Match Day Thread Sunderland v Wycombe Wanderers - Saturday 11th January - KO 15:00

Sunderland v Wycombe Wanderers – Skybet League One

Last time out Sunderland beat Lincoln City and Wycombe drew with Ipswich Town.
The acid test of whether Sunderland have turned a corner comes this weekend when leaders Wycombe Wanderers visit the Stadium of Light, Gareth Ainsworth's side having suffered their own dip in form.
Beat Wycombe and Sunderland could rise back into the play-offs, while closing the gap to Wycombe to six points with a game in hand.
Dylan McGeouch has left the club for Aberdeen, Ethan Robson has been training with the first team after returning from his loan at Grimsby Town. While Jon McLaughlin and Marc McNulty, Aiden McGeady and Will Grigg have been linked with Stadium of Light departures.
The Chairboys are on a poor run having lost 3 of their last 4 games
Phil Parkinson:
"We are closing in on a number of targets. We are working towards those, but we are competing with other clubs for those players. Kyle Lafferty is one of a number of players we have spoken about and he is on our list."
"I feel momentum is starting to build and our work rate is getting to where it needs to be. That must continue and we can’t afford to let it drop off."
"Wycombe have done great and they are good at what they do. They disrupt the flow of the game and I would imagine they will be looking to slow things down and we need to be ready to deal with that."
"We're in good form and the lads are confident."
Gareth Ainsworth:
“It’ll be an honour for me to be taking Wycombe Wanderers to such a huge club, and I’m sure I’ll have a little flutter in me as we walk through the front door. There might be some fans who try to turn this game on its head and suggest we’re now the bigger club because of where we are in the league, but I have nothing but respect for everyone at Sunderland."
"This is still David against Goliath, and we’re still the David in this scenario, but hopefully we can get our slingshot right and take down another giant in this division.”
“We’ll need all the experience of our generals in the squad to help set the tone and make sure the boys are ready. We’ll embrace the moment and enjoy stepping out at the Stadium of Light, but once we get over the white line it’s business as usual and we’ll be doing all we can to get something from the game.”

Prutton predicts: 0-2
Match Appointments:
Referee: ANDY DAVIES
Assistant Referees: Matthew McGrath and James Mainwaring
Fourth Offical: Karl Evans

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

Subs: Burge, McLaughlin, Taylor, Robson, Grigg, Watmore, McNulty
Injured: Embleton
Garden Leave: McGeady

Wycombe Wanderers Allsop, Phillips, Grimmer, Stewart, Charles, Thompson, Bloomfield, Freeman, Wheeler, Akinfenwa, Samuel
Subs: Yates, Jombati, Aarons, Parker, Pattison, Gape, Smyth
Injured: Onyedinma

Betting Odds:
Home 17/20 Away 3/1 Draw 12/5

My two pence:
With all the off the pitch issues and the uncertainty over the ownership of the club and what happens next, it’s good to get back to what really matters – playing football.
At last, the team are playing better, creating more chances and are now converting them into goals.
I think we will win this one, my guess is a 2-1 home win.

Ha’way the Lads

 

A reminder of what happened earlier this season

 

Wycombe are rubbish tbh, if they went up it would destroy them.

It's only the dreadful standard of L1 referees that allowed them to have a good run.

The SOL crowd can really help by putting pressure on the referee from the start.

Ainsworth is another Holloway who'll end up running the hook a duck stall at the fair.

They'll bring a few hundred who'll hopefully have as bad a day as Akinfenwa would if there was a pie shortage.

3-0 to Sunderland with the first goal in the first 5 minutes, Wyke with it.

 

Play this like the Lincoln game and it’s over by half time.

they will come up here, rolling all over the place, in the refs ear, keeper wasting time and general being ultra defensive

let’s see a supposed top of the table team take safc on. Their style is so obvious it’s being found out during the last few weeks

play football we will win 3-1, if the ref lets anti football win, well still win 2-1

haway the lads and let’s put out the message, the roll is on

 

I'm glad you lads are confident because I still have absolutely zero faith that we can create anywhere near enough in this league. Yes we scored three last game, but look where they came from:

1. A corner (how many of those do we score?)
2. A hoof from our goalkeeper which somehow their entire defence managed to miss.
3. An absolute calamity from their goalie / defence.

