Let's talk about the Sunderland game.

[selby]

  How the mighty have fallen, Sunderland, with Bolton Wanderers arguably the finest example of how to waste, and miss manage lots of money in British football, their fall from grace dramatic and to me sad being one of the North East giants that always had a great history in English football, known when I was a young boy as the Bank of England side with such great players as Ray Daniels and Len Shackleton.
  Even now I am at a loss to explain why a team with Grigg, Wyke, Leadbitter, Watmore,Ozturk, McNulty and McLaughlin are struggling to make a mark in this division.
  On to our more important to us team The Rovers, after a great win yesterday I hope for no or very few only if injured changes, lets get some stability and confidence, at this time of the year the clever use of substitutes being important, rather than changes, something Darren did perfectly at Peterborough.
   Would you make changes?
   A very important game with regards to the rest of the season, can we get back to a consistent run of good results?
   What is your take on Sunderland?
    Lots to discuss about the game, please have your say.

[Chris Black come back]

McGeady has not played for them since 26 November. Not sure whether he is injured or out of favour, but he was probably their best player last season.

[Retdon1]

McGeady has not played for them since 26 November. Not sure whether he is injured or out of favour, but he was probably their best player last season.

I’ve read that Parkinson wants shut of him

[selby]

  On another thread someone asked the question is there anyone who went to one of our greatest ever cup wins at Sunderland in the 1950's who still goes to the games?
  Well yes there is, Derek Beaumont who still goes to every game home and away, who was taken to the game by his father on a special bus from Askern.
  The Rovers at the time played in Red with white edgings, and a change strip of white with red edgings, which both clashed  with the Sunderland  strip, us the away side having to change strips.
  One of his great memories is guess what? we borrowed a strip from Sheffield Wednesday and played in their famous blue and white stripes.
  Let's hope for a first league win against them on Sunday, and Derek can get a long drawn out double up and have been at both games.

[SydneyRover]

''Sunderland are at the lowest point in their history. How has it come to this?

Team sit 13th in League One and the future of a club that panicked in sacking Jack Ross is shrouded in uncertainty''

They are certainly struggling Selby with precarious finances that must weigh heavy on the mangement.

I'm sure DM will be more than aware to warn his charges about the sleeping giant.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/dec/24/sunderland-lowest-point-history-league-one-how-come-to-this

[Alan Southstand]

Imho, this will be a very different game to the Peterborough game, as Sunderland will not be trying to play open, expansive football and will try to stop us from doing that very same thing. These types of matches are where we’ve struggled to impose ourselves and we could be in for another frustrating 90 odd minutes.

Having said that, goals change games and IF we can get our noses in front, we could be in for a very satisfying encounter.

With the first 11, plus maybe a couple more, we can be a handful for any side and it’s to be hoped everyone is fit and available for both our next 2 very tricky games. Then, it’s a massive fingers crossed for some quality incomings in early January (the earlier the better) and we might just launch an onslaught from here on in.

[Retdon1]

  How the mighty have fallen, Sunderland, with Bolton Wanderers arguably the finest example of how to waste, and miss manage lots of money in British football, their fall from grace dramatic and to me sad being one of the North East giants that always had a great history in English football, known when I was a young boy as the Bank of England side with such great players as Ray Daniels and Len Shackleton.
  Even now I am at a loss to explain why a team with Grigg, Wyke, Leadbitter, Watmore,Ozturk, McNulty and McLaughlin are struggling to make a mark in this division.
  On to our more important to us team The Rovers, after a great win yesterday I hope for no or very few only if injured changes, lets get some stability and confidence, at this time of the year the clever use of substitutes being important, rather than changes, something Darren did perfectly at Peterborough.
   Would you make changes?
   A very important game with regards to the rest of the season, can we get back to a consistent run of good results?
   What is your take on Sunderland?
    Lots to discuss about the game, please have your say.

The reason is that many of the players you have named arnt very good. Wyke and Grigg have scored 3 goals between them all season. Leadbitter is past it, Ozturk is a liability, Watmore is still trying to get back up to speed after so long out, the other 2 granted are good players at this level. For a club the size of Sunderland, their team is average

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It's good to see they are establishing themselves as a League One team. We've got to do our bit in reminding them their place in the pyramid is not given it has to be earned on the pitch.

[selby]

  Retdon, is it a case of the players not being very good? or the style of play imposed on them by a manager not suiting them?
  To be fair to Grigg and Wyke, I don't think many of our supporters would have been upset if we had signed either one of them in the last transfer window with what has happened to our striker position since then, and their reputations in the game before going to Sunderland.

