Match Day Thread Shrewsbury Town v Sunderland - Tuesday 9th February - KO 19:00

Sunderland travel to Montgomery Waters Meadow to face Shrewsbury Town in the SkyBet League One.

Last time out Sunderland drew with MK Dons and Shrewsbury beat Swindon.
Lee Johnson is hopeful that Tom Flanagan has not suffered a serious injury after the defender was forced to withdraw from the starting line up just minutes before Sunderland's 2-2 draw with MK Dons. Ross Stewart still has an injury and is unlikely to feature.
The Black Cats beat Shrewsbury 1-0 at the Stadium of Light just 2 weeks ago with a header from Charlie Wyke.
The Salop got back to winning ways with a victory at Swindon on Saturday and will be looking to revenge the recent 1-0 defeat to Sunderland.
Shrewsbury had agreed a loan deal for Will Grigg to spend the second half of the season at Shrewsbury, but the move was delayed until the Black Cats brought in a replacement, with Ross County's Ross Stewart on their radar. That delay alerted MK Dons of Griggs availability and the Dons signed him on loan as the transfer deadline approached.
Lee Johnson:
“Tom was injured in the warm-up, he felt some discomfort in his calf. It didn’t go – it wasn’t a ping or anything like that – it was just some tightness, and I think that if he had gone on and played it would probably have ended in a pull.”
"He (Winchester) just picked up a slight tweak to his groin during finishing training, he just felt it and we think that he'll be out for around a week to ten days.”
"It's the same with Callum McFadzean, they're not long-term ones."
Vokins was replaced late on by Dion Sanderson, who again impressed in a brief cameo.
"I thought first 15-20 minutes, he (Vokins) was sparring and not fighting, he could have got closer (to the oppositon) and then I thought after that he was good.”
"He was good on the ball, there were some nice deliveries and he was energetic. Towards the end you could see some fatigue, he's on debut, it's a heavy pitch away from home, and I thought that Dion came on and did well.”
"I thought that the subs came on and did well, gave us some impetus and we were unlucky at the end not to win the game. As we've said before, we need to win games in very different ways as we go into the second half of the season."
Steve Cotterill:
Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill remains in hospital with coronavirus, but continues to pick the team, says stand-in boss Aaron Wilbraham.
"He's had a bit of a bad week to be honest again, he keeps having setbacks with little things. I think that when he first took the job he used up a lot of his immunity and strength - he didn't take a day off - and he's been hit really hard with the virus”
Wilbraham said that Cotterill is "down due to not be around the training ground" and misses the lads terribly".
"Me and Dave (Longwell) have been reporting back to the gaffer about who's doing well in training and that's giving him the decisions as well to choose the team, because he is still picking the team,"
"I made sure that I rang him when the final whistle went because I knew that he'd be a little bit behind, to let him know that the three points were safe.”
"It was a good win but it's back on to Tuesday and Saturday now, we have to concentrate on the next game."

Match Appointments:
Referee: WILL FINNIE
Assistant Referees: Christopher Husband and John Flynn
Fourth Official: Peter Wright

Team Line ups
Sunderland: Matthews, Sanderson, Wright, Willis, Vokins, O’Nien, Power, Scowen, McGeady, Wyke, O’Brien

Subs: Burge, Younger, Leadbitter, Neil, Gooch, Diamond, Jones.
Injured: Xhemajli, Kimpioka, Hume, Stewart, Flanagan, Winchester, McFadzean.

Shrewsbury Town: (4-3-3) Sarkic, Love, Williams, Ebanks-Landell, Ogbeta, Vela, Goss, Norburn, Chapman, Main, Whalley.
Subs: Burgoyne, Golbourne, Edwards, Pyke, Sears, Udoh, Davis.
Injured: None

Betting Odds:
Home 5/2 Away 11/10 Draw 11/5

My two pence:
Having watched the highlights again, I thought that we played some decent football and really should have won the game with the chances created, not to mention the penalty shouts. Then again we did look a bit unsettled at the back for the first twenty minutes in the first half, and they had a few chances to score during the game too.
Shrewsbury will not be an easy win, but I think we will bounce back.

I’m going for a hard fought 2-1 away win.

Live stream £10
https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video

Ha’way the Lads

 

Great thread RTB. Jones needs to start imo and I agree about Matthews given a go in goal. Can see a draw, but it’s a must win really.

 

Like the team and Format. much prefer it to the Double Desmond routine.
I'd have Wincheater in for Power, presuming that he's gotten over his tweak, and Jones in for McGeady to start.
Who knows eh. Still highly miffed about the weekends result as we started so poorly again, when we need to be getting on a good run of wins to stand any chance of an auto, let alone consolidate a play-off spot.
Bloody Sunderland, another week of bewilderment beckons

 

Great thread as usual RTB... Unfortunately cannot see further than another 2-2 draw at the moment unless he changes the keeper

 

This is what I think it will be, not what I'd wish for
Matthews
Power, Willis, Wright, Vokins
O'Nien, Scowen, Leadbitter, Gooch
Wyke, McGeady

Going for a 0 - 2 to the lads

 

I'd be surprised if both Diamond and Jones dont start. Scowan in midfield. Sanderson must be due a start soon.

 

Going for the draw here as it seems every time I go for the win we don’t get one

 

RTB

After Saturday's result, who knows.

Naturally I have put us down for a win. Certainly we made enough chances to win (a few months back we could not say that).
Poor finishing let us down. Then at times we played badly and could have conceded more goals.

We have to get into the play-offs, and to do that we have to start winning simple as!

 

Think this is a “must win” if we harbour any chances of top two.

I reckon it won’t be easy and we’ll score a couple of late goals in a 0-2 win.

Bart

 

Jones has to start.

 

prefer your additions mate

 

Probably postponed anyway. Think there'll be a lot of games off this week.

 

Not forecast for a lot of snow in Shropshire?

 

Not sure. Just see somebody mention they don't have undersoil heating.

 

another smashing thread RTB gone for the win as i think LJ has sussed now who to trust and who not to put faith in, Unlike some i think McGeady is a must as he is scoring well and got a few assist since he came back in if im not mistaken 3 goals and 4 assists Need Mathews in Goal Sanderson instead of Power and we need to see what Niels got

 

It will get called off

 

This and also look at possibly replacing Leadbitter with Sanderson, to do a bally in front of the back four

 

I though Sanderson was a right back, so he would take Powers place, the Scottish lad is an attacking midfield mate. Neil, Gooch, Diamond, Jones. are are available to play there or as wingers LJ likes moving them around, there is also 09 who does like to attack and not a bad shot on him

 

Yeah mate, but I just like reminiscing about Bally sitting in front of the back four.

 

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