Sunderland - Meltdown Warmup Thread

If WE had a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson then you could use the argument that the players will have to play for their cup final spot....we don't and they won't....the starting 11 for the cup final pretty much now picks itself.

 

.

Being that for the entire season our manager has not picked an unchanged side even once, I'm not quite sure how you think we are in a situation where our first team picks itself.

Being that for the entire season our manager has not picked an unchanged side even once, I'm not quite sure how you think we are in a situation where our first team picks itself.

The side for the final apart from any injuries picked up between now and then will be Forster, Bertrand, Yoshida, Stephens, Cedric (Careres wont play if he signs) Romeu, Stephen Davis, Boufal, Gabbiadini, Ward Prowse, Redmond......I accept you could swap Ward Prowse for either Hojberg or Classie but I think Ward Prowse is the managers preferred player.

I think Tadic has possibly fallen out of favour and will not start. Think Redmond will get the nod over Jayrod and Long for a starting berth.

I could be wrong CB but I suspect this will be the side.

Does anyone really expect our players to be up for this game??

I certainly don't, not in our last game before Wembley....no one will want to risk an injury and miss out on the biggest game of their domestic careers.

 

If WE had a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson then you could use the argument that the players will have to play for their cup final spot....we don't and they won't....the starting 11 for the cup final pretty much now picks itself.

 

I really really hope i'm wrong but I can see nothing but a loss, 2-0 Sunderland.

Go on then... I haven't a clue who out of Barry/Boufal/Tadic/Redmond/Long/JRod will be shoe-horned in where ... at least 2 of those are carrying injuries to some degree ... you would have to think Barry and Redmond would start, I'd say the third spot is very much up for grabs. Back 4 may or may not change depending on the personnel available, Romeu will play in the middle plus perm any two-from-four, chuck in the wild cards McQueen and Sims and a tinkerman manager, and I've never seen a side that's less likely to pick itself. On the evidence so far I think we can safely assume Puel has no idea of his best side!

We "must win" or we will be deaper in s**t

 

The "X" is the depth of the s**t

 

If you dont mind being knee deep in ***t then its not a "must" win

 

Personally i don't like even stepping in ***t and the thought of being knee deep in it would make me feel I "must" get out of this s**t

 

Keep saying "must" and it doesnt sound like a word anymore. Must stop saying must

This.

3-0 win-happy for a week-then back to losing again before the final.

After the final that meant to say!

We'll rotate a bit. We'll play the 2nd leg of the semi final team in the final. We'll beat this lot 1-0 if we miss a lot of chances or 5-0 if we don't. The fact that they got ahead of CP and then beat them easily is of no interest (thanks Clod) as they are **** and have a load of Everton rejects playing for them.

I think Gardos will start as he'll have to if he's going to have any chance of being in contention for a place to stay here after the end of the season so I expect the team will be:

Forster

Martina Stephens Gardos McQueen

Romeu (because no one else can play there)

Hojbjerg Clasie

Gabbiadini Long Sims

Subs: Redmond (bound to come on), Tadic (should be sold at the end of the season: too inconsistent and doesn't work hard enough/make enough happen); JWP (should be sold at the end of the season), Reed (because he has to be put on the bench but isn't good enough to play), Yoshida because we need a CB on the bench, JRod (who did look as though he was fed up last week) because we need a forward on the bench. He will bring on Redmond for Sims, J Rod for Long and JWP for Hojbjerg. We will ignore the quick, good pass and pass the ball to the fullbacks all the time but still beat easily the worst team in the league who are much worse than Leicester who we beat convincingly.

If Martina doesn't play then that's a good indication that he's off at the end of the season and he might not play much again although he's off at the end of the saison anyway so it could be Stephens at right back and Yoshi and Gardos at CB.

Would like to see Seager on the bench.

Can't see why you'd go to Sunderland and want to go out in Newcastle unless Sunderland is really that bad in which case you make it sound like Portsmouth.