[dickos1]

McGeady has not played for them since 26 November. Not sure whether he is injured or out of favour, but he was probably their best player last season.

He’s on his way out the club,
Accusations of bullying the younger players

[Campsall rover]

Only change to the starting 11 for me would be Coppinger in for Gomes.
Maybe put John back to centre back in Joe Wright’s place and bring back James at left back.
But there is always an argument for not changing a winning team at all.

But Copps, well he only played 13 mins yesterday so he should be 100% ready for the Sunderland match.
So difficult to leave him out. He just has that X factor that can make the difference.

Don’t expect many goals in this one. Sunderland don’t concede many and are having huge problems scoring them.

If we play with the same desire and intensity for 90+ mins & take a couple of the chances we create then we will win.
It’s just a case of finding that consistency of performance now.

[tommy toes]

Difficult one re Gomes/Copps.

Gomes did very well yesterday in a slightly different role. I'd keep him in.
Didn't Taylor go off injured near the end?
If so, same team for me with Copps on the right in his place.

[Donnywolf]

McGeady out I hope judging by the above comments !

Having said that, goals change games and IF we can get our noses in front, we could be in for a very satisfying encounter. (Love that from Alan Southstand - obviously auditioning for the POSH job when they fire our Ex Manager and he becomes their ex Manager for a second time or will it be a thrid time) Hope Alan is bang on

Mind you ADVANCE WARNING - duff Referee again alert Darren Drysdale - makes the last Muppet Haines look useful

Here 2 extracts to get you in the "mood"


TRB posted this from a previous Game "reffed" by this bloke :

Same old Darren Drysdale. Random foul detection, whistling for nothing challenges while letting worse ones go. Not unusual in failing to detect foul aerial challenges, but their No. 9 might as well have carried a neon sign saying "I am about to commit a foul." Should have got a second yellow for barging into Alcock with no intention of playing the ball.

.... and Hound said this for a different game

 Really poor from Drysdale. He let a lot of dodgy tackles go unpunished early on, especially the late ones on Kane and Copps and I said to my mate, he will book someone for a nothing shirt pull.
Sure enough, a couple of minutes later he carded Wilks for just that.
Two decent pen shouts in the match which are always free kicks outside the box but as usual, nothing doing.
Overall, very inept.   

[NickDRFC]

I think Wright is overrated by our fans and John & Anderson is our best centre back pairing, but other than a couple of brain farts he played well at Peterborough so I wouldn’t tinker with the back 4 unless someone took a knock.

Difficult call with Coppinger but for me he has to come back into the side. Sheaf improved second half but his pass completion percentage in the first half must have been less than 50% so he’d be the one to make way for me. Gomes has played well in the last two games and done enough to retain his place.

[firestarter]

I’ve heard that McGeady is training alone .. fall out with Parkinson who looks to be forcing him out.

[BigH]

Parkinson to go if we win?

[Barmby Rover]

I think the Xmas has been a campaign planned for a while in DMs mind, he has been careful in trying to maximise the teams effect on the opposition, without putting too much playing pressure on key individuals. Whatever his game plan is will be tailored just for Sunderland, and it may mean that one or two are rested, ready for the Oxford game, which has equal importance.
I hope his strategy works, get another win here and we start flying again, confidence will be boosted and we will start to make those games in hand count and put us in the mix again. Fingers crossed for a win.

[NewDonny]

Difficult one re Gomes/Copps.

Gomes did very well yesterday in a slightly different role. I'd keep him in.
Didn't Taylor go off injured near the end?
If so, same team for me with Copps on the right in his place.

Not difficult atall, Gomes starts, he has earnt his place over the last two games in that central position. Taylor came off for tactical reasons so that we could introduce another defender, no injury just tiredness.

[Chris Black come back]

It is a brave man to change a winning side off the back of that performance but Moore has said he set up deliberately for Peterborough. Maybe at home when perhaps Sunderland with their poor away record might want to close the game right down, we need Copps with his creativity to help break through them? If so you would likely put him in for Sheaf rather than Gomes.

[drfchound]

Difficult one re Gomes/Copps.

Gomes did very well yesterday in a slightly different role. I'd keep him in.
Didn't Taylor go off injured near the end?
If so, same team for me with Copps on the right in his place.

Not difficult atall, Gomes starts, he has earnt his place over the last two games in that central position. Taylor came off for tactical reasons so that we could introduce another defender, no injury just tiredness.

In a home game against a very good defensive side we should play Copps instead of Sheaf in that number ten role.
Copps is more likely to unlock the door.

[Colemans Left Hook]

Parkinson to go if we win?

from a Sunderland point of view "Parkinson betta scotch" rumours that he is getting the sack if he loses by getting a result.
Personally i think he has bitten off more than he can chew.