We still didn't really create any chances, they were all "flukey" (for want of a better word) goals.

It's like when a relegation-struggling team in the Prem scores a couple of 40-yard screamers out of nowhere to get a win and people start saying they've turned a corner... Inevitably it all goes to **** again next week because you can't rely on goals like that.

Can only see a Wycombe win, personally.

 

we will dee these man, we are on the up 2-1.

 

All 3 goals were a result of our style of play and tactics.

The corner came from us pressing and was perfectly delivered into the six yard box, we'll score more like this in future.

The second was because we had two players on the shoulders of their defenders waiting for these balls over the top.

Those two are debatable but the third was a chance directly created by having three players in their box following a goal kick ....

.... we created that goal with clever tactics and players carrying out the game plan.

This league isn't about slick 20 pass moves, it's about 'ball in net' by any means.

 

1-1 Nap

 

From what I recall we totally dominated the first half last week and should really have been 4-0 up at half time - Willis had a good header saved by the keeper. The second half was not as dominant but we still had chances - Power hit the bar with a great shot.

Here is a comparison of the stats against Tranmere (our biggest league win in over a decade)

 

I'm in the middle tbh., but fervently hope the optimists are right, I see us steadily improving. The trend is that PP after a dreadful start is now beginning to get the most out of the players available, I am heartened by the inclusion of Taylor and Robson on the bench as posted by RTB above, but wish the supporting cast were a bit more dependable, especially our back three. Wycombe are particularly dangerous in this area, and will test our resolve, how we deal with it will go a long way to determine this result. I'm hoping for it to be successful and am also going for a hard fought 2-1 victory. Play-offs here we come, or maybe just even better. OaU.

 

Agree that corners have improved V Bolton had another Flanagan header wrongly disallowed , Willis could have scored but for a good save by their keeper . Their centre halves were so preoccupied with Wyke and trying to foul him that when he went wide it left them exposed for Gooch to go through the middle , really bad defending for that third goal . The second goal was all about a very high press that was rewarded with a gift , when you see some of our PL elite trying to play out from the back and messing it up badly the high press has to be utilised against our opponents who are inferior players and more likely to panic and make mistakes , hard work paid off . Three goals all different but all counted !!!

 

An unchanged team is nailed on (unexpected training accidents excepted) which is always good to see.
A good win will, for me, confirm that a corner has been turned and PP viewed in a new light.
Being 60 odd years a supporter I am still nervous but expect a hard fought win.
KTF

 

Thinking it will be a nervy win, finisihing 2-0 (Gooch & O'Nein). I think we'll start off quickly and score within 15mins and then clinch it in the 87min!!!!

 

Might depend on the level of interest in Mclaughlin from North of the border. Not sure I'd play him if a move's afoot but that aside it'd be as similar a team as possible

 

Other than we dominated the first half completely and had multiple shots at goal - that apart yes exactly as you say

 

A great chance to close the gap at the top - we’ve got to start taking these opportunities, and I think we will.

I think PP has somehow changed the mindset of the players, and is ridding the team of who does not really want to be here. Of course they don’t realise this is the biggest club they’re ever likely to play for.

It’ll not be pretty but I’ll take the 1-0 win.

Bart

 

Hoping for 5-0 but will settle for a nervous 1-0.
All that matters is the result. I couldnt give a flying one if it bounces in off Ozturks left buttock from a deflected mishit. I couldnt give a flying one if we are poor. Would be good to see some decent play but this is the game we have to win.

Beat the top team means their arses have done an Ipswich and virtually dropped out. Beat the top team means confidence soars in the mighty SAFC. Beat the top team and other teams will be thinking f*ck they didnt win for 9 games and the c*nts are still close to promotion.

 

Thanks for the reminder

 

Meeting up with a few Wycombe fans for a few pre-match drinks. Hopefully our recent improvement will continue and another 3 points in the bag..