Match Day Thread Sunderland v Hull City - Saturday 20th January - KO 15:00

Sunderland host Hull City in the Skybet Championship

Last time out Sunderland lost at Cardiff and Hull drew with Reading

Chris Coleman is looking for new signings while trying to off load the high earning poor performers. Jonny Williams returned to training this week after recovering from a shoulder injury. The Black Cats are seeking their first win in January 2018 as Sebastian Larsson & David Meyler both return to the Stadium of Light. Hull are also on a poor run, without a win in six games under Nigel Adkins, and are only one point above the bottom three sides.
The Tigers have failed to score in five of their past six Championship games, and they will hope to improve on that record in their next game against Sunderland, who have conceded more goals than any side in the division.

Chris Coleman:
“Jonny (Williams) will be back fairly soon, he trained today (Thursday) and did most of it, he’s ahead of schedule and we need his help.”
“A player like Jonny can change the dynamics, he gets a lot of free kicks by committing players”
“What do we need to do? we need to add a bit of experience, numbers to the squad, we’ve got two weeks to do it, we want to do it today if we can, we are trying.”
“ The players that we’ve got now are maybe having more exposure than we’d like, because they are young and inexperienced. Never the less, it is what it is and they will get better for it – they will get better.”
“Catts is not as fit as we need and he needs to be, we are chasing with him because he’s had an injury, but he’s brought himself back in, made himself available, put himself up for the games cos he knows what’s at stake.”
“We need a couple of fresh faces in that area (up front) to help out Josh and Joel”

Nigel Adkins:
"We've got bodies coming back which is a big help. Moses (Odubajo) and (Stephen) Kingsley are also making good progress. Maybe sometime in February, Odubajo could be getting some minutes for the Under-23s."
"It's a big game for both clubs. Both clubs have recent Premier League history, but currently find themselves at the wrong end of the table. Our performances have been good of late, the games we haven’t won have been close, and on another day we could have won them all."
"The way it’s going gives me hope and every game now is going to be very big. We go away to Sunderland, we need the victory, they need the victory - our players have got to go out and perform."
"Our mindset is that we have to win every game, and of course, we're going to Sunderland wanting to pick up all three points. I’ve highlighted to the group that they can’t allow one session or game to go by. Every game has its pressures, the players have to perform."

Match facts:

• Sunderland are unbeaten in four league matches against Hull (W2 D2).
• Hull have won two of their last three away league visits to Sunderland (L1), one more than they managed in the 12 trips prior to that (1).
• Chris Coleman and Nigel Adkins have not faced each other since February 2010, when Coleman's Coventry won 2-1 against Adkins' Scunthorpe in a Championship fixture.
• Sunderland have scored just once in their five games since Christmas in all competitions (W1 L3), failing to score in each of the last three - they last went on a longer run in April 2017 (seven successive games).
• Hull City themselves have scored in just one of their last six Championship games (D3 L3), a 2-2 draw with Fulham in December.
• The Tigers have seen 83 goals in their Championship games this season (F39 A44) - more than any other side.

Form:


Sports Analytics Machine: Home win 37%
Prutton predicts: 1-2

Match Appointments:
Referee: KEITH STROUD
Assistants: James Mainwaring and David Avent
Fourth Official: Jeremy Simpson

Team Line ups
Sunderland:

Substitutes: Steele, Robson, Love, McGeady, Beadling, McManaman
Injured: Watmore, McNair, Gibson
Suspended: NDong (1st of 3 matches)
Retired: Rodwell, Kone

Hull City: McGregor, Tomori, Dawson, Hector, Aina, Meyler, Larsson, Toral, Irvine, Bowen, Dicko
Subs from: Marshall, Diomande, Evandro, Henriksen, Clark, Campbell, Stewart
Injured: tbc

Betting Odds:
H 19/10 A 6/4 D 11/5

My two pence:
We need to turn this around, but with a few ex-players returning I just have a horrible feeling that it’s all going to go pear shaped again.

My guess is another draw 1-1 (Maja, Larsson)

Ha’way the Lads

 

We've got to win one game this year so why not on Saturday?
I've gone 2-0 in the predictor league and have everything crossed.
Good thread RTB.

 

Have a feeling we'll win this one, not because I have much confidence in us but because Hull are struggling even worse than we are. Changed their manager and six games in still no wins? Not good.

Seems to be the way it goes, we'll get a spanking one week then get a narrow win the next. Think this'll be the narrow win.

 

I liked the ‘retired’ section.

 

Can't make it to the match tomorrow for domestic reasons but if things go the usual Sunderland way, Hull will win 1-0, with a free kick won by Myler and scored by Larsson (which he hadn't managed for us for about 3 years, although he's supposed to be a free kick specialist)

 

Must win game....so I'm going for a draw

 

I hope the result is as good as this thread.
Catts seemed really focused on the squad in a radio darkside interview so hope the team responds as Coleman rates him and JOS as positive dressing room characters.
If we can be clinical and composed from the off - narrow win or a draw if not and we resort to normal - huff and puff

 

0:2, we’re just too ****

 

my confidence of a win is shot to **** now, i'm just hoping we don't get relegated, common Short stop being a tight arse, or you will never sell the club at the price you want.

 

------------------------Ruiter------------------------
--------Browning-Oshea-ClarkeSalter------
Matthews------Cattermole----------Oviedo
---------------Honeyman--Gooch---------------
--------------------Asoro--Maja---------------------

I'd expect Coleman to play Catts rather than Wilson after he swapped them at half time down Cardiff.

I'd play Honeyman and Gooch in the middle with Catts to ensure that he has some running and energy around him.

Lastly I'd throw Asoro up top to try and stretch them with his pace and give some support to Maja, who has been totally isolated in the last few games.

 

Personally I'd do anything other than play Catts, he offers zero. We looked a lot better with Wilson in midfield and the score line reflected that exactly.

 

Don't forget that Catts was responsible for Nobby being sent off . . . . and all 4 goals

 

He was ****e. No need to live in denial about it.

 

A draw at best.

 

I hope I'm wrong but there are no goals in that team. Best I can hope for is a scrappy 1-0 win.

 

i put down for a draw expecting a defeat, Short's a twat is the only certainty, the rest of the conjecture is fingers crossed.

 

It's a must-win against a struggling team and we rarely do well in these fixtures.
A draw is the best I think we can hope for - a 0-0 awful game is my prediction.

Bart

PS - off to Gran Canaria in the morning for 2 weeks in the sun, away from all this doom & gloom.

 

Enjoy your time in the sun

 

Chris Coleman has shaken things up for today’s game against Hull City.

The Welshman hands first Stadium of Light league starts to Jake Clarke-Salter, who made his debut at Cardiff City last weekend, Ethan Robson and Joel Asoro.

Lee Cattermole lines up alongside George Honeyman and Robson after making his comeback in South Wales, as Mark Wilson and Didier Ndong miss out.

Aiden McGeady, Lynden Gooch and Callum McManaman start on the bench.

Sunderland: Ruiter, Browning, O’Shea, Clarke-Salter, Jones, Oviedo, Cattermole, Robson, Honeyman, Asoro, Maja.
Substiutes: Steele, Matthews, Love, Galloway, McGeady, Gooch, McManaman.

 

Asoro to score and no late equalizer for Kone (OG) this time vs. Hull.