Since I did a large Reading preview I will keep this one brief. We need to move on from the Blackburn debacle as soon as possible, and we couldn't have had a worse game to try to get over it. Sunderland are loving their return to Championship football, and a bit like Rotherham, have started very well. Much better than I expected them to. I remember when they were under the managment of Peter Reid (anyone remember him?), they had that awful period of the "double-dip" relegation when they fell from the PL to League One in the space of two seasons, of course they used to have one of our old flames Kevin Philips who is somewhat to them what many think of Blisset/Deeney for us. Nice old fashioned stadium that still gets the blood flowing through the vains of the locals. They may live in Newcastle's shadow but I actually prefer them over their rivals. Decent folk. As for us, well it's going to be a very tense affair. Fans' will be expecting a result - and not a loss. A performance would be nice. Starting Davis would be nice, if Kamara is back - starting him on the left would be nice, Kabasele on the bench would be nice and playing a game of football would be even nicer still. Edwards was obviously not happy with how we didn't play full stop at Blackburn. Seriously, 11 training cones would of done a better job. We have to ditch 3 at the back - but can play 4-3-3 with the amount of injuries that are piling up? I don't know. Sarr is hit or miss if he plays and hopefully we have Hause back which will help our defence which cannot seem to stop conceding goals at the moment. Will Edwards be fired if we lose heavily and play like crap again? No, but he will be skating on very thin ice. Our squad as it stands is not good enough with so many out and so many problems. Things might improve when we start getting our better players back, but I cannot see a huge improvement on Tuesday. We know how our side reacts to disapointment. They give us more. Watford 0 Sunderland 2
Sunderland have lost their main striker, but it should stop them from burying us. Their midfield works hard and ours is yet to be seen. Watford 0 Sunderland 4
Both danger men out for Sunderland so this would seem a good opportunity to get things going in the right direction. A performance with a clear gameplan is as important as the result at this stage.
Clearly the gameplan was left on the team bus Tuesday night. As for direction, let's hope Edwards has a working compass.
I can see us coming out with a positive attitude and taking the game to Sunderland after a dressing down from fans, media and probably Edwards, the players should be up for putting it right. If we pass around the edge of our own box constantly again and put in another Blackburn performance, it'll be toxic.
Prefer Sunderland to Newcastle as they don't shill for a bloodthirsty regime, but they're still deluded and I think promotion back one step closer to where they 'belong' has made them even more so, you should have seen some of the shouts for the recently vacant manager's position! Having seen them this season, they look really good, sometimes lacking a bit of cutting edge, but still very much a threat to us as we're certainly no great shakes at the moment! We're both missing some key players, it might come down simply to who is least affected by them, which judging by midweek is not a good prospect for us! I'm really not sure a back 4 would be any more suitable for us, as we still have cloggers in the defence and midfield, and our current right-back options are either naturally left-footed or just plain unsuitable, and besides, if Kamara isn't fit, we won't have a single proper left-back. I also doubt Hause will be fit, I presume his sprain was not long before the Blackburn game as it wasn't communicated before the teamsheet was announced, which would be a big blow as he seems by far our best defender. The one thing I would like to see is Davis start, I respect Edwards giving Bayo a chance in light of his 2 goals in 2 games, but surely Davis has earned a start given his lively performances off the bench (and considering our troubles passing the ball, he does offer a more direct route up the pitch)
Mind you they scored 3 impressive goals without a striker at Reading . But it’s the Championship where nothing seems that predictable.
Sunderland’s 3rd? goal vs Reading was an excellent passing movement and finish. A team goal. And they dominated possession against a team unbeaten at home this season. We, on the other hand, hardly get a shot on target and play like a bunch of strangers. I live in hope again (and again..) that the ‘next’ game is the one we finally click and dominate, play good football and win. But I’m becoming resigned to the feeling that Edwards’ strong words / coaching are having little effect. Luke O’Nien (who is still, I believe, the Watford keepy uppy champion) and his mates will give us a ‘workmanlike Championship 100% effort’ lesson. ‘Sigh’ Prove me wrong Rob. The pressure’s on you. 1-2
Preview on their site : https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/watford-1-win-in-6.1589496/ This stood out ! “They are however very good defensively, with the 3rd best open play xG conceded numbers in the league, and GK Bachmann is performing excellently” Stats can be misleading then .
But the Mackem preview said that despite being very good defensively we'te crap at defending set-pieces.
