the division with 21 goals in the league.

Mike Dodds:
"I'm trying to be level with it all because, when you're in this position, you can't get too high with the highs and too low with the lows.
"I think it was a real professional performance and I've tried to stay really balanced in this seat looking at the performance.
"I am more happy for the group and the fans because the result makes everything feel a little bit lighter but I'm quite balanced.
"It was a really professional performance in and out of possession."
John Eustace:
"Frustrated but very proud as well. I thought the effort of the group was outstanding.
"After the week we've had with the injuries and bit of sickness in the camp as well, to have possibly four starters out of the XI, I thought the effort was outstanding.
"We've gone up against a very good team and played very well and we're disappointed not to get anything out of the game."

Match Appointments:
Referee: JOHN BUSBY
Assistant Referees: Richard Wild & Rob Smith
Fourth Official: Matthew Donohue

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Styles, Ballard, O’Nien, Hume, Ekwah, Neil, Rigg, Ba, Aouchiche, Jobe.

Subs: Bishop, Pembele, Hjelde, Alese, Hemir, Mundle, Dack, Burstow, Roberts.
Injured: Huggins, Cirkin, Embleton, Seelt, Clarke, Rusyn.

Blackburn (4-2-3-1) Pears, Brittain, Hyam, Wharton, Pickering, Tronstad, Rankin-Costello, Hedges, Szmodics, Chrisene, Dolan
Subs: Wahlstedt, Koumetio, Carter, Markanday, Gilsenan, Moran, Garrett, Telalovic, Ayari
Injured: Fleck, Sigurdsson, Buckley, Leonard

Betting Odds:
Sunderland 11/10 Blackburn 5/2 Draw 12/5

Prutton Predicts: meh

My two pence:
A much improved performance and an excellent result at Cardiff.
It seems like we have got a bit of self-belief and confidence back so
I’m going for a 2-0 home win.
Live Stream:
Available to UK & Overseas fans
https://safc.com/news/team-news/live-video

Ha’way the Lads

 

Home win 2-1. Roberts and Neil with the goals. HTL.

 

That's class as well btw. Can't grumble at a fiver

 

Great gesture from the club

 

Absolutely. Really good deal that. Should be knocking on for 40/42k in the ground on Monday.

Looking forward to it, seems yonks since the last home game.

 

Someone called Beale out on here and got pelters.
He said the players would reject him etc.
Was it @Prehab26 ?
Apologies if not. But the difference in the team to Mowbray going,
Beale coming in, and then Dodds hopefully turning it around, not straight away re results but an improvement to a draw and now a convincing win.

If we win every. Or most games now under Dodd's I wouldn't be adverse to him getting a crack next season.
HA'WAY THE LADS
MACKEMS ATTACKEM.

 

Tough game this as Blackburn were unlucky against Ipswich and only lost to the mags on pens so thinknthis will be a stern test, however we seemed to have a more confidence on Friday and hope this is a sign of things to come. If Dodds gets it right and the players keep their confidence up I do believe we can win this so I am going for a 3-1

 

**** it, 5-0 the lads

 

Great thread as always look forward to them especially when I’m away at work,after Friday I’m quite buoyant and going for 3-1 to the lads really wish I was going Monday enjoy all and keep the faith COME ON

 

Same attitude and application as Friday and we will have a good afternoon

 

It's good to get this game so quickly. We'll be able to see whether the Cardiff performance was a result of a change in tack, or simply because the lads had a longer rest than usual.

 

Was great to see a better performance on Friday, and getting back to winning ways.

The players should be bouncing and will have too much for Blackburn.

3-1 HAWAY.

Bart

 

Thanks again for another great thread RTB your team will do me nicely, on current form Blackburn and ourselves are two of the poorest teams in the league but that is far from the case as the last games show. We need another top performance from the lads tomorrow to make it two in a row , keep Sammy quiet and we should do it, easily said than done and he will be smarting after that Ipswich game, in fact the whole Blackburn team will be so we need to be at our very best to make it a Happy Easter for all Sunderland supporters wherever they may be. a Dack, Dack, Dack as Nig would say. OaU

 

Back to back wins would be great.

Cardiff was a great performance and sort of like us under prime Mowbray. Looked dangerous and attacked with speed. More of the same .

 

Same ream as before but let's see if we can get some minutes for Alesa and Roberts later on.

 

Feels like we are gradually ‘getting over’ the damage from Beale, and I think we’d all enjoy just seeing a home win after the last couple months.

There’s little question we a better side than them, and I think the confidence boost from Friday and a big crowd will be enough to carry the lads to a 3-1.

 

I finished watching the Cardiff game thinking we'd follow it up with a win against Blackburn. But I'll be happy with a good performance and a draw tbh.

Blackburn are a better side than their results show imo and Szmodics will give any team problems, Ekwah will need to get onto him as soon as he's in our half. They've actually scored more goals than Sunderland and this is a critical game for them so I think they'll score ...

... as we've no pressure on us I'd like to see the home crowd recompensed for some of the poor games we've suffered.

Some of our first touch attacking play was delightful and more of that would be great in front of a big crowd.

3-3 and Rigg, Jobe and Ballard ... Ha'way the Lads!!!

 

I posted I was clutching at straws for the Cardiff game with Wales losing and it worked, so more clutching now... The Ref has the same surname as my Grannys maiden name so that's defo a sign
Win for the lads any score will do, great thread as usual HTL.

 

Essayyeffcee

Sunderland: Adil Aouchiche hails Mike Dodds after tough spell
SUNDERLAND playmaker Adil Aouchiche has hailed interim head coach Mike Dodds for giving him an opportunity to showcase his ability after a difficult couple of months on Wearside.
The 21-year-old midfielder grabbed a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win at Cardiff City, impressing the travelling red and white army.
It's been a tough few months for the former PSG trainee, having fallen out of favour under former Sunderland boss Michael Beale after a disappointing cameo in the defeat to Ipswich Town, but has established himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet under Dodds in recent weeks.
“It was a really good game from the team, for me as well because I scored and gave an assist for Jobe,” Aouchiche told BBC Newcastle after Good Friday's game. “It’s the job of the number 10 in the team and for me it was a really good performance from the team.
“When the referee gave the penalty, I just took the ball and just not think. Just take the ball and be confident and I will score.”
Aouchiche made no mistake from the penalty spot, rifling the ball into the roof of the net to give Sunderland the lead and there was no letting up.
The Frenchman has shown signs of unlocking the door in the final third, and grabbed the assist for Jobe's seventh goal of the season.
“It was difficult when you are the player and only play a little bit,” Aouchiche said when looking back on his spell out of the side. “It's difficult for me. Now with Doddsy, he gave me a chance and I give him back. When he gave me the confidence, I can show my talent.”