Match Day Thread Sunderland AFC v Blackburn Rovers FC – Monday 21st April 2025 - KO 15:00

Sunderland welcome Blackburn Rovers to the Stadium of Light in the Championship.
Last time out Sunderland lost at Bristol and Blackburn beat Millwall.
Sunderland lost their second game in a row with Bristol City coming back from a goal down to win 2-1. The Black Cats started with Enzo le Fee in centre midfield but the formation changed after Hume’s 7th minute red card. Hume will be suspended for this game.
Jobe came on from the bench but could return for this game. Dan Neil may be rested. Roberts is a doubt after taking a knock.
Ballard, Cirkin and Seelt could be available for Oxford. Mundle, Huggins and Alese could return in time for the play-offs.
Blackburn demolished play-off chasing Millwall with a 4-1 home win as Sondre Tronstad scored his first league goals for the club to seal their first home win for more than two months.
Mihailo Ivanovic's equaliser was sandwiched between Dominic Hyam's header and Tronstad's deflected effort in a hectic four minutes at the end of the first half to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at the break.
Callum Brittain fired in at the near post to give Rovers a dominant lead, before Tronstad smashed in his second of the game past Millwall's debut goalkeeper George Evans.
Danny Batth and Dion Sanderson are both expected to feature for Rovers.
Regis le Bris:
"It was a harsh decision from the referee. We have to accept it,
"It changed the dynamics of the game; we started well with confidence
"After the red card, we managed the situation properly and defended well. It was tough to maintain the level. We know you can score from long shots and mistakes in the box. That was the case twice.
"We tried to win the game but we want the players in the best shape. We are building the squad and team with this opportunity because we have secured the play-offs and that was the main objectives."
Le Bris was pleased with Mayenda's contribution and says the team can take heart from the display.
"In the last few weeks, Eliezer has shown he is really connected to the game and his good qualities.
"We can't forget this; the outcome of the game is disappointing but at the same time we can be confident."
Presser tbc ?

Valerien Ismael:
"It was a great afternoon, especially the way we wanted to play. We kept going after the second half against Sheffield Wednesday, the fighting spirit [we showed] against Luton, last week and I think we combined them both today - from minute one we were on the front foot.
"We see clearly the way the players want to reinforce the message, the game plan, the way we want to play.
"When you get the result the players start to believe and put some confidence in the things and it looks like today was the best performance I think from the players since I'm in."
"Callum Brittain in the first game back in and you see straightaway he lifted the quality in the team.
"This team needs the best players on the pitch to perform and now we see the statistics as well - much more shots on target, much more penetration and more goals."

Form:


Match Appointments
Referee: JAMES BELL
Assistant referees: Matthew Smith & Emily Carney
Fourth official: Jeremy Simpson

Team Lineups:
Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Hjelde, O’Nien, Mepham, Browne, Samed, Jobe, Rigg, Roberts, Mayenda, Isidor.

Subs: Moore, Bainbridge, Anderson, Middlemas, Aleksic, Le Fee, Jones, Geragusian.
Injured: Danns, Abdullahi, Poveda, Ballard, Huggins, Alese, Cirkin, Mundle.
Suspended: Hume

Blackburn Rovers: (4-2-3-1) Toth, Brittain, Hyam, Batth, Yuri Ribeiro, Tronstad, Travis, Dolan, Cantwell, Hedges, Ohashi.
Subs: Buckley, Cozier-Duberry, Forshaw, Gueye, Pears, Pickering, Rankin-Costello, Sanderson, Woodrow.
Injured: Carter, Weimann



Betting Odds:
Sunderland 8/11 Blackburn 19/5 Draw 5/2

My two pence:
A good day out in Bristol despite the rain, the traffic and the defeat.
Hopefully we get back to winning ways and put in a good performance. I can’t see Watson getting back in the team after his half-hearted display. I’d prefer Finn Geragusian or another academy lad to play.
Blackburn have a few players returning to the side and played well against Millwall.
I’m going for a 2-1 home win.

Live Stream:
Sky Sports+
https://www.safc.com/live

Ha’way the Lads

 

Great thread as always RTB. Just a heads up I think this is also on Sky Sports +

 

aye it is hopefully we get a decent performance please keep Watson out of squad

 

Really looking forward to this and hoping Blackburn just come up to play football ...

... all this cheating, time wasting and diving is really tedious.

