Match Day Thread Sunderland v Bristol Rovers - Saturday 15th December - KO 15:00

Sunderland host Bristol Rovers in League One

Last time out Sunderland lost to Walsall in the FA Cup and Rovers lost at home to Doncaster.
Jack Ross hopes to have Lynden Gooch & Aiden McGeady back in contention at the weekend. Gooch has netted six times this season and laid on a further eight assists, while McGeady has scored six and assisted four.
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo after the game, Black Cats boss Ross said: "Both were muscle injuries from the weekend," he said. "I wanted to win the game, I won't say I didn't and that going out of the cup is irrelevant to me.”
Bristol Rovers announced that they have sacked their manager today after 4 and a half years in charge of the Gas. Coach Graham Coughlan will take interim charge for Saturday's game at Sunderland, but assistant manager Marcus Stewart has left by mutual consent.
The struggling Rovers have lost their last six league games and have scored the second fewest goals in League One this season with just 17. (only AFC Wimbledon have scored less with 15)
Jack Ross:
"Chris Maguire has trained today and should be okay. Lee Cattermole has trained a couple of days this week, so all being well he will be back in the squad for the Walsall game, as he’s obviously been out for about a month now. I’m really pleased with how he’s looked in training, and he feels good as well.”
“Tuesday was Duncan’s first game back, so we’re getting there, but we still have Ethan Robson, Donald Love and Denver Hume out. We’re probably getting close to being the healthiest we have all season.”
“I think we’ve already seen that irrespective of the opposition's league position, when they’ve came to the Stadium of Light they’ve always reacted to playing in that environment and how they view that game.”
“I would imagine that the challenge we’ll face on Saturday will be equally as tough as it’s been in every home game, but for us, on the back of one of our most disappointing performances of the season, it’s nice to be at home again.”
“With the crowd that will be in attendance and with that different atmosphere.
We’ve not really had to bounce back very often this season because of how the season has gone, but when we’ve had to, we’ve done it well.”
“So, I would expect the same again from the players, that faith and trust in them hasn’t diminished in any respect from the other night.”
Darrell Clarke:
"After much soul searching and lengthy deliberations it has been mutually agreed that it is probably in the best interests of the club and of Darrell Clarke to seek a fresh way forward."
"Darrell leaves the club with immediate effect and on amicable terms."
"This season commenced with optimism and high expectations of a challenge for the play-off places, but results and performances have been disappointing." the club added.


Match Appointments:
Referee: THOMAS BRAMALL
Assistants: Barry Cropp and Alan Clayton
Fourth Official: Robert Atkin

Team Line ups
Sunderland: McLaughlin, Matthews, Flanagan, Baldwin, James, Cattermole, Honeyman (c), Power, Gooch, McGeady, Maja

Subs: Ruiter, Oviedo, Maguire, Ozturk, O’Nien, Watmore, Sinclair
Injured: Love, Hume, Robson, Wyke

Bristol Rovers: Bonham, Partington, Clarke, Lockyer, Craig, Martin, Clarke, Lines, Sercombe, Nichols, Payne
Substitutes: Upson, Jakubiak, Reilly, Smith, Bennett, Menayese, Rodman
Injured: tbc

Betting Odds:
H 8/13 A 17/4 D 11/4

My two pence:
It’s back to the bread and butter of the league and time to kick off another winning run. With some of the first teamers rested in midweek we should be getting close to having a fully fit squad available. The forecast is for snowfall on Saturday afternoon so I just hope this one doesn’t get abandoned too.
My guess is a 2-0 home win.

Ha’way the Lads

 

Excellent thread mate, seriously.

Our first vital 'must win' game imo.

The team and the crowd need to be right up for this.

I don't give a monkey's about the Bristol players dedicating the game to the old boss, interim boss or next boss ...

... we need to take control of the game and beat them 4 or 5 nil.

Haway Lads, GITAFTU!!!

 

Agree it’s a must win, and we will tho I suspect it could be a nail biter!!

3-2 to the lads!!

Bart

 

If both Gooch and McGeady are both back then I expect a home win.
Hope not too much expectation is put onto Watmore if he plays a part, he's been out ages and you can't expect him to become a match winner straight away.
What he does give us is a better option off the bench than Sinclair as I'm afraid he hasn't produced when he's been called on.
it's my first game at the SOL in quite a while so looking forward to it.

 

Playing home to opponents who have lost 6 in a row and cannot score - used to have a predictable outcome . But this is new SAFC , so expect to put them to the sword . No mercy

 

This new SAFC has been a bit ropey recently mate. I think it'll be closer than we'd all like. Hope not, but....

 

That's called a reality check.
We've done better than most thought this season but there IS room for improvement.
Let's hope tomorrow is the start of a long winning run.

 

Yes I tend to fancy us to win this season all things being equal but six losses in a row and sacking their manager suggests that we're likely to win.

Side note it was our former striker Marcus Stewart who left Bristol recently as assistant manager. He was pretty good for us, very reliable finisher.

 

Mid week was a hiccup or bump in the road that most teams will always have no matter how good......3 - 0....to the lads.....no prisoners taken and a statement we are not to be f*cked with....performance.

 

Great thread as usual RTB, keep up the good work. Back to winning ways for me today 2 - 0. Need to be a slightly higher tempo than we have been the last few, got to at least match the oppo for effort and make our passing game be the difference - we’ve got plenty who can put the ball away if we can make the chances. Maguire needs to get back to his best, last few he’s been way below the standard he’s set himself imho. Baldwin’s distribution needs to improve as well - been a lot of stray passes from him over the last few games that luckily have gone unpunished but it does put us under unnecessary pressure giving the ball away cheaply with some of the balls into midfield when playing it out.

 

Ha'way lads.. let's have a bloody good performance with a convincing win..

 

Wrap up warm... that doesn't look good.

 

No Flanagan, Loovens in, Catts is back.
Maguire & Watmore on the bench.

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A last minute switch around for SAFC as Reece James is ruled out of today's game, Bryan Oviedo will start instead and Dylan McGeouch is named on the bench.

 

Decent line up, with an option or two on the bench should see us through, its a game we need to win.

 

Ha'Way Ha'Way Ha'Way

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Poor organisation nearly cost us from a free kick. 0=1

 

Alex Rodman 0-1

 

Loovens off to a poor start.

 

0-1 ffs......