Sunderland visit Cambridge in the Skybet League One Last time out Sunderland drew with Shrewsbury and Cambridge drew with Wigan. Sunderland threw away two points against struggling Shrewsbury Town despite playing for 45 minutes against ten men at the New Meadow. The Black Cats were 1-0 up at half-time but failed to take the three points when Dan Udoh volleyed in a loose ball in the penalty area. Lee Johnson announced that McGeady has a knee injury and could be out for 2 to 3 months, O'Nien may need surgery to his shoulder and Cirkin is scheduled for a hernia operation adding to an ever growing injury list. The last time Sunderland faced Cambridge was in the League Cup in 2002, with the lads winning 7-0. Cambridge finished mid-table in League Two that season, whilst Sunderland finished bottom of the Premier League. Cambridge are also ruing the loss of 2 points as they were 2-0 up against Wigan but conceded two goals in the last six minutes. Lee Johnson "There are a number of words that we could use to sum it up. We could use confidence, we could use complacency, we could use sloppiness. I feel that the key word is quality, it's as simple as that. "When you arrive in good areas, you have got to deliver dangerous balls, and you have to have movement. "That then leads to runs of attacks, that leads to first phase, second phase, and third phase, but we got to first phase, every now and again second phase, but then letting them off the hook with poor delivery, poor execution, or poor decision-making in the final third. "It's not easy to break down a team. The frustrating thing was the goal that we conceded and the sloppiness that led to that. "I could put 100 players on the pitch and if four defenders and four midfielders are in good positions, it makes it very hard to break that down. The width and the quality just wasn't there." Mark Bonner: "We are disappointed, very, we should take 3 points from that game. We were in control of it, we’ve seen out the majority of the threat. In the second half we had good control, but we had to get deeper because they force you to and we were running on empty a bit. "We are playing more games with fewer players than most teams at the moment, we were outstanding, I thought that they were outstanding and we got ourselves into a position of controlling that game. "To come away with a point, you would have taken it before the game, but it’s no consolation when you’ve got the game and it’s there for us and could do better when you concede. We know that, so yeah, we are frustrated Match Appointments: Referee: ROBERT LEWIS Assistant Referees: Matthew Wilkes and Lisa Rashid Fourth Official: Scott Williams Team Line ups Sunderland: Hoffmann, Dyce, Wright, Flanagan, Doyle, Gooch, Winchester, Neil, Pritchard, Stewart, Broadhead. Subs: Patterson, Wilding, Xhemajli, Younger, Embleton, Wearne, Dajaku Injured: Willis, Huggins, Hume, Cirkin, McGeady, O'Nien, Burge. Cambridge United: Mitov, Williams, Iredale, Digby, Brophy, Ironside, Smith, Dunk, Weir, Hoolahan, Masterson Subs: McKenzie-Lyle, Okedina, Davies, Tracey, Lankester, Knibbs, May. Injured: Jones Betting Odds: Sunderland 4/5 Cambridge 16/5 Draw 5/2 My two pence: A totally disappointing result on Tuesday after being in a great position at halftime, but the less said about it the better. We move on to Cambridge with Lee Johnson looking to fire up the squad to help to save his own skin. I just don't understand why LJ seemed to lay the blame firmly on Ross Stewart's shoulders rather than admit that he made a mistake with his first substitution. Cambridge played really well against Wigan on Tuesday and will be right up for this one in front of a sell-out crowd. Sadly I can't make it to the game, but for all of those loyal supporters going along - I hope that you have a great day out. I’m going for a 2-2 draw. Live Stream (Overseas fans) https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video Ha’way the Lads
Just reading those comments from Johnson would not in any way inspire me to put a shift in for him, speak in English for god’s sake.
Awesome thread as always, I'm usually backing the lads 100% for a win but I'm struggling atm. Can't believe I'm saying it, but, I think I'd take a point, which is absolutely embarrassing tbh. We aren't playing well and they got a decent point against Wigan.
cheers again RTB... (sometimes wonder why you keep putting the effort in mate but always appreciated) here we go again, sorry lads but i need to see a performance improvement, us scoring some goals and good subs with the lads knowing exactly where they will play. ok injuries mean we are back to square pegs so not the ideal situation but those square pegs do a damn good job, no reason or excuse for a bad performance unless the match day squad is fecked about with and players keep being moved around the pitch.
