Match Day Thread Sunderland v Blackpool - Tuesday 12th February - KO 19:45

Sunderland host Blackpool in League One

Last time out Sunderland drew with Oxford and Blackpool beat Walsall.
Sunderland face Blackpool in the first of three consecutive home games spread over seven days, and with Luton and Barnsley in a good run of form the Black Cats need maximum points to stay in contention for an automatic promotion place.

Jack Ross:
“I get slightly irritated with this fascination with my goalkeeper making saves. Any time we don’t win, it’s deemed as not good enough,”
“The reality is that away games are tough, Oxford didn’t make it easy today, but the only way that the point becomes of any benefit is if you win those home games."
“They’re not season-defining, but they are vitally important. It’s my job to make sure I pick the players up again. We’ve got a huge seven days from Tuesday, three games at home, it’s massive for us."
“There’s no point disguising that. If we win, we’re in an OK position. If not, we deserve a bit of criticism.”

Terry McPhillips:
“After the Accrington game was postponed last week, I went to Fleetwood to watch Charlton ahead of what is a big week for us; Walsall at home then Sunderland and Charlton away."
“This first game is a big chance for us to start the week well and then hopefully we can back it up on Tuesday-Saturday. The last time we played at home we drew 2-2 against Wycombe."
“We saw some lads go and we wish them all the best, but the new lads that have come in are youthful and exciting and I’m really hoping that they add some goals to us.”


Match Appointments:
Referee: CARL BOYESON
Assistant Referees: David Avent and Geoffrey Liddle
Fourth Official: Peter Wright

Team Line ups
Sunderland: McLaughlan, Matthews, Flanagan, Baldwin, Oviedo, Leadbitter, O’Nien, Morgan, Grigg, Sterling, McGeady

Subs: Ruiter, Honeyman, Dunne, Watmore, Wyke, Power, Maguire
Injured: Love, Loovens, Cattermole

Blackpool: (4-3-3) Howard, Daniels, Heneghan, Tilt, Bola, Pritchart, Thompson, Turton, Delfouneso, Gnanduillet, Long
Subs: Mafoumbi, Shaw, Sorenson, Kirbu, Virtue-Thick, Dodoo, Evans

Betting Odds:
H 8/13 A 7/2 D 3/1

My two pence:
With some fans already questioning Jack Ross’s ability to get us out of this league at the first attempt we need to start winning games and build up momentum towards the run in.
Jack needs to setup the team to attack and create more chances, our shooting stats have been way below par lately.
Blackpool were no pushovers at their place and they will put up a decent fight as recent results have shown.

My guess is a 2-1 win.

Ha’way the Lads

 

Fancy us to break our one goal a game hoodoo with a 3-1 win

 

Don't understand some of the negativity I see on the board. After the last few years it's nice going into games thinking we can get a result. Just because we have three home games on the bounce doesn't mean it's easy to get nine points but hopefully we will do well. The next few games should set us up for momentum to make our mark to get into the top two. If that doesn't happen we just push on getting whatever we can out of the games. The term over here for people watching games is an "armchair quarterback" referring to watching American Football in which hindsight is a wonderful thing. Let's give JR our total support till the end of the season in the decisions he makes. JR and the board have got us off the floor and back in the right direction again. Some of the recent statements from ex players about the club have been mind blowing to be honest. We have good lads in place now....let's give them the opportunity to do their difficult jobs without some of the negative criticism. Not into if your auntie had balls she would be your uncle type of thing......needless. Me for this game....4 - 1 win to us.........haway the lads!!!!!

 

We need to start scoring more than one goal a game so why not start on Tuesday.
At the start of the season we were shipping goals in the first 15 minutes now we're losing them in the last ten minutes.
Jack solved our earlier problem and I've every faith in him solving this one.
Blackpool won't lie down for us, in fact no one has to be honest but think this could be the time for 2 or 3 goals with a clean sheet thrown in.

 

I think we only need a tweak to turn draws into wins because we are scoring and not really conceding. If Ross can work out a way to get one more attacking player on the pitch or have a more aggressive strategy it might tip the balance and yield another goal or two.

One basic thing I don't think we do as well as pretty much anyone else we've played against is workrate and pressing. Everyone seems to play against us like it's their cup final, well it's about time we stopped being surprised by it and matched them from the start.

 

3 home games in 8 days sounds good, but there is one concern. If things don't go well in the first, and the boo boys start up, there's not sufficient a break to get it out of their system, and they'll carry the atmosphere to the first ball kicked of the next games. The crowd needs to recognise the opportunity of this situation as much as the team

 

92-96 points needed to go up now ! we have 51 to play for so 35-39 points needed ! 12 wins 3 draws 2 defeats it is possible. 8 at home 4 away maybe. Luton on their best run 19 undefeated in their history, and Barnsley rolling teams at the minute, just our luck.

 

The team has been announced for tomorrow night's game.

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Time to dig one out for the boo boys

Home win. Don't care what the score is so long as we score more than them

 

A must win game I feel!!!! And we will but only 1-0, and a nervy perforamance again.

Bart

 

I've just seen @The Relic pop up on another site. I wonder if he still pops in here from time to time.

 

We will win.

 

AYE Nads still pops on now and again......

 

I agree with Nads.

 

Surely Dunne needs to be in that team doesn't he ? Great looking team though.

 

I remember that game - they showed that goal for years afterwards just to rub it in.

Also the one when they were in the Premier (2010) - where we had about 35 shots and they had about 2

 

Lord Rowell is advocating for us 2 go up top in the Sunderland Echo tonight with JR's 2 marquee signings Wyce and Grigg feeding off each other, surely in light of recent results he'll go with these two tomorrow. I can only agree with Rowell, he talks sense.