This is a six-pointer/must win game because if we do not (we will, wetbedders, we will) we risk being dragged into the relegation zone/fight which will adversely affect our confidence for both the rest of the season until we are safe and how we approach the cup final and it is a six-pointer because it has the negative/positive value of not only gaining three points for one's own team but denying someone who is a direct rival of three points and so it has a special or double effect or can be considered to be so. Glad to have explained this to those who do not understand the analogy as it's quite easy to work out from just looking at it.

Caceras won't be fit as even if he has been training unofficially with a club (does anyone know this?) he has to get used to the pace of the league, etc and to just throw him in against Ibrahimovic and Co in a cup final probably won't do him any favours. As to the point about why would CP be after him as well as Sakho, it's well-known that Allardyce thinks CP have a crap defence. Sakho can be said to have played more recently, played in the PL and trained with a professional club more recently than Caceras so that's why he'd be the preferred option. He is also a known quantity and Caceras isn't. The other thing is that CP only had a certain amount of time to sign Sakho whereas they, like SFC, could have taken longer to sign Caceras due to his personal circumstances. Can't see playing him in a cup final when he's the new boy would do anything other than put some players' noses very out of joint and be damaging to morale in a club like SFC. At somewhere like Man Utd probably less so as they are "the biggest club in the world" or something.

That should cover everything about this game and a bit more and we can look forward to a two week rest on the back of a decent win with predictable football and spend a lot of time hoping that the Man Utd team are decimated by injuries as they play the same team pretty much for those extra games that they have.

We'll need to score at least two to win because Defoe will score because of course he will, he always does us. If we don't win this, we are in serious trouble.

We'll rotate a bit. We'll play the 2nd leg of the semi final team in the final. We'll beat this lot 1-0 if we miss a lot of chances or 5-0 if we don't. The fact that they got ahead of CP and then beat them easily is of no interest (thanks Clod) as they are **** and have a load of Everton rejects playing for them.

 

I think Gardos will start as he'll have to if he's going to have any chance of being in contention for a place to stay here after the end of the season so I expect the team will be:

 

Forster

 

Martina Stephens Gardos McQueen

 

Romeu (because no one else can play there)

 

Hojbjerg Clasie

 

Gabbiadini Long Sims

 

Subs: Redmond (bound to come on), Tadic (should be sold at the end of the season: too inconsistent and doesn't work hard enough/make enough happen); JWP (should be sold at the end of the season), Reed (because he has to be put on the bench but isn't good enough to play), Yoshida because we need a CB on the bench, JRod (who did look as though he was fed up last week) because we need a forward on the bench. He will bring on Redmond for Sims, J Rod for Long and JWP for Hojbjerg. We will ignore the quick, good pass and pass the ball to the fullbacks all the time but still beat easily the worst team in the league who are much worse than Leicester who we beat convincingly.

 

If Martina doesn't play then that's a good indication that he's off at the end of the season and he might not play much again although he's off at the end of the saison anyway so it could be Stephens at right back and Yoshi and Gardos at CB.

 

Would like to see Seager on the bench.

 

Can't see why you'd go to Sunderland and want to go out in Newcastle unless Sunderland is really that bad in which case you make it sound like Portsmouth.

 

This is a six-pointer/must win game because if we do not (we will, wetbedders, we will) we risk being dragged into the relegation zone/fight which will adversely affect our confidence for both the rest of the season until we are safe and how we approach the cup final and it is a six-pointer because it has the negative/positive value of not only gaining three points for one's own team but denying someone who is a direct rival of three points and so it has a special or double effect or can be considered to be so. Glad to have explained this to those who do not understand the analogy as it's quite easy to work out from just looking at it.

 

Caceras won't be fit as even if he has been training unofficially with a club (does anyone know this?) he has to get used to the pace of the league, etc and to just throw him in against Ibrahimovic and Co in a cup final probably won't do him any favours. As to the point about why would CP be after him as well as Sakho, it's well-known that Allardyce thinks CP have a crap defence. Sakho can be said to have played more recently, played in the PL and trained with a professional club more recently than Caceras so that's why he'd be the preferred option. He is also a known quantity and Caceras isn't. The other thing is that CP only had a certain amount of time to sign Sakho whereas they, like SFC, could have taken longer to sign Caceras due to his personal circumstances. Can't see playing him in a cup final when he's the new boy would do anything other than put some players' noses very out of joint and be damaging to morale in a club like SFC. At somewhere like Man Utd probably less so as they are "the biggest club in the world" or something.

