If they had to bet £10,000 of their own money on the season's placings they'd take a bit more time to think about what they say. As it is they're only interested in the top 4 tbh.
I'd be very happy with a draw tomorrow. As long as our run keeps going. Another clean sheet would also be a bonus. A win and we could move out of the bottom three, but lets take it a step at a time.
I'll just say, at this point, that any confidence shown, isn't us claiming we'll hammer Cardiff. It's based on our decent form, their poor form and the fact that a much loved manager has just been humiliated and booted out. Of course, anything can happen but it's not the worst time to play Cardiff who's supporters will be after the owners blood.
Let's face it, Malky Mackay's departure as Cardiff boss was no shock. His relationship with owner Vincent Tan meant Mackay was always waiting for the phone to ring, and then his team played so poorly in their Boxing Day defeat against Southampton. While Mackay was being threatened with the sack earlier in December, his team were being very competitive in games which deflected the focus back on to Tan for putting Mackay under pressure. But, with they way they performed in their defeat against the Saints, they did completely the opposite. We had been waiting for Tan to make a decision and now he has made it. Now we have to wait and see what he does next. This is a huge game for both teams. Sunderland got a big win against Everton, which might end up being a turning point in their season. They hung on to win and, for the first time in what seemed like a long time, they got the rub of the green in a game. Now all Black Cats boss Gus Poyet needs to do is stop his players from getting themselves sent off, and get Steven Fletcher scoring goals again. Lawro's prediction: 1-1
It is a game were it is imperative that we keep our unbeaten run going...Ha'way the lads...I wish I was going to this one, but can't due to work commitments..
you would think, for fairness, that the boxing day game and the game after should be a home then away game (or vice versa) for all teams??!! Bit harsh when we (and others) have 2 away games whilst teams like tha toon have two at home! Booooooo!!!!
I know what you mean, but wouldnt it be typical sunderland if we were to pull off a proper stinker and get a right royal humping when we least expect it!
Not a dig mate but we have to banish that attitude from the club whether it's us or the players ....... I want 'typical Sunderland' to be 100% effort and determination in every game.
West Ham v West Brom Hull v Fulham Hard to know what ton hope for from these games ......... I suppose it depends on our own result and where we see West Brom & Hull at the end of the season. Personally I don't think either will go down although West Brom's new manager. If it's Mackay then they could get close to going but I doubt it. So, I'll have to go for West Brom and Hull to win.
Haven't got a clue what to expect today. Can't believe the coaches can do anything revolutionary in terms of tactics or selection. I was nervous about this game anyway as soon as Poyet got your job. His Brighton side totally outplayed us a couple of times at home in the championship. Bad feeling that this could be the next stage of a pretty miserable Christmas for our club, but that's mainly based on the fact we've had little reason for optimism in recent weeks!
To right, put them scouse ****s right in their place, after all their predictions of 7-0 etc. Don't take the sheep shaggers lightly, but should be good enough to take them points home. VITO MANNONE says Sunderland must avoid taking “two steps back” after their shock victory at Everton. Seven days ago, Sunderland’s inability to secure a Stadium of Light victory over Norwich prompted plenty of doom and gloom over the Black Cats’ chances of remaining in the Premier League. But Gus Poyet’s men proved their resilience by winning at Goodison Park for the first time in 17 years on Boxing Day to earn an unexpected boost in the relegation battle. Goalkeeper Mannone insists Sunderland need to harness the momentum from that success though by earning back-to-back league wins for the first time this season at managerless Cardiff today. Mannone said: “Football is crazy! One day you are up and the next you are down. “I knew it would be tough going to Everton, but when I said we must believe, thankfully all my team-mates did. “We showed the character to go to a place where we haven’t won for so many years. “Every game is tough in the Premier League, but we showed that we can win against the big clubs. “Everton are not in the top six for nothing. They showed they have got quality, but we fought for our lives. “We took the responsibility and it’s a great result. It’s a base. We have to make sure we don’t take two steps back. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport...afford-to-go-two-steps-back-mannone-1-6340375
Be interesting to see how Poyet lines up, will he be tempted to go.for it with Fletcher and Altidore or will he stick with the side that started at Goodison. I think the latter is the sensible option as we are better defensively and we can always make attacking changes (Altidore Johnson Giaccherini) if needed. They have to.come out flying, if we can keep them at bay the fAns will turn nasty and it'll make the players nervous. Then we tag Jozy in and let him go to town.
