Match Day Thread Hull City v Sunderland - Saturday 16th Sep KO 15:00

Sunderland face Hull City at the KCOM Stadium in the Sky Bet Championship.

Last time out Sunderland lost to Nottingham Forest and Hull lost to Fulham.

Sunderland boss Simon Grayson will be without Lewis Grabban after he limped off during the first half of the Forest game. O’Shea is unavailable but Kone and McGeady are in contention. Watmore will not be rushed straight back but is expected to play in the U23s game at Man City on Saturday.

Leonid Slutsky, the former CSKA Moscow and Russia manager has no experience of English football having spent his entire career in Russia and has had a mixed start at Hull.
City line up with at least 2 former Black Cats – Seb Larsson and David Meyler in the team and Fraizer Campbell in contention. The Tigers will be looking to bounce back after suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat to Derby then losing 2-1 at Fulham.

Simon Grayson:
“I’ve never been one to play one system because it’s not how I work and ultimately I always put groups together so I can change game by game.
“I don’t go for a philosophy or a way of playing because at Championship level it’s just about winning games and playing different ways.
“We’ll have different systems we’ll play throughout the next few months for definite.”
“Lewis will miss the game through his hamstring, “We're just waiting for the scan to see the severity of it. The results are coming back this morning, but he'll miss the game."
“O'Shea will miss it (the Hull game) because he picked up a calf injury against Sheffield United which he had with Ireland previously. He's nothing long term though."
“We're waiting on McGeady and Kone to see how they are today. They haven't trained with us yet, but they have been out doing work with the physios so we're waiting to see where we go with them.”
Leonid Slutsky:
“We won’t make a lot of changes for tomorrow. We have difficult fixtures, but we need to adapt our formation. We don’t have the time for many training sessions together and I don’t want to make a lot of changes.”
“We spoke with the players yesterday about our situation. We are trying to change the results. Each match is a new test for us. We have good players and a good squad. We need a little bit more luck, but we need to earn that luck. We are working very hard.”
“I thought we played good against Fulham and we had a lot of chances. We are working hard to change our situation. The Championship is difficult and unpredictable. Fulham are one of the best teams but they didn’t start well, same as Sunderland.”
“Sunderland are similar to us having been relegated from the Premier League last season. We have the same target and the same problem, so we see tomorrow who is better at adapting.”
“We need a win and a big result against a big team like Sunderland.”

Match facts:

• Since winning four consecutive games against the Black Cats in all competitions between 2013 and 2014, the Tigers are winless in their last three (D1 L2).
• Sunderland did the double over Hull in last season's Premier League, the only side they recorded two wins against in their whole league campaign.
• Sunderland have not won an away league game in September since 2006, when they won 3-0 against Leeds United under Roy Keane. Their record since then has seen them collect seven points from a possible 48 (P16 W0 D7 L9) and they have failed to score in the last five.
• Hull have scored 10 goals in their first three home league games, their best return after three games of a season since 1983/84 when they had scored 11 under manager Colin Appleton.
• Kamil Grosicki has been involved in seven goals in his last eight league matches at the KCOM Stadium (two goals, five assists), scoring one and assisting two last time out against Bolton.

Sports Analytics Machine – Home win
Prutton predicts: 3-2

Referee:DARREN ENGLAND
Assistants: Billy Smallwood and Michael George
Fourth official: Michael Salisbury

Team Line ups
Sunderland

Subs from Steele, Jones, Galloway, Kone, Gibson, Gooch, McGeady, Asoro
Doubtful Kone, McGeady
Injured McNair (knee, Sep), Watmore (knee, Sep), Maja (knee, Sep), Grabban (hamstring, Oct), O’Shea (calf, Sep)

Hull City
McGregor, Tomori, Dawson, Hector, Aina, Meyler, Larsson, Kingsley, Bowen, Dicko, Grosicki
Subs from
Irvine, Toral, Marshall, Diomande, Henriksen, Clark, Campbell
Injured Hernandez, Mason, Keane, Luer, Mazuch, Evandro, Stewart, Odubajo,

Betting Odds:
H 21/20 A 13/5 D 12/5

My two pence:
I am hoping for a much needed away win but also half expecting a Larsson freekick into the top corner (déjà vu). Who knows – my predictions have been as bad as my team’s results this season.
I am going for a 1-1 draw.

Ha’way the Lads

 

Good MD thread yet again.
I hope our resurgence commences but have the same fear as you - its what happens too regularly to Sunderland - underperforming player raises games and destroys us - a former player may nail the chance of this happening. I'm not predicting though

 

I thought Maja had been on the bench recently, hopefully as Grabban goes out he goes in. Hull might be too soon.

 

A depressing 1-3

 

Vaughan & Gooch were on the bench against Forest. McGeady might start.

 

Cannot see anything but a Hull win with Larson on the scoresheet in a MOTM performance.

We are that DIRE. I know we played better on Tuesday but we could've played till midnight and still not scored!!

Hoping Larry can turn it round, but he won't and will be gone by the end of October (tho I'm hoping for September). He's just not cutting it.

Bart

 

Think he has to pack the midfield 4-5-1 with Vaughan up top on his own.

Hoping Mcgeady is fit so we can play with some width with mcmanaman on the other flank. I've been impressed with Williams but he'd be on the bench for me here as we have to protect our shoddy back line with a 3 man central midfield with Catts pretty much a sweeper in front

------------------------Ruiter-------------------------
Matthews--Browning--Wilson---Oviedo
---------------------Cattermole--------------------
-------------Honeyman---Ndong------------
Mcmanaman----------------------Mcgeady
-----------------------Vaughan--------------------

This has become a don't lose at all costs game

 

Home win.

 

Steele
Jones------Kone-------Wilson--------Oviedo
Ndong---------Catts
Mcmanaman------Williams------Mcgeady
Vaughan
​

Everyone in natural positions, Catts at LCM to give Oviedo extra support. Think that's the best team available personally.

 

I thought Maja was injured but Asoro may be on bench tomorrow - who knows may be a match winner on the pitch - heres hoping

 

Yeah I don't know where I got the idea that Maja was on the bench but I was wrong. Asoro might be an option, not convinced about him but he's got a bit of skill on the ball. I think we'll just stick Vaughan where Grabban plays and hope he can finally get his first goal.

 

1-4. Think were due some luck and everything is gonna go right in this game.

A Seb screaming free kick guaranteed but 3 own goals and a Cattermole deflection off his left buttock will see the mighty SAFC win easily.

 

Have you been drinking Monty's cleaning fluid

 

Stop talking silly RTB !, I would would like to see Neymar and Ronaldo start, but Rodwell might scupper things, anyhow Bale and Mbappe to come on the second half, 0 - 5 Rodwell hat trick.

 

^ Another valuable contribution.

 

With neither team in any kind of form I've gone for a drab 0-0.

On another note, I've been reading social media this morning and can't believe the amount of negativity aimed at SG.

What's the guy supposed to do with the ****e hand he's been dealt by Ellis Short?

 

loving your optimism mate!

 

Good shout Bri. That's the best he can go with, although I have a feeling he may play Gooch up front instead of Vaughan who's confidence must be rock bottom ATM.

 

I used to think we had some of the best fans around but the atmosphere at the matches is non existent and it sounds like social media is toxic too. It's getting embarrassing.

 

That's it BOLD the lad is an international we should give him the opportunity to develop in the first team and give him experience - we know that Vaughan is struggling badly in front of goal and a new face in the team may help him (even if its from the bench) - nothing to lose in my view.