Things can only get better!! Sunderland Thread

[andy_14clark]

Less than one week to go before we hit our first final in just over 20 years.

Also there is the long and messy road until the end of the season as to whether we go up or down. I am torn as to whether we will stay up and beat the drop or get too fatigued and drop down to the Championship.

The excitement of being a Sunderland fan. Exciting times ahead but worrying at the same time. Why can't we just have a relaxing season.

What do you lot reckon of our chances in both situations? Can we upset the odds and beat Man City? Can we build a run together like West Ham and pull away from the drop zone?

[sodhat]

Would you give up the final for Premier League safety if it were offered right now?

I think you can put a run together but with things so tight it may not even have to be massively long a run. You need three teams worse than you and I think there may be...

[Guest]

The League Cup final is a tough ask. But then nobody gave Wigan a shot in last seasons FA Cup final so you never know. City's goals are starting to dry up somewhat but I'd still have to back them to win that.

As for the relegation scrap I think you'll scrape over the line. I did one of them predictor things last week and had Cardiff, Palace and Fulham going down. I must add that I never get predictions right!

Easy to say this now but had Poyet taken over a few games earlier you'd probably be a few points better off at the stage.

Good luck for the rest of the season anyway   

[Guest]

Last time Aguero came back from injury he had the temerity to score with his second touch of the ball. He's supremely gifted and if he's playing there's every possibility he hits the ground running...again. Outside of Sergio, City's front men don't seem to strike fear into the hearts of opposition these days. Admittedly, it would be foolish for Sunderland to assume that Dzeko will have another horror show in front of goal like he did at the weekend but, given the number of goals they were banging in, you'd have to be concerned as a City fan just exactly where the goals wee going to come from.

Sunderland may just be catching them as a good time...if there's such a thing, but commonsense would suggest that City should win this even if they're only playing at 70%

[westisbest]

Think you will lose the cup final. 2-1, something tlike that.

Who do you play in the next round of the FA cup?

As for the league, I think you will survive.

At the start of the season I thought the 3 to drop would be:

WBA
Palace
Cardiff.

Its so tight, any of the bottom 9/10 could go.

[NickisBHAFC]

Prepare next weekend for Gus Poyet to make the final solely about him. Expect a lot of, this club is in a final because of me, it's my dream to come out to Wembley as Tottenham Manager etc.

All joking a side, ill be rooting for you next weekend because of the biggest legend that is Charlie Oatway.

[andy_14clark]

Think you will lose the cup final. 2-1, something tlike that.

Who do you play in the next round of the FA cup?

As for the league, I think you will survive.

At the start of the season I thought the 3 to drop would be:

WBA
Palace
Cardiff.

Its so tight, any of the bottom 9/10 could go.

We play Brighton or Hull in the next round of the FA Cup. Will be our first away game in the cup this year. Hull seem to have our number this season, 3 sendings off against them and we battered them with 9 players down there.

Fingers crossed. We have a vital back end to March after the cup with Palace at Home, Norwich Away and West Ham at Home which for me will be the determining point to how our season will end.

As for the cup we are Man City's bogey team lately but mainly at our ground. But this is neutral so anything can happen. We have to learn at defending set pieces as i have never seen a team as bad as we are at them.

[andy_14clark]

The League Cup final is a tough ask. But then nobody gave Wigan a shot in last seasons FA Cup final so you never know. City's goals are starting to dry up somewhat but I'd still have to back them to win that.

As for the relegation scrap I think you'll scrape over the line. I did one of them predictor things last week and had Cardiff, Palace and Fulham going down. I must add that I never get predictions right!

Easy to say this now but had Poyet taken over a few games earlier you'd probably be a few points better off at the stage.

Good luck for the rest of the season anyway   

I don't think Palace will drop, i reckon Swansea or West Brom to go down with Cardiff and Fulham however we just aren't consistent enough which is a problem that needs resolving (and not to be consistently poor!).

Everyone will back Man City to win as its the obvious bet. No matter what happens though you will not stop listening to the Mackems sing for at least 90 mins. Things can only get better will be blaring from the stands lol

[1GrumpyGolfer]

I think Poyet, or whomever it was, needs to give their half time team talk before the game.  Whatever they said to them at Arsenal seemed to make them a lot more positive and improved the performance no end.  I realise there could have been a number of other contributing factors like the reshuffling, twice, of Arsenal's defence, Arsenal lacking that killer instinct, again, once in control of the game, and Sunderland couldn't have continued to be that bad in the second half.  

Good luck in the final.

[andy_14clark]

I think Poyet, or whomever it was, needs to give their half time team talk before the game.  Whatever they said to them at Arsenal seemed to make them a lot more positive and improved the performance no end.  I realise there could have been a number of other contributing factors like the reshuffling, twice, of Arsenal's defence, Arsenal lacking that killer instinct, again, once in control of the game, and Sunderland couldn't have continued to be that bad in the second half.  

Good luck in the final.

Things could not have been much worse to be fair.

Our main central strikers are just poor. Altidore is just appalling. We may as well have saved the money and just signed Heskey who would offer the same. And Fletcher isn't much good either this year. Borini looks like our strongest threat but has been played out on the wing. He does well in the middle for me giving Giaccherini time with Johnson on the other side. But i think Whickham needs to play more. The kid has confidence from playing at Sheffield Wednesday where he got some goals.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I've got you, Fulham and Cardiff going down

Don't think you'll get enough points from those fixtures to stay up

[1GrumpyGolfer]

AC - I agree Altidore seemed very isolated at Arsenal but then didn't do himself too many favours by throwing his arms about in frustration. I thought Borini was the only one who was willing to put himself about a bit but was isolated out on the wing.

Not seen too much of Wickham, so this may be a little harsh on him, but did see him in the cup game against the Saints. I thought he was one of their best defenders breaking up your attacks and wasting countless counter attacking opportunities to out the game to bed.

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