Sunderland (A) Saturday 16th August 3pm

buffybegoodbuffybegood
in Match Threads
Opening match of the season, let's hope we have a better time of things than last season.

ASLEF, have at it.

Comments

  • IronHerbIronHerb
    5.30am coach from Rush Green, this better be good. Actually I think it will be.

    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). 👍
  • Ravel49Ravel49
    ‘The Positive Arms’ 😜
  • ASLEFshruggedASLEFshrugged
    edited 8:36AM
    Aaaaaand we're back

    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
  • Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_MoyesJorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes
    On the one hand, this is the worst time to play them. The atmosphere will be intense and they will fancy beating us.

    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.
  • BubblesNeverDiesBubblesNeverDies
    Jorderz_Moyes_will_be_Moyes said:



    If we can keep it tight early on and quieten the crowd, I see us winning.

    Jorderz, have you not read ASLEF's summary - LOSS =)

  • LukerzLukerz
    edited 3:26PM
    I would go:

    Hermansen
    Wan-Bissaka - Kilman - Aguerd
    Walker-Peters - Souček - Potts - Diouf
    Bowen - Füllkrug - Paquetá

    Areola, Mavropanos, Todibo, Scarles, Álvarez, Rodríguez, Ward-Prowse, Guilherme, Wilson

    What I think we’ll see is:

    Areola
    Todibo - Kilman - Aguerd
    Wan-Bissaka - Ward-Prowse - Potts - Paquetá - Diouf
    Bowen - Füllkrug

    This is going to be tough. However, Sunderland have had a huge turnover of players & have just been promoted. This may make them vulnerable early in the season.

    But this will be a real test of where we are at. The players have gone on a lot about mentality. If it’s good we should be able to take 3 points. A draw is not the worst. A defeat would put pressure on given we have Chelsea next.

    1-1
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