[steve@dcfd]

This game will dependant on how Sunderland play if they come to close us down it will make it hard.We score when teams come and play open football.

[Frankie Rennie]

  How the mighty have fallen, Sunderland, with Bolton Wanderers arguably the finest example of how to waste, and miss manage lots of money in British football, their fall from grace dramatic and to me sad being one of the North East giants that always had a great history in English football, known when I was a young boy as the Bank of England side with such great players as Ray Daniels and Len Shackleton.
  Even now I am at a loss to explain why a team with Grigg, Wyke, Leadbitter, Watmore,Ozturk, McNulty and McLaughlin are struggling to make a mark in this division.
  On to our more important to us team The Rovers, after a great win yesterday I hope for no or very few only if injured changes, lets get some stability and confidence, at this time of the year the clever use of substitutes being important, rather than changes, something Darren did perfectly at Peterborough.
   Would you make changes?
   A very important game with regards to the rest of the season, can we get back to a consistent run of good results?
   What is your take on Sunderland?
    Lots to discuss about the game, please have your say.

Try Phil Parkinson for one of the latest reasons the two are struggling. I wouldn’t worry too much about your game with the Mackems as long as he’s in charge. Yet again yesterday he left all the skilfull players out in favour of 5 defenders and two defensive midfielders and spent the game lumping the ball to a stranded Wyke, just as he always did with Madine at Bolton. Even his subs yesterday were like for like instead of injecting some skill and pace. He’s a Neanderthal and never learns so expect 3 easier points than you think on Sunday.

[Frankie Rennie]

McGeady has not played for them since 26 November. Not sure whether he is injured or out of favour, but he was probably their best player last season.

Blanked him, not Parkys type of player. Now training with the U23s until he leaves in January. Unless Parkinson goes first of course!!

[Campsall rover]

  How the mighty have fallen, Sunderland, with Bolton Wanderers arguably the finest example of how to waste, and miss manage lots of money in British football, their fall from grace dramatic and to me sad being one of the North East giants that always had a great history in English football, known when I was a young boy as the Bank of England side with such great players as Ray Daniels and Len Shackleton.
  Even now I am at a loss to explain why a team with Grigg, Wyke, Leadbitter, Watmore,Ozturk, McNulty and McLaughlin are struggling to make a mark in this division.
  On to our more important to us team The Rovers, after a great win yesterday I hope for no or very few only if injured changes, lets get some stability and confidence, at this time of the year the clever use of substitutes being important, rather than changes, something Darren did perfectly at Peterborough.
   Would you make changes?
   A very important game with regards to the rest of the season, can we get back to a consistent run of good results?
   What is your take on Sunderland?
    Lots to discuss about the game, please have your say.

Try Phil Parkinson for one of the latest reasons the two are struggling. I wouldn’t worry too much about your game with the Mackems as long as he’s in charge. Yet again yesterday he left all the skilfull players out in favour of 5 defenders and two defensive midfielders and spent the game lumping the ball to a stranded Wyke, just as he always did with Madine at Bolton. Even his subs yesterday were like for like instead of injecting some skill and pace. He’s a Neanderthal and never learns so expect 3 easier points than you think on Sunday.

Don’t expect an easy 3 points but i do think if we score 1st and play with the same intensity we did at Peterborough then will win.
Having a proper front man in Ennis even if he isn’t a prolific goal scorer makes a massive difference and opens up space for Sadlier, Taylor and the midfielders.
The runs off the ball he made yesterday was what we have missed for far too long. His absence has cost us between 6 to 10 points, no question in my mind on that one.

[Retdon1]

  Retdon, is it a case of the players not being very good? or the style of play imposed on them by a manager not suiting them?
  To be fair to Grigg and Wyke, I don't think many of our supporters would have been upset if we had signed either one of them in the last transfer window with what has happened to our striker position since then, and their reputations in the game before going to Sunderland.

Bit of both maybe Selby but none of those players were lighting up the league under the previous manger either. Who ever is in charge of recruitment at Sunderland needs binning off. With their budget they should have a much better side. Having a negative defensive minded manger like Parkinson isn’t helping them either.

[ravenrover]

Just noticed it's on Sunday 😳 and no pay on the gate

[5 on Tour]

No changes for me. If one is to be made it’s Copps for Sheaf imo. Gomes has improved so much I can’t believe it’s the same bloke who turned up at Rochdale. Sheaf was very good 2nd half but in the first half his pass completion was appalling at best.

[scawsby steve]

One change for me; Copps for Sheaf.

[Chris Black come back]

They have not scored an away goal in open play in the league since 14 September.