Match Day Thread Sunderland v Rochdale - Tuesday 11th February - KO 19:45

Sunderland v Rochdale – Skybet League One

Last time out Sunderland beat Ipswich and Rochdale drew with Doncaster.
Sunderland’s victory against Ipswich moved them back into the play-off places and five points off an automatic promotion place (with a game in hand).
Phil Parkinson kept the same team against Ipswich Town, but could make changes, with new signings Josh Scowen, Antoine Semenyo, Declan John all keen to make a start.
The Dale currently sit in 18th place in League One and are facing a battle against relegation.
Phil Parkinson:
“I just felt that we were a bit slow in our build-up in the first half, we were taking too long, they were clearly stepping on us to stop us rolling it out at the back and we need to identify that quicker."
“We needed to go and play in their half and that's what we did, and all of a sudden they drop in and then you can throw it out quicker."
“We played at a better speed, and I said to the lads that home or away, but certainly at home, we need to get teams on the back foot."
“We didn't quite implement that in the first period, but switched onto that in the second half.”
Brian Barry-Murphy:
“I thought for large parts of the game we were on the front foot.”
“I didn’t want to take away that ambition from the players and even against MK Dons, on reflection, the only thing our lads were guilty of was probably being too gun-ho in wanting to win the game, which ended up costing us.”
“We have had very few draws this season and that is probably a result of the way we play.”
“I don’t see that as a bad thing, I see it as quite an exciting part of this team going forward.”

Prutton predicts: meh
Match Appointments:
Referee: GRAHAM SALISBURY
Assistant Referees: Kevin Mulraine and Geoffrey Liddle
Fourth Official: Garreth Rhodes

Team Line ups
Sunderland: McLaughlin, O’Nien, Flanagan, Wright, Willis, Hume, Power, Dobson, Gooch, Maguire, Wyke.

Subs: Burge, McLaughlin, Scowen, Ozturk, Watmore, Semenyo, Lafferty.
Injured: Embleton, Lynch

Rochdale tnc Sánchez, Matheson, O'Connell, McShane, Norrington-Davies, Lund, Ryan, Morley, Rathbone, Henderson, Done
Subs: McNulty, Dooley, Williams, Smith, Lynch, Keohane, Wilbraham
Injured: tbc

Betting Odds:
Home 2/5 Away 6/1 Draw 10/3

My two pence:
With the important win against Ipswich we are now back on track, and need to push on with a new unbeaten run and score a few more goals to improve that goal difference.
My guess is a 3-0 home win

Ha’way the Lads

 

who is Wright ? but good line up though, i would start Lafferty and Watmore. Oops Sorry ! we have ethat many players.

 

Bailey Wright from Bristol

 

Well I finish my night shifts this morning, so will be off all day on Tuesday for this game.. I reckon an early start on the beer is on the menu..

 

I think they’re better than their league position tells, but I think we will be too strong, especially if we continue the form shown in the 2nd half against Ipswich.

Another clean sheet would be nice, and I reckon it’ll happen in a 2-0 win to The Lads!!

Bart

 

Thank you RTB for the OP.

A win was essential on Saturday otherwise we were going to lose touch with the play-offs places. A win tomorrow should put us solidly in the top 6.

Atm every game is crucial, wins are a must, I cannot take another season in the turd division.

It was interesting to see the two big lads up front with Maguire behind them. I am not sure if Gooch is a wing back...defending not good enough..

Parky should make some starting changes.., I would leave the back 5, but give Dobson and Gooch a rest, have them on the bench. Watmore and new CM to start..Lafferty to start Wyke on bench.

This game I presume will be on SAFCSEE, although despite the weather I will have to be there.

 

I'd probably give Denver a rest too, he was pants on Saturday. Hopefully Declan John is fit and ready.

 

Maybe giving Dobson and Wyke a breather might not be a bad idea, but PP will probably stick with the same starting eleven, its his way, and its working. Even so I see nothing wrong in keeping players fresh by spreading the work load. On paper we should win tomorrow, but Oxford coming up looks a tougher ask, six points from these two games would be awesome, and certainly not beyond the squad we have, but I would settle for four right now if that's how it pans out. OaU

 

Much as I have reservations about wyke I think we need to resist the desire to tinker unless it is unavoidable ( injury, cards or 3 or more consecutive poor games )
Physically the high press game looks very demanding and maybe giving 3 of the subs 20 mins or so whenever possible may be the way to go.
PP has to find of way of making the players perform over 2 halves like they did the second half against Ipswich.

 

Aww god keep up man

 

Won’t be a walk in the park but I’m still expecting a comfortable victory. I hope we come out the blocks quicker than Saturday and control the game from the start. A couple of changes maybe but wholesale changes and hopefully if we can get a decent lead earlier subs to give players a rest and others game time. Oh and great thread as always.

 

I hope we do what we didn't do on Saturday... come charging out of the blocks. Get an early goal, and I think we'll get more. Put the game to bed early and we can afford the luxury of giving valuable game time to 3 of the subs, and not overwork our most valuable players, so they'll be relatively fresh for Oxford.

 

4-0 to Pip Parkiolas red and white wizards. Ha'way ha'way ha'way! Attack attack attack

 

like to see Semenyo given a go, big lad has a rep of running at defences,

 

2-0 to the lads

 

Those around us need to draw... I reckon

 

Parkins Presser:

Steve Parkin has admitted boss Phil Parkinson is considering his options, with January recruits Antoine Semenyo, Declan John and Josh Scowen just a few names at his disposal.
“Phil (Parkinson) will sleep on it and make a decision on Tuesday,” he said.
“We will make a decision on whether any of the players looked a big leggy towards the end of Saturday.
“Having played a similar team in recent weeks, the good thing for us is that we have looked at the bench and we have options.
“We have brought in good players and we are going to need all of them to get through to the end of the season.”
He continued: “It’s important to have those options because you are going to be very fortunate to be able to pick the same team week in week out.
“Suspensions are looming as we know and touch wood we don’t get any injuries, but it is important to have a group of players trying to get into the starting XI.
“It keeps pushing everyone because there’s that drive coming from all areas then.”

https://www.safc.com/news/team-news/2020/february/press-conference-v-rochdale

 

This

 

It should be a given that any club should be tracking fitness, suspensions, etc ...

... but the current management appear to be taking it all seriously, I've not always felt that was the case.

Last season was a shambles and we ran out of steam although injuries didn't help. We were too reliant, mentally or otherwise, on McGeady who seemed to limp through the second half of the season.

We can't expect to escape injuries and suspensions so it has to be a squad game, not just a first eleven. We've brought in new players for a reason and we shouldn't be hesitant to use them. High energy players, like O'Nien, Hume, etc have to be managed properly and any possible replacements brought up to full match fitness.

All of this is, of course, obvious but I've not always felt we really had a plan, I believe we have under the current regime.

 

Definately under better management at the minute.