 

That should cover everything about this game and a bit more and we can look forward to a two week rest on the back of a decent win with predictable football and spend a lot of time hoping that the Man Utd team are decimated by injuries as they play the same team pretty much for those extra games that they have.

Blimey, you'd be confident of a win away from home playing with that back four?

It'd be good to go into the cup final with some momentum, so on that basis it is a must win.

Eleven players will not want to get injured before the cup final so we lose 0-11

We'll rotate a bit.

 

Forster

 

Martina Stephens Gardos McQueen

 

Romeu

 

Hojbjerg Clasie

 

Gabbiadini Long Sims

 

Subs: Redmond (bound to come on), Tadic (should be sold at the end of the season: too inconsistent and doesn't work hard enough/make enough happen); JWP (should be sold at the end of the season), Reed (because he has to be put on the bench but isn't good enough to play), Yoshida because we need a CB on the bench, JRod (who did look as though he was fed up last week) because we need a forward on the bench. He will bring on Redmond for Sims, J Rod for Long and JWP for Hojbjerg. We will ignore the quick, good pass and pass the ball to the fullbacks all the time but still beat easily the worst team in the league who are much worse than Leicester who we beat convincingly.

 

If Martina doesn't play then that's a good indication that he's off at the end of the season and he might not play much again although he's off at the end of the saison anyway so it could be Stephens at right back and Yoshi and Gardos at CB.

 

Would like to see Seager on the bench.

The cup final is 2 weeks after the Sunderland game, there is no need for current 1st choice players like Bertrand, Cedric, Davis & Yoshida to be rotated for the Sunderland game. Puel has been rotating when fixtures are congested, we have a large amount of recovery time available now for the majority of the rest of the season.

We'll rotate a bit. We'll play the 2nd leg of the semi final team in the final. We'll beat this lot 1-0 if we miss a lot of chances or 5-0 if we don't. The fact that they got ahead of CP and then beat them easily is of no interest (thanks Clod) as they are **** and have a load of Everton rejects playing for them.

 

I think Gardos will start as he'll have to if he's going to have any chance of being in contention for a place to stay here after the end of the season so I expect the team will be:

 

Forster

 

Martina Stephens Gardos McQueen

 

Romeu (because no one else can play there)

 

Hojbjerg Clasie

 

Gabbiadini Long Sims

 

.

God that is a horrific team!

I'd like to see the diamond again now we have Gabbiadini and Boufal. Boufal as the false nine at the top of the diamond, Gabbiadini and Long split wider playing in the channels. Cedric and Bertrand providing the width. There are goals in that team. JWP has goals in him. Davis does too. Boufal we know can create things out of nothing. And I think Long and Gabbiadini look our best source of goals up top at the moment with Austin out. Forster needs a rest mentally.

Hassen

Cedric Stephens Yoshida Bertrand

Romeu

Davis JWP

Boufal

Long Gabbiadini

Subs: Forster, Martina, Clasie, Redmond, PEH, JRod, Sims

Left out - Tadic, McQueen, Gardos, Reed, Taylor

Injured: VVD, Targett, Austin, Pied, Hesketh, McCarthy

No rotation necessary, this is a crucial game. Not must win quite yet but in huge trouble if we lose. Let's hope the closing down and work rate is 10 times better than we saw on Sat. Midfield cannot be so open in particular.

Due a draw 1-1

I'd like to see the diamond again now we have Gabbiadini and Boufal. Boufal as the false nine at the top of the diamond, Gabbiadini and Long split wider playing in the channels. Cedric and Bertrand providing the width. There are goals in that team. JWP has goals in him. Davis does too. Boufal we know can create things out of nothing. And I think Long and Gabbiadini look our best source of goals up top at the moment with Austin out. Forster needs a rest mentally.