Spot on smug. Although the manage sacking could work the other way and give Cardiff a bit of drive to say "this is for you malky"! Hope not though
The worst we've looked in recent times is by playing two up top, I'd rather stick to the plan, we're getting better and better.
12:11PM, SAT 28 DEC 2013 Mannone wants to treat Cardiff as a 'top four side' ahead of Sunderland clash - last updated Sat 28 Dec 2013 Cardiff v SunderlandSunderlandCardiff Mannone is full of fight and wants the same from others at Sunderland Photo: PA Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone feels the Black Cats need to approach Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Cardiff as if they are facing a team in the top four of the table. The Welsh outfit - now managerless following the sacking on Friday of their boss Malky Mackay - are currently 16th, just a point clear of the relegation zone. But with rock-bottom Sunderland having beaten some of the division's high-fliers this term and dropped points against sides closer to them in the table, Mannone believes it would be beneficial for the Wearsiders to go about their task in the 5.30pm kick-off with the mindset that their hosts are in a far better position than they really are. The Italian said: "Cardiff is another tough game and we have to take it as if they are in the top four. "Cardiff are fighting with us and we need to believe. "We may be bottom but if you don't believe then you can't fight." Sunderland, three points adrift of safety at present, should go into the Cardiff encounter full of confidence off the back of their surprise 1-0 triumph at fifth-placed Everton on Boxing Day - only their third league win this term. It was their maiden away victory of the season, and brought to an end a winless run that had been standing at six top-flight matches. It was also the first time since 1996 that Sunderland had won at Everton, who, prior to this week's contest, had not lost a home league match in the whole of 2013. And with regard to achieving the unexpected, certainly Mannone is not buying into the idea that being bottom of the table at Christmas is as good as a guarantee that a team will be relegated by the end of the campaign. "I don't believe in that. It may happen many times, but a lot can happen," he said. "No team had won at Everton for a year and we hadn't since 1996 but we managed to get the win. "Things can change and we must believe. "We've got a tough second part of the season and still have a lot of teams to play around us. "We need to believe, because when you do you can make crazy things happen." While representing a milestone for Sunderland in several ways, the game at Goodison Park was also a stand-out one on a personal level for Mannone. Keeping a clean sheet for the third successive league fixture, the 25-year-old put in a particularly eye-catching display, producing a string of impressive saves in the second half to help keep 10-man Everton at bay. Mannone joined Sunderland over the summer from Arsenal, who he had been with for several years but made very few first-team appearances for and been loaned to Barnsley and Hull by. Since coming on as a substitute to replace the injured Keiren Westwood in a league match against Hull in November, Mannone has played in all of the 10 games that have followed for the Black Cats in all competitions. And reflecting on the chance that has been given to him by Gus Poyet, who took over as Sunderland boss in October, Mannone said: "I'm really happy now because I've got the chance to play and that's all I've been searching for for years. "I never had a manager who believes in me like Mr Poyet. "Finally I've got a good manager who understands me, and I want to push on." Sunderland will again be without Wes Brown for Saturday's match, while it remains to be seen whether or not his fellow defender John O'Shea is able to feature. The pair missed the Everton win, with Brown starting a three-match suspension and O'Shea nursing a shoulder problem. Definitely still ruled out through injury are goalkeeper Westwood (shoulder) and yet another defender, Carlos Cuellar (hip).
