Sunderland welcome QPR to the Stadium of Light in the Championship. Last time out Sunderland lost at Oxford and QPR lost to Burnley. Sunderland lost their fourth game in a row against mid-table Oxford United. The Black Cats started with most of their first teamers, but lost 2-0, conceding both goals from set pieces. Ballard, Cirkin and Mayenda could be back on Saturday, with Mundle, Huggins and Alese expected to return in time for the play-offs. Premier League-bound Burnley hammered Queens Park Rangers to move top of the Championship table and ensure that the title race will go down to the final day of the season. Goals from Josh Cullen and two from Zian Flemming put the Clarets in control at the end of the first-half, which they dominated. Jeremy Sarmiento scored twice off the bench to wrap up the win for Burnley, a result that leaves QPR in 15th place. QPR manager Marti Cifuentes has since been put on Gardening leave, with Kevin Betsy and Zavi Calm taking temporary charge of their final game at Sunderland. Ex Black cats Jimmy Dunne and Jack piss biscuit Colback are expected to start, and Jake Clarke-Salter is injured. Kolli is a doubt after limping off against Burnley. Regis le Bris: "The result, game and performance is disappointing. "We didn't match their energy and they (Oxford) play a style of football that is difficult to manage. "They deserved their win, we are not happy about the dynamic of the team and the way we are playing right now. "We have to find solutions on the pitch and we didn't manage to do it, I expected more." Press conference: Marti Cifuentes: "I said before that as long as I'm wanted, I'm very happy. "The way that the fans have been supporting me, it makes me feel that I want to give them something back even more than the last two seasons. "In any case I am very calm about the job that I have done and the fact that we have achieved what were difficult targets. "I'm an ambitious person in the sense that I always push myself. I always want to improve. I have a contract and I want to keep improving. I enjoy my job here, enjoy English football, and am ready for more. "I've said that the support from the fans that I've got this season, in very difficult moments, is something that I have never seen before and will stay with me forever. "That's why I'm very sad today. Today hurts. It doesn't define what this team has done this season and it's very sad to finish that way." Form: Match Appointments Referee: ANTHONY BACKHOUSE Assistant referees: Richard Woodward & Matthew McGrath Fourth official: Scott Tallis Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Cirkin, O’Nien, Mepham, Hume, Neil, Jobe, Le Fee, Watson, Isidor, Mayenda Subs: Moore, Browne, Hjelde, Ballard, Aleksic, Rigg, Jones, Roberts, Neill. Injured: Danns, Abdullahi, Poveda, Huggins, Alese, Mundle. QPR: (4-4-2) Nardy, Dunne, Marrison, Edwards, Paal, Varane, Colback, Ashby, Madsen, Dembélé, Kolli. Subs: Walsh, Fox, Chair, Frey, Bennie, Morgan, Andersen, Sutton, Min-Hyeok. Injured: Lloyd, Celar, Cook, Vale, Clarke-Salter Betting Odds: Sunderland 3/5 QPR 9/2 Draw 14/5 Prutton predicts: 2-0 My two pence: A poor performance given that we had a stronger team from the start, but Oxford were first to every loose ball and we were still in injury avoidance mode. Hopefully we put in a good performance against QPR before we start the play-offs. QPR look to be on the beach already going by their performance against Burnley, but they have beaten Oxford and drawn with Bristol City recently so nothing can be taken for granted. I’m going for a 2-0 home win. Live Stream: Live on Sky Sports+ https://www.safc.com/live Ha’way the Lads
I saw yesterday (not sure if it's been mentioned elsewhere on here) that Cifuentes had been put on gardening leave as he's about to get the West Brom job. Will be two coaches taking his place for our game. Edit: Just seen it's on another thread. Hopefully good news for us.
hopefully we get 3 points and a good performance to give everyone some confidence going into playoffs games
Really hoping for a morale boosting performance. Not so bothered about the scoreline it's more about the attitude of the team
Gotta be putting them to the sword. Manager has binned them off for WBA and they have nothing to play for, really need a massive performance to get everyone's backs up and ready for a playoff scrap.
We have to start on the front foot and play with pace and stop with the sideways and backwards passing at a snails pace.
Full strength and much back to an attacking way of playing. Get a good performance on show here and the doom of the last month goes away and we go into the play offs with some positivity. Couldn't ask for a better team to play too.
Cheers as ever RTB nearly another season done for your great threads fingers crossed for 3 more, I’m home for this one so looking forward to Saturday can’t wait like the look of your team hopefully we put in a good performance and get a feel good factor going into the playoffs 3-0 the lads COME ON
Just need to go for the jugular, go all out, end the season proper on a high before the fun of the POS start 5-0 win
3-0 to the lads, really think we’ll turn it on on Saturday. They’re in a mess, no manager, players on holiday, let’s put them to the sword and get everyone buzzing ahead of the play offs Jobe mayenda rigg to score
Expect us to win, finally Not sure if I’m there yet. If my pal wins his pool game on Friday night I’ll be away Saturday to watch him. See how that goes
Our lads have to lose their collective blues and get back to an exciting, attacking mentality and put QPR to the sword. That should give us confidence as we move into the play-offs.....nothing else will do.
Feel like it’s going to be a good atmosphere, big crowd good weather, big send off into the play offs think people will be bang up for this
HA'WAY THE LADS MACKEMS ATTACKEM Been a bit meh for me since we secured the play offs. That said I didn't expect us to lose so many in the run in. Ah, they're just taking it easy and waiting to explode in the play off games. Coooooooomon.