 

Hassen

Cedric Stephens Yoshida Bertrand

Romeu

Davis JWP

Boufal

Long Gabbiadini

 

Subs: Forster, Martina, Clasie, Redmond, PEH, JRod, Sims

 

Left out - Tadic, McQueen, Gardos, Reed, Taylor

Injured: VVD, Targett, Austin, Pied, Hesketh, McCarthy

Agree - He needs to try something different as what we are currently trying isn't working.

If Boufal is injured, I think Tadic would do well in the 'false 9' role. Always thought he looks better when he plays centrally.

3 - 1 SAINTS

Gabba, Romeu and Long

Defoe

Eleven players will not want to get injured before the cup final so we lose 0-11

They'll also want to play well. A bad performance = being dropped. There will be 2 weeks, so plenty of recovery time if anyone picks up a little knock.

Agree - He needs to try something different as what we are currently trying isn't working.

 

If Boufal is injured, I think Tadic would do well in the 'false 9' role. Always thought he looks better when he plays centrally.

He doesn't. He's best on the left wing. He's a wide attacker.

They'll also want to play well. A bad performance = being dropped. There will be 2 weeks, so plenty of recovery time if anyone picks up a little knock.

You're taking me seriously

What I think he means by a "must win" is that psychologically it's a "must win" to try and raise the spirits of everyone. The manager, the players and the fans. Just to get more points on the board and not drop into relegation contention. Remember of the games left, we still have to play 7 out of the top 8 so points in games against the lower teams are essential, not just desirable. Also, what's this obsession with the league Cup final? Even with VVD there was always little or no hope of taking that one out. Now.......it's dreamland to expect to win that game and yes, I do remember 1976 vividly but this is a different era.

Thi's was my thinking behind it being a must win game it means a whole lot more than 3 points Imo!

Thi's was my thinking behind it being a must win game it means a whole lot more than 3 points Imo!

It's definitely a mustn't lose game at the very least.............

It's definitely a mustn't lose game at the very least.............

Next 3 games being Watford, United and Spurs plus we still have to fit Arsenal in who we would have played the weekend of the final we need wins quickly!

Next 3 games being Watford, United and Spurs plus we still have to fit Arsenal in who we would have played the weekend of the final we need wins quickly!

The next run of league games is odd after Sunderland away we have a two week gap to Watford away, then most likely Man Utd at home will be postponed on the 12th due to their involvement in the FA Cup so we'll have another two week gap to Spurs away (which is followed by a two week break for internationals! )

The next home game would then be in April v Bournemouth.

You'd imagine Saints will try to re-arrange Arsenal and Man Utd at home for later in the season when Charlie Austin and Van Dijk will be back from injury.

He (Defoe) is a sharp finisher. Finds space in tight defences. There is large gaps in ours. Doesn't bode well for the match.

So hopefully he'll get completely confused in the huge wasteland of our current defence, attempt a darting run between 2 non-existent defenders, lose his mind, swallow himself and create a time-accelerating wormhole which sends him to an alternate future where we're actually quite good this season.

So hopefully he'll get completely confused in the huge wasteland of our current defence, attempt a darting run between 2 non-existent defenders, lose his mind, swallow himself and create a time-accelerating wormhole which sends him to an alternate future where we're actually quite good this season.

[emoji106]

I'd like to see the diamond again now we have Gabbiadini and Boufal. Boufal as the false nine at the top of the diamond, Gabbiadini and Long split wider playing in the channels. Cedric and Bertrand providing the width. There are goals in that team. JWP has goals in him. Davis does too. Boufal we know can create things out of nothing. And I think Long and Gabbiadini look our best source of goals up top at the moment with Austin out. Forster needs a rest mentally.

 

Hassen

Cedric Stephens Yoshida Bertrand

Romeu

Davis JWP

Boufal

Long Gabbiadini

 

Subs: Forster, Martina, Clasie, Redmond, PEH, JRod, Sims

 

Left out - Tadic, McQueen, Gardos, Reed, Taylor

Injured: VVD, Targett, Austin, Pied, Hesketh, McCarthy

amazing what difference a year makes.

this time last season you'd have been laughed at for a comment like that

I like the team sheet but would think about Redmond instead of Long.

A win here would really ease some nerves amongst the fan base.