2-0 down on 30 minutes after another slow aimless start and failing in any way to find one of our own players with a pass longer than 3 yards. Slight change of formation and a substitution (forced by an injury of course) on 35 minutes. We improve marginally, score a lucky deflected goal but ultimately fail to break down their defence again through a lack of any kind of creative play and peter out to a disinterested stagger around the pitch stumbling after Sunderland shadows for the last ten minutes to a roar of groans from the remaining 200 home faithful who reluctantly stuck with it. 5-0 Watford.
But... Now I won't be able to run down to DER (next to the bus stop) to see "WATFORD 8 (EIGHT)..." on the 'videprinter'.
Sunderland ‘till I die was a very good watch. Saturday will go one of two ways… Pedro and Sarr will show some PL shizzle and we’ll win 4-0 Or It’ll be an awful watch, we’ll be 2-1 down huffing and puffing for an equaliser and we’ll get done on the break with 5 minutes to go and I’ll beat the traffic by leaving early. Probably the latter. Pozzo out.
Heart says we win to banish the memories of Tuesday. Head says I've seen us fail to turn up repeatedly when we need to 1-3 The Gino Pozzo song to be piped through the sound system by one of the Supporters committee concerned that the peasants are starting to revolt
I was at the Reading v Sunderland game as a friend is a Mackam and live just down the road from the madejski. As others have said the Lochness Drogba is injured and their other striker went off last night. Think they played 5 at the back initially but changed it just before the injury, then Pritchard who is a CM went up front and Sunderland proceeded to score 2 goals in 2 mins just before the break, 2nd half was all Sunderland. 3rd goal was quality, won’t be a better team goal scored in the championship all season. Their a young team with a bit of experience mixed in. Hard working and hungry. Some youngsters signed or loaned from premiership sides. Left back was impressive, some bloke called gooch played well too. Team unit that ran everywhere and won their individual battles all over the pitch. If form is anything to go by, even with no fit strikers they will create more than we will with what we have to offer. O’nien played centre back, did a decent job! Watford 0-1 Sunderland (9’ some bloke who runs around a lot)
Shows a lot considering we have conceded six goals total in our last three league games. That's a side asking to be sucked into the mire of midtable (or worse) - which is where we are going to be come Xmas time (same squad till January) unless we see a huge improvement in team effort and dedication.
Depends on if Edwards can get a reaction. Their wing play was good, especially down the left. Will out run and outfight is if we don’t change our ways.
Looking forward to them playing 0 forwards, sitting deep and watching us pass between our 3 defenders 10 yards outside our own box.
Heart says we lose with another limp performance from the best championship squad ever. Head says a mixed performance and a draw which is enough for thr clappers to claim HMSPTL is still on track.
65% possession but barely a shot on goal. 0-2. A glance over the shoulder shows the trapdoor to League one distant but coming into view.
"We're going up again, we're going up"...oh..wait... I missed that game as I had a match. I'll miss this one as we have a national knock out 50s v Wimbledon at Hazelwood. I think their first choice forwards are out, Stewart and other chap. However that didn't stop them scoring three v Ince Maximus and Minimus. Good luck everyone,be brave.
Bachmann Kabasele Sierralta Cathcart Gaspar Kayembe Choudhury Gosling Sema JP Bayo Okoye, WTE, Pollock, Morris, Asprilla, Hungbo, Davis. Watford 0 - 2 Sunderland 'Orns!
Has to scrap 3 at the back imo. 4-2-3-1 Davis as the loan striker with JP, Asprilla and Hungbo behind him. Hamza and Kayembe central Hopefully Hause and Kamara are close. FS and Gaspar to fill the rest. Bachmann. Hamza did split the two central defenders 2nd half and I thought it had promise. But in all honesty win, lose or draw all I want is some ******* commitment and desire.
Probably Edwards' most defining game tomorrow. He's had two consecutive ***** performances after which he's told us it's unacceptable, so where would a third leave him? He needs to prove he's both capable of motivating them and showing he's capable of picking the right formation & the right team. I'm not holding out hope
With the injury news he has to go 4 at the back. Bachmann Gaspar Sierralta Hause Kamara Choudhury Asprilla Sarr Pedro Sema Davis If Hause, Kamara and Sarr are not fit then Bachman Gaspar Sierralta Cathcart Morris Choudhury Asprilla Hungbo Pedro Sema Davis We don’t need 2 holding midfielders and until Louza comes back Asprilla is the only viable option we have to bring the ball out of defence. It’s not his preferred position, but I would rather see him there than Kayembe passing it back over and over again.
This needs to be like Xisco's Bristol City moment. However I fear it'll be more like Ivic's Huddersfield moment.
