Sunderland welcome Watford to the Stadium of Light in the Championship. Last time out Sunderland beat West Brom and Watford lost at Hull. Dennis Cirkin scored his first brace for Sunderland as the Black Cats moved into the play off positions with a 2-1 win at West Brom. With no new injury concerns and Dan Ballard still out, Mowbray is set to stick with the same back line that played in last weekend's win at West Brom, with Trai Hume, Luke O'Nien, and Dennis Cirkin making up the back three with Lynden Gooch dropping in to make a back four when Sunderland are defending. Watford are in 13th place with 59 points, but are currently bottom of the form table with one win and a draw from their last six games. The Hornets are bottom of the form table and have little or no chance of making the play-offs now, having lost at home to Cardiff and away at Hull. Tony Mowbray: "Luke wasn't with us at dinner last night, he was up first thing I think to get down and have breakfast with the team so he could have the first night with the new baby in the house." "He's such an impressive human being and someone I never have any worries about - whatever he chooses to do in his life he will be a success at because he's a driven guy." "We've had some great away days this season - and this was another one. "We were brave on the ball. It's nice to see so many of our young lads trying to play football the right way. "We controlled the game for long periods. And you can see they're enjoying it. "This is a good football team with real talent. If you preach the right messages to them, then they get it." Chris Wilder: "It was a typical Championship game. In the first half there was not a lot in it, but they punished our mistakes. I thought our players gave it a right go and deserved something from the game. "It is disappointing. I have watched a lot of games in the Championship and that's a typical one, judged and decided by fine moments and unfortunately we have not taken the big chances that we had. "We have just got to go into these last two games and see what we can get out of them." Match Appointments: Referee: GAVIN WARD Assistant Referees: Mark Dwyer and Adam Crysell Fourth Official: Thomas Parsons Team Lineups: Sunderland AFC: (4-2-3-1) Patterson, Cirkin, O’Nien, Hume, Gooch, Neil, Ekwah, Ba, Clarke, Amad, Gelhardt. Subs: Bass, Anderson,Taylor, Pritchard, Michut, Lihadji, Roberts Injured: Embleton, Stewart, Evans, Ballard, Alese, Batth, Bennette, Huggins, Rigg Watford (4-1-4-1) Bachmann, Andrews, Porteous, Kabasele, Kamara, Bacuna, Sarr, Louza, Koné, Sema, João Pedro Subs:Ngakia, Davis, Cathcart, Asprilla, Hamer, Morris, Hoedt Injured: Assombalonga, Cleverly, Sierralta, Dele-Bashiru, Kayembe, Hause, Gosling. Betting Odds: Sunderland 10/11 Watford 3/1 Draw 5/2 Prutton Predicts: tbc My two pence: An excellent team performance at the Hawthorns and a great result considering that West Brom were unbeaten at home, we had a weakened defence and fielded the youngest side in the Championship this season (average 22yrs & 178 days) With Sarr and João Pedro, Watford have some very dangerous players up front but hey, they're no Blissett and Barnes. I’m going to this one and I’m hoping to see a comfortable 3-0 home win Live Stream: https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/live-video (overseas fans only) Ha’way the Lads
Thanks RTB, brilliant as always! Going to this one with the bairns, if my wife doesn't kill me for shouting at games between nonsense clubs on the telly every evening this week first. Can't wait, haway the lads!!!
Recent meetings between us have been invariably tight and with all that's riding on this it could be another tight affair. However current form might suggest we can win this comfortably, and that would be nice for the fans to see the home season out. Which one will happen is anybody's guess, getting the 3 points is all that matters and I trust these young lads to get them HTL.
Great thread RTB, i hope to see 4 more threads from you after this. No matter the result we all should be proud of the lads and what theyve achieved this season. I have no doubt in my mind at all wed definitely be playing Premiership football next season if we hadnt been absolutely obliterated with injuries. The fact we are 2 games from the season ending and in for a shout of promotion in our first season back and 8 players missing is a huge achievement. Its barely a year or 2 ago we were battererd off Bolton and shouting for Josh Hawkes and Younger to be given a chance in the first team and Flanagan was one of the first names on the team sheet
thanks very much for all your work on the match threads RTB hopefully there's gonna be more than 1 left for you to do. After listening to What The Falk podcast, I think if we get after Watford and get an early goal they'll crumble. Just me and the grandson this time in the Premier Concourse and I reckon he's finally going to see his first win. The Watford guys think they're at their weakest at left back so here's hoping Amad and Roberts run amok in that area. After his good game at West Brom, I reckon Gelhardt will score again and Amad for a 2-0 win
Brilliant RTB. Cannot wait. These lads have done us proud. Whatever happens now they have put a smile back on our faces. I would be tempted to maybe swap Pritchard in for Ba. Or Amad and play Roberts. Whatever team though I wont worry when I see it. Promise not to be a drunken clown on the thread late at night again. Then again, I cant really promise that at all!
If we play a promotion rival people will say they're in form and it will be a tough game. If we play a team in relegation trouble people will say they're fighting for their lives and it'll be a tough game. If we're up against a team with nothing at stake people will say the pressure's off them and it'll be a tough game I think we're in for a tough game ... ... but we almost always find a way to score and goals win games. This is what the Watford fans think ... https://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/afc-sunderland-v-watford-fc-29-05-2023.60198/
Great effort once again RTB really looking forward to this one,hoping for a good performance from the young guns in front of a full house, I’m going for pleasant 2-0 win for the boys COME ON
RTB Well its a home fixture... can we play at home like we play away??? I bloody hope so. TM could start with the same team, almost a full weeks training, so could pick who is showing good form. I for one did not forecast our LB scoring 2 goals... good on him. So yes Clarke and Amad are due a goal or two! Can our cobbled together defence defy gravity one more (probably) So a 1 nil or 2 nil win for us.
2-0 home win to set us up nicely for the last match at PNE, assuming Sheffield United do their job this evening! Great thread as always RTB
