Sunderland (A) Saturday 16th August 3pm
Opening match of the season, let's hope we have a better time of things than last season.
ASLEF, have at it.
ASLEF, have at it.
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Comments
Now where's the Optimist Arms, I need a beer. ⚒
( I've think I've forgotten the name of the pub, I'm sure Slacker will remind me). 👍
Sunderland is a young side with a young(ish) manager but they've added some experience with Granit Xhaka being the big name
49yo Régis Le Bris started as youth coach at Rennes and Lorient before taking over Lorient’s first team for two seasons. He joined Sunderland last summer, got them to the playoffs (finished 16th 2023/24), beat Sheffield United in the final and signed a new 3 year contract last week
Yesterday they fielded the B-team against Rayo Vallecano and lost 3-0 but in the previous two friendlies Le Bris only made one change giving a fair indication of his starting XI with seven new players featuring.
A new goalkeeper (even younger than last season's), a new left back (apart from Xhaka the only other player in the starting XI over 25), a whole new midfield three and two new wingers including Simon Adringa, £21m Brighton, the only other player with Premier League experience.
They did lose Jude Bellingham's brother Jobe to Borussia Dortmund but replaced him with 21yo Senegalese CM Habis Diarra, £30m Strasbourg, who we were linked with in June
Last week 19yo Spanish CF Marc Guiu joined on a season long loan from Chelsea and our old mate Arthur Masuaku signed on a free but neither featured in yesterday's friendly
Two players who won't be in the starting line up are last season's top scorer Cf Wilson Isidor and England U19 AM Chris Rigg. Both have been out with injury and only reappeared yesterday.
Last season they were pretty aggressive, picking up 98 yellow cards (5th). In the playoff 2nd leg against Coventry they picked up 4 yellows in 90 minutes, another in extra time and 3 after the final whistle for "excessive celebration"
Maybe Xhaka will be a calming influence
I'll get me coat
Roefs
Hume Ballard Seelt Reinildo
Xhaka Sadiki Diarra
Talbi Mayenda Adingra
On the other hand, they have signed a lot of players, will potentially be nervous, and promoted teams have been abysmal in the past two seasons.
If we can keep it tight early on and quieten the crowd, I see us winning.