Match Day Thread Fulham FC v Sunderland AFC – FA Cup - Saturday 28th January 2023 - KO 15:00

Sunderland travel to Fulham in the 4th round of the FA Cup
Last time out Sunderland beat Middlesbrough and Fulham lost to Tottenham.
Sunderland beat Middlesbrough 2-0 with goals from Ross Stewart and Amad Diallo, with the visitors being reduced to 10 men early in the second half.
New signing from West Ham, Pierre Ekwah is expected be included in the squad and could even feature in the starting line-up.
Leon Dajaku has joined FC St. Gallen on loan subject to international clearance.
Tony Mowbray will have to shuffle his squad once again, with Corry Evans coming off with an injured knee and Aji Alese being withdrawn after suffering cramp. Niall Huggins is back in training along with Cirkin & Pritchard.
Corry Evans has suffered damage to his anterior cruciate ligament. The midfielder will undergo surgery and is expected to be side lined for the remainder of the season.
Luke O’Nien is suspended for the next 2 games, Embleton, Evans & Gooch are not available due to injury.
Fulham are currently in 7th position in the Premier League with 31 points. After four Premier League wins in a row, their last two outings have ended in defeat against N*****stle and Tottenham Hotspur. Striker Alexander Mitrovic has scored 11 goals and provided 1 assist in his 17 games this season.

Tony Mowbray:
“Lynden went for a scan for a hip problem, we're expecting him to be out for around two to three weeks.”
"Our stadium was amazing today - that passion and noise was what I remember from Roker Park days. I hope the team played its part - it's some atmosphere here when it's like that."
"Alese has had one training session with the team in five weeks. I asked him to play otherwise it was Jack Clarke at LB. He came off with cramp - huge credit to him. That's the personality you want at your football club."
"Every time Edouard Michut gets on the pitch he is getting more confident. Same with Ba and with Bennette.
"Trai Hume is a high-quality footballer... some players need opportunity and Gooch's injury has provided that."
Marco Silva:
“Our first 40 minutes was very good, I have to say,” Silva said. “A very good level, high intensity, a lot of energy from ourselves, a good dynamic as well.
“We were clearly the best team for 40-42 minutes, the most dominant team, the team that created the most dangerous moments around their box.
“I think we had two very good chances – one with Harrison Reed, another with João [Palhinha] from a free-kick. But even without many, many chances, I think we were clearly the best team on the pitch until the last five minutes [of the first half].
“I think we lost a little bit of control of the game, without reason to be honest, in the last five minutes of the half.
“Some moments when we won the ball, we lost the ball too quickly again, and after a fast corner kick came that goal from Kane. Of course it was decided by a great footballer, but if you are in a good position then that moment will not happen, for sure.
“Second half, I think we lost a bit of the energy, also a little bit of the dynamic. The setback is always difficult.
“Nine [Spurs] players were always behind the ball in their own half and we didn't find the spaces, we didn't find the gaps to create chances to equalise the game.
“It was a tough second half for us. Even if we were the dominant team, we didn't create enough.”

Match Appointments:
Referee: MICHAEL SALISBURY
Assistant Referees: Matthew Wilkes & Mark Scholes
Fourth Official: Leigh Doughty

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Alese, Batth, Ballard, Hume, Michut, Neil, Amad, Clarke, Roberts, Stewart.

Subs: Bass, Wright, Huggins, Cirkin, Ba, Bennette, Ekwah, Lihadji, Taylor, Rigg.
Injured: Embleton, Evans, Gooch.
Suspended: O’Nien

Fulham (4-2-3-1) Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson, Palhinha, Reid, Willian, Andreas-Pereira, De Cordova-Reid, Mitrovic
Subs: Rodak, Kurzawa, Adarabioyo, Wilson, Cairney, Solomon, Chalobah, James, Vinicius.
Injured: Kebano

Betting Odds:
Sunderland 7/1 Fulham 14/10 Draw 9/2

Prutton Predicts: meh

My two pence:
Losing Corry Evans for the rest of the season is a big blow but it offers an opportunity for someone to step in and claim that role. Michut and Neil played well together so I’m expecting them to start. Hopefully Patrick Roberts puts on a show like he did at Reading.
Did I mention – I’m going to this one
Fulham didn’t impress me against Spurs on Monday, I think we can sneak it.
I’m going for a 1-0 away win

Live Stream:
Not available on SAFC Live

Ha’way the Lads

 

Presser:
<starts at 09:53>

 

Watched Fulham v Spurs and as Silva said for most of the first half they pressured Spurs with their high pressing game but really achieved very little.
We have to be careful if we play out from the back, can see Silva resting some of his stars players for this one.
It's a complete free hit for the lads, a big following so hope we give them a good game and if we can nick it all the better. HTL.

 

Stick a wedge on Mitrovic scoring for them.

 

Is he fit, after he picked up a knock midweek?

 

Get through it with no injuries and give a good account of ourselves. We could nick it if they get complacent, I would imagine Silva will rest a few. Hopefully our young lads keep the recent good performances up, shouldn't be too much of a physical game.

 

Yeah - they may not risk him

 

Fancy us to get them back up here in a replay.

 

RTB

Fulham at home are expected to win, so for us its a free hit.
We can assess where we are at against a Premier team.

Prediction, our away form is good... so at worst I think we will draw.

I go along with your team.

 

Sounds like Huggins will be at LB seeing as Alese hasn't trained all week (no new injury, just as a result of 5 weeks out and playing on Sun with 1 training session behind him)

 

Would be good to have him back, again.

 

Be nice to get Cirkin and Pritchard back too. As good as Cirkin is, he's had a lot of injuries. Hopefully it's just growing pains for such a young lad, but this must be 3rd injury this season after 2 or 3 last year?

 

It’s certainly a worry regarding Cirkin. I think Jack Clarke has missed him playing down that left side. I forgot about Pritchard tbh

 

Still has one of my favourite interviews from a mag player”it’s ok Sunderland lost” when we hadn’t!!!

 

I've seen pictures of Cirkin back in training but there is nothing mentioned on Pritchard, the Chronicle say he could be back this weekend but TM didn't say anything.

 

Danny boy

 

Fancy us to get at least a draw!!

1-1

Bart

 

I don't think he'll start for them tbh.

 

I remember that game.. stuck in the bloody home end whilst those in the away end were having a disco… big Ken scored & canny day out

 

Half decent thread there RTB

I'll post properly later, just to say I might have a few spares as things stand.