RTB I hope for a win of course, but expect? Injuries bedevil us, but let's pray LJ gets his team tinkering/selections right and the lads are up for it. Confidence could be low after Tuesday's performance.
HA'WAY THE LADS MACKEMS ATTACKEM In all honesty I'll be shocked if we have improved back to the standard that we played earlier in the season. We seem to have just gone tits up. Was it a knock of confidence started after the 4-0 drubbing in the rain as someone mentioned ? Social media slaggings as Johnson mentioned ?, or maybe Johnson himself with his criticism or tactics ? Whatever the reason it needs putting right as soon as possible. For now I'll settle for a ground out win to keep in touch with promotion. U's head coach Mark Bonner. On Sunderland: “I speak about it every week, about teams that were in the Premier League, or teams that have huge resources and championship level squads. It gets boring, there are about ten of them! “Everyone says the toughest League One for years that I speak to, obviously I have got no reference point for that, you have to just go along with the people that have been in the league for a number of years say. “Sunderland started the season brilliantly. They have had a run of games that perhaps has not gone as well as they would have hoped, but you look at the league table and they are still right in touch with the top, which is where they expect to be. “They will come here expecting to win and needing the three points, because that is the expectation and demand of that club, really. We know on our day that we can be a match for any team. “Really you have to strip away the badge of the opposition, it is 11v11 on the pitch. I think the days of us being a little bit in awe of teams in this league are gone - this is our level now. “Our ambition is that we build this club and try and compete at the top end of the table with these teams over time, and that is what we want to do, but right now it is about just competing with them and going into games as confident as we can. “We are looking forward to a full Abbey Stadium again, we have to make that work to our advantage. I think it will really crank up the atmosphere this week. I think their fans are probably the best away following that we will see in terms of noise, and I hope that really inspires us from minute nought to minute 90. Cambridge is a city on the River Cam in eastern England, home to the prestigious University of Cambridge, dating back to 1209. University colleges include King’s, famed for its choir and towering Gothic chapel, as well as Trinity, founded by Henry VIII, and St John’s, with its 16th-century Great Gate. University museums have exhibits on archaeology and anthropology, polar exploration, the history of science and zoology. Famous people born in Cambridge include. Dave Gilmour, lead guitarist Pink Floyd. Olivia Newton John, singer actress, Grease film in them tight black pants, wad, and her older sister Rona Newtown John, off Benny hill and UFO. Richard Attenborough, lovey off Jurassic park and lots of black and white classics.
Great thread as always RTB, much appreciated. Heart says we will turn it around and batter them, head says it going to be another difficult to watch, frustrating game and a draw
They like a draw at home. Unbeaten in their last 4. W.1 D.3 L.0 Bearing in mind that they are a better side than Shrewsbury (6 placer higher and 7 points more) who we failed to beat with a man advantage I genuinely can't see us winning this. Pritchard sounded crestfallen in his post match interview and I picked up a hint that its not a happy dressing room. They seen devoid of confidence and direction. I'll go 1-1 which if it happens should hopefully wake the owners up and get them to swing the axe
Starting to think that Johnson spouts this management bullshit in the dressing room before the game and they come out on to the park utterly devoid of any instructions on how to play. I mean, they are professional footballers so should know how to ****ing pass, shoot and tackle, but the Head Coach is supposed to give them direction
Well done RTB , but I must say your team looks a bit like an LJ team to me, but I recon this game will not be about the teams performance, but the managers, Lets hope we see the better side of streaky this time out, for all our sakes, and that the storm that's being forecast is purely weather related. OaU Jonny in or out.
@Phil__Smith LJ says #SAFC have got 'challenges' in the injury department. Says he has an injury list of 7-8 players for the Cambridge game
Hopefully KLD will actually spend money on players, then. Everybody in this league brings in free transfers and loans but proven quality will cost you. If he wants us out this league, he needs to open his wallet.