Match Day Thread Sunderland v Coventry City - Saturday 23rd November - KO 15:00

Sunderland v Coventry City – Skybet League One

Last time out Sunderland lost at Gillingham in the FA Cup and Coventry beat Rochdale.
Sunderland host Coventry at the Stadium of Light in League One. The corresponding fixture last season ended 5-4 to the Sky Blues and was a pivotal game in the Black Cats final run in.
Phil Parkinson and his team are no longer involved in any of the cup competitions and will be looking to turn the corner on a run of poor performances.
Coventry are looking to press their case for a promotion place, and currently sit in third place behind Ipswich and Wycombe.
Cash turnstiles will not be in operation at the Stadium of Light this weekend for home or away fans. The Sky Blues have been handed just 1,496 tickets for the clash, having been allocated 2,832 tickets for the same fixture last season, but the match was marred by their fans causing off-field trouble.
Phil Parkinson:
“It’s a huge four days for us from Saturday to Tuesday, and it’s an opportunity for us to get ourselves in the top six. There are a lot of lads who were not on this trip who will be training and getting ready for that game."
“We were really depleted tonight, missing ten players, and when we get back to the training ground the international players will be back, (Joel) Lynch will be back training, Jordan Willis will be back training, George Dobson will be back training, and Marc McNulty has a chance of being involved, so all of a sudden the squad looks better going into this important period for us.”
“It’s deeply disappointing to go out of the FA Cup, but I thought that we competed well tonight against a very physical team and we stood strong."
“Did we show enough quality? No we didn’t. There were times in the final third where our final pass wasn’t right."
Mark Robins:
“I thought we were better in the second half and we grew. Josh Eccles grew in the game, Declan Drysdale was outstanding and I thought he was the pick of the players today apart from Walsh’s goal.”
“There were some good performances, Brandon Mason coming in for Sam McCallum.”
“It's tough at the minute because you are still trying to find a way of doing things and being true to ourselves and creating opportunities, and we have been able to do that even with the injuries.”
“We keep trying to find a way and keep plugging away, and we have been really good today.”
“I am delighted. I can’t tell you how delighted I am with the three points and performance.”

Prutton predicts: Meh

Match Appointments:
Referee: SCOTT OLDHAM
Assistant Referees:Chris Isherwood and Wayne Grunnill
Fourth Offical: Richard Wiggleswor

Team Line ups
Sunderland: Burge, Flannagan, Lynch, Willis, Hume, Power, Dobson, Leadbitter, O’Nien, Watmore, McNulty
Subs: J.McLaughlin, De Bock, Taylor, Maguire, Leadbitter, Grigg, McGeady
Injured: Embleton, Wyke, Gooch
Suspended: C.McLaughlin

Coventry City: Marosi, Rose, Hyam, Drysdale, Dabo, Eccles, Walsh, Mason, Westbrooke, Bakayoko, Shipley
Subs: Watson, Allen, Wilson, O'Hare, Kastaneer, Bapaga, Burroughs,
Injured: tbc

Betting Odds:
Home 19/20 Away 14/5 Draw 23/10

My two pence:
With Sunderland unbeaten at home and Coventry yet to win away it kind of feels like it will be a draw, but current form and the way we have played for the last few games means it really could be groundhog day for Mr Parkinson.
I’m hoping that he and the team will start to turn it around, and my guess is a 1-0 home win.

Ha’way the Lads

 

Football super tips view of the game above

 

I just hope this lad is not playing

 

If SAFC turned up like your posts RTB, I'd be feeling confident.

Sadly they don't, so away win firmly on the cards.

 

We have only lost once in around 32 home league games.

they’ll be happy with a draw

 

Hmmm I wonder if we will get a shot on target

If we do home win?

 

If that stat is true, I'm guessing that home defeat was to Coventry last season?

They're a good team who have promotion aspirations and will smell blood.

If we don't improve massively, we could be in for a bit of a hiding in my opinion.

 

Our last home game was 1:0 against lowly Southend. We played positively, but could not click up top with McGreedy guilty of killing the flow and chances to score.

Southend are second bottom. A better team like Coventry would likely have punished us - like last season. Our form has since fallen off a cliff. If I were them I'd fancy an away win against a disparate team and disgruntled home crowd

 

There are a lot of debts to be settled by those players who have been sabotaging the team effort - I predict a match and victory akin to Wimbledon.

 

I can only see a drubbing unfortunately.
0-3.

Bart

 

Not confident. Coventry to register their 1st league away win 2-1

 

1-1 would be nice.
Ironic or what?

 

Injuries and fitness permitting, I hope he starts with the same team that beat Tranmere. That was the best team performance of the season. If he does go with that, I'll go 3-1 to the lads. If not, I can see 2-2 at best.

 

Overcome the fear factor and we could win it. Coventry are a good team as they proved on their last visit, but they are not invincible in truth. Its up to PP and his squad to kick start the season and give the supporters something to be proud of, its all to play for. OaU

 

Don;t worry - Cattermole will half him before he does that...

Oh...

 

It’s 30. 23 games last season and 7 this. One home defeat and that was a ridiculous one as we scored four times

 

I don’t think the recovery starts here.

They have pace and a bit of movement up top and we struggle, badly with that.

I don’t think they are a better side but I think they have a better shape to them and a bit more physicality, I’m going into the ground ready to support the team and be positive, but I think this is a game where we may concede 2, and for me that’s a defeat.

My perennially positive gut feeling is a 2-1 defeat. I ****ing hate saying that.

I’m all about just sticking with the lads and the owners and all until January. I’d love a bit of noise and support tomorrow and I’ll be full of ale and trying my bit

 

Yes, they were certainly impressive going forward, but just as bad as we were defensively, which gives me hope. Our Centre Backs were awful that day. Burton were the best footballing side I saw last season, and they're next up. Two big tests within a week.Time for the team to stand up and be counted and an ideal opportunity to gain some much needed confidence and push on.