I'm hoping for more good news about injuries ...

... namely that Watson's backbone problem means he'll miss the rest of the season.

 

I thought in the 5 mins before the sending off we started with more purpose than I have seen in recent weeks? That said the red card (a poor decision for me ) really changed the game.
I am hoping for a bit of slick passing and quick movement from the team and some attacking intent to go with it.
The result whilst important is for me secondary at this point in time I will be more concentrated on the performance and how we move as a team and how we move the ball. It would be nice to see us go through the gears again as it feels like we have been stuck in second or third gear for a while working on our defensive shape, now we need to work out how to do that but also show our attacking prowess alongside it.
3-0 to the lads for this one and a nod to the other play off hopefuls.

 

Despite Blackburn only managing to bring 700, on a holiday weekend, there's over 40,000 tickets sold ...

... so at least 20,000 in the ground

 

Agree with that team, can’t wait for this one bit of a family day out 4 of us going and my mams first game since 97, she’s only ever seen us win 2-1 so I’ll got with that, jobe and a hjelde header

 

Great thread as ever RTB, going for another disjointed 1-1. It will be interesting to see if RLB has read the field and who plays Left Wing. At least it's another 3pm kick off so normal match day festivities can prevail...

Hhhaaa'wwwwaaaaayyyyyy the lads

 

Whoever we play, I want to see the switch go more attacking player. Similar to the first half of the season. Some of our better attacking players are getting isolated, and I think they need to be in form to achieve the ultimate aim this season.

Taking the boy so hope it's a more of an entertaining game.

 

Really looking forward to this one. Didn’t think I would be going as my son in law is working but my mate has a spare so thank you very much, don’t mind if I do!! Will probably head over early and grab a few beers - @Smug in Boots dont know if you’re going for a few before the game mate? Thought we played well against Bristol despite the red card so for me the main thing is another good performance and hopefully a good noisy crowd will drive the lads on to 3 points and a big confidence boost. It would be nice to see Cirkin and Ballard back on the bench if they’re ready but think it’s too soon for Mundle. I’m going for a 2-0 win Mayenda and Rigg to score

 

I’d go

Patterson
Browne Mepham O’Nien Hjelde
Samed Jobe
Roberts Mayenda Isidor Aleksic​

 

I wouldn’t mind that 11 although I’d have Aleksic in the most advanced role in a central midfield 3 and Isidor as the left forward.
Important to get a win and have a good performance. We need to increase intensity levels for the last 3 game as we get towards the playoffs.

 

Anyone know if it’s possible to move my seat so I can get 2 together for me & my boy?

 

I did it last season, but it required a visit to the ticket office

 

I'd like us to get these back for the 5-1 lase season but I think it will be more of the same, rotation, lower intensity and more of an emphasis on managing the game than going all out for a win. I'd take just about any result as long as we get through unscathed.

 

1-1 draw for me

I really hope we show more attacking intent than in recent weeks. It’s been garbage

 

Another game to look forward to, in terms of player selection.

I would like to see Samed for 90. I havent been at all impressed so far, but I havent given up on him either. Give him 90 to play what his natural game and see if we have an extra card to play in the play offs.

Despite Mayenda's form I would give Isidor a chancd to find a goal and hopefully a smile and some form. He still might be the golden ticket come the play offs.

Like others I would give the young lad from the 23s a go at left wing. He would get plenty of support in the circumstances. Maybe he can ride that and be something of a wildcard. I dont want a square peg there at anytime in the playoffs so some solution is needed.

 

Thanks again RTB for a top MDT, , I think we will see a similar pattern as before in this game , and then start to get the shape ready for the crunch to come. At our best we have nothing to fear other than rank bad officialdom, and even that could turn to our advantage one of these days . OaU

 

Lookin forward to tomorrow, could be an interesting team selection.

Mam coming to her first game of the season and meeting up with family for a few drinks before the game.

Hope the weather stays dry and we batter them, but most important no injuries

 

I’m looking forward to tomorrow but not sure why if the last home game was anything to go by. I stayed off here after that but I’m sure it’s all been said. What frustrated me the most was that they didn’t seem to want to play in the opposition half. O’Nien particularly did my head in and I’m a fan of his. No forward thinking incisive balls just pass it back to Patterson as much as possible. Still tomorrow is another day and I hope to see some attacking intent and some individual brilliance would be nice too. I always live in hope and sometimes I’m proved right.