Team I'd love to see but won't happen:

--------------- Forster ------------------

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

--------Romeu ------Davis -------------

Gabba ------- Boufal --------- Tadic

-------------- Long -------------------

Team I reckon we'll see:

-------------- Forster --------------

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

----- Davis ----- Romeu ---- Clasie ------

--Gabba --------- Long ------- Boufal

A win here would really ease some nerves amongst the fan base.

 

Team I'd love to see but won't happen:

 

--------------- Forster ------------------

 

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

 

--------Romeu ------Davis -------------

 

Gabba ------- Boufal --------- Tadic

 

-------------- Long -------------------

 

Team I reckon we'll see:

 

-------------- Forster --------------

 

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

 

----- Davis ----- Romeu ---- Clasie ------

 

--Gabba --------- Long ------- Boufal

Boufal ****ed his ankle. Didn't look good.

Boufal ****ed his ankle. Didn't look good.

He's out of the final now as well I thought?

He's out of the final now as well I thought?

Seems like a bit of a delicate flower tbh.

A win here would really ease some nerves amongst the fan base.

 

Team I'd love to see but won't happen:

 

--------------- Forster ------------------

 

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

 

--------Romeu ------Davis -------------

 

Gabba ------- Boufal --------- Tadic

 

-------------- Long -------------------

 

Team I reckon we'll see:

 

-------------- Forster --------------

 

Cedric - Yoshida - Stephens - Bertrand

 

----- Davis ----- Romeu ---- Clasie ------

 

--Gabba --------- Long ------- Boufal

I was surprisingly impressed by Gabbiadini as a centre forward on Saturday

I can't see us not winning this, tbh. 3-1 Saints.

Wait a minute, BEARSY? How long have I been avoiding this place?

We'll need to score at least two to win because Defoe will score because of course he will, he always does us. If we don't win this, we are in serious trouble.

Or to put it another way, at least 4 points off the relegation zone with at least 6 teams below us. Even if we lose.

We've still got a pile of winnable games left and will finish somewhere in the middle, unless our injury crisis gets REALLY out of hand, in which case whatchagonnado anyway?

He's out of the final now as well I thought?

Nobody knows what he's done specifically. IF it's ligament damage to ankle then he will likely miss c. 6 weeks so yes out of the final. Looked bad so I'd assume out of the match against Sunderland at the least.

I was surprisingly impressed by Gabbiadini as a centre forward on Saturday

Likewise. His movement was brilliant and for a guy playing his first ever match in the PL he looked composed and confident. He may not be as fast as Long but first impressions are that he has more skill on the ball. Only downside was his frequent over dramatic fouls. He deserved a free kick from all of them but needs to tone that down.

Puel: "Boufal won't be in the Sunderland squad"

Puel: "Boufal won't be in the Sunderland squad"

What about ours?

Given our shocking away form I honestly don't see anything changing. 3-1 to Sunderland.

We'll batter them. 4-0 Saints.

It's got 8-0 written all over it

We have to start a strong squad and win - we have 2 weeks recovery between now and the final.

Cedric Yoshi Bertrand McQueen

Davies Romeu PEH

Tadic/JRod Gabby Redmond

Given our shocking away form I honestly don't see anything changing. 3-1 to Sunderland.

Thats the spirit, guess you will be having a bet on that score then? odds should be good

The media team have left the live feed and Mic on from the press conference. Some technicians are talking away don't think they realise its being broadcast live !

Not that anything interesting is being said apart from a brief comedy impression of CP.

https://southamptonfc.com/news/2017-02-09/press-conference-part-one-claude-puel-sunderland-southampton

Was that Alfie Jones in the training pics? Interesting.

We have to start a strong squad and win - we have 2 weeks recovery between now and the final.

 

Cedric Yoshi Bertrand McQueen

Davies Romeu PEH

Tadic/JRod Gabby Redmond

I know Forster doesn't save anything, but not having a goalkeeper at all is pushing it a bit.

Got no confidence that Puel and Black know how to win against this type of team. 2-0 Sunderland.

Got no confidence that Puel and Black know how to win against this type of team. 2-0 Sunderland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37700028

Jermaine Defoe seems a top bloke.

With Bradley Lowery today