How important really is the fact that our nearest and dearest played last night. Injuries apart, and I haven't heard of any, surely they will be as up for the game as our lads. I understand that playing twice a week has a toll on the squad but trying to be realistic about it says to me that in fact they haven't had that many weeks of two games. As far as the Benfica game I see that their players and staff will be disappointed but we are talking now about a derby match that has significant meaning for the fans and local/longstanding players in their squad. I fully expect ( and I'm damn sure their fans will demand) 100% commitment and that nothing else will do. I fully expect that the atmosphere will be electric and I hope we are primed for that. We will need eleven heros on the park and we cannot afford for anyone to freeze on the day. PDC played in any number of high profile derby games so lets hope he has everyone in the right frame of mind and we get the result we desperately want. KTF
The ball is well and truly in our court. Can see it being either a hammer and tongs if we go for it or cat and mouse until the last 15 mins. Either way will be well worth watching.
it doesn't count one bit, I thought Chelsea playing 3 games before we played them would massively help us BUT we still got beat.
Put it this way im glad we didn't play last night before playing them on Sunday. Cabaye, Cisse and cissokho are big attacking players for them so im hoping they are leggy come Sunday. Interesting that pardew saved his defenders for Sunday though, think he probably knows if they take the lead they will probably win
I'm less confident of us nicking a point after their game last night! Newcastles players are capable of really hurting us! We are pretty toothless!
More by luck than management though Danny - I though we deserved more than we got from the game and it gave me a lot of heart watching the side play. Chelsea also have a much deeper squad than Newcastle so can change things with quality player - christ I hope williamson is playing on Sunday!! Doubt he will be though
Even if he does play we dont have anyone to really get at him, it scares me with our lack of pace and apparent knackered at 70 mins attitude.
Our league position gives the teams playing us a bit of complacency really. Any sensible person knows that Europe has had a major impact on our league position.
Absolutely Tash - could've very well cost you a lot more than it has! There'll be no complacency from us on Sunday - although I still think you have too much for us but you never know on aderby day!! We surely have to be due a win!
I thought that last season, but got a well earned point, despite the fact that we were strong favourites. If we didn't have Europe on our hands, I personally think we'd be up near 8/9th right now, but league position doesn't mean anything when it comes to derbies.
Dont understand this 'when it comes to derbies, anything can happen'. Erm no! Newcastle normally win.........or we might get a draw! Sunderland very rarely win! Hence why in general, town fans look forward to it more than us! In the recent times when i even dared think that we might have the upper hand, weve getting humped! Like at the start of this season i had the audacity to think that with a little luck we might sneak into the top ten. Particularly after signing Johnson & Fletcher! Hence this season has been like a punch to the gut and i feel severely winded! From now on i'll always fear the worst, cos its gonna happen! My attitude when leading up to these games is the acceptance that we're gonna get beat, particularly away from home! The best i hope for is that we give a good account of ourselves, which again, rarely happens! We're piss poor when it comes to derbies! And even if we play well i fear luck will desert us!
Well, last season I suppose you were in a honeymoon period with MON, so you did put up a good fight. It all depends on how different you are with PDC.
This is the worst team we have had in the premier league, mainly in defence we might scrape a draw or get hammered.
On paper it is not the worst! But in terms of effort from manager and players, and the optimism replaced by disappointment, this is the most disillusioned i have ever felt supporting sunderland!
Obviously it has an impact, you only have to look at the stats for teams who play in Europe and their performance in the legaue the game after. Its an impact not an excuse though. As much I think we will be weary, I still expect our lads to be up for it and expect our manager to be tactically astute enough to factor our tiredness into our approach to the game. Its a derby all said and done, there are no excuses.
it could have an effect three games in three days is harder then one in 7. Not saying this is an excus as if we play like we did in the second half there should only be one winner But derby day who knows And to compare us to Chelsea squad Is a tad tough too
