Great thread as always. It’s an interesting one from the managers perspective to try and get a look at as much of the squad as he can but winning breeds confidence and we need to start building confidence up. A fairly strong team with a number of under 23s included and hopefully a win.
Scoring goals is usually the hardest result to achieve in playing a football match. Currently we have 4 numpties as strikers, one might score occasionally, one has a youtube of himself circulating the football social media, missing what was the most open of goals. One is chubby so wobbles when he runs, the other has no talent whatsoever. One young lad looked promising but is injured, not sure for how long. We had a quick pacy winger who suffered a lot of injuries, we let him go, and he is now banging in goals for some local rivals a few miles south of the SoL. Hume and Gooch might pop up with the odd goal, both are injured...Maguire can score also but atm is off form.. McGeady???? Our defenders coming up for corners do not seem inclined to score. God I have just made myself depressed with that summary!
I'm looking forward to this one.. Surely a chance for some of the fringe players to show that they are worth a place in the first team.
We do have another up and coming youngster who has pace, power and a deadly eye for goal. 4 goals in 4 games. Hopefully he will get his big chance tonight.
Ok. I'm fairly happy with that. You need to give Diamond, Patterson game experience but with the first team and not playing with loads of reserves at the same time. Now looking at players for the second time so may already be some of their final chances to impress.
Only gripe is that its Power Leadbitter and Dobson as a 3 again. We need someone in the number 10 role so there isnt a huge gap between the midfield. Can just see Grigg isolated up on his own being marked out of the game by their 2 centre halves
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spo...ws/sunderlands-efl-trophy-tie-oldham-19416413 Explains the team selection
Dobson's on the bench, it's Scowen starting. It's the job of him and Power to get up in that no 10 position to support the striker. Scowen manaaged it on Saturday at times but Power looked off the game. I'm still in happiness phase after binning off 3 at the back and going 4-3-3, expect to see the results of training this way come through in the next few games.
From across the road @JHunterChron: Looking like KO will be delayed here at Boundary Park. Accident on the M62 has delayed the #safc team bus (I got caught in the same traffic)
Johnson made it clear on Saturday that we had to get more bodies on the box. If they dont do it again tonight then I assume Johnson will be after people who can.
Interesting side note, Barry Dunn’s son Davis playing for Oldham number 10. He’s from Houghton and a SAFC fan, sure he’ll put in a good show tonight.
We'll get some additions in Jan like. Just think it's such a different set up and approach than under Parky it will take a few games to get into the groove of it. Anyone not on board by then will be gone I think. Worst case I can see is having to drop some from the playing squad so the wages don't count towards the cap, giving us a bit wiggle room for some new players.