Sunderland (H) - Sat 6th Dec, 15:00 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Both of their centre midfielders (Xhaka and Sidiki) are one booking away from a suspension, so hopefully they'll pick up yellows tonight at Anfield. Seen some Sunderland fans actually willing them to do so, in order to ensure they're available against Newcastle the following weekend!

Normally, one, or possibly both of these would be getting a yellow tonight at Candfeild. But Pigmol will be looking at the bigger picture and let them foul with impunity. You heard it here first folks!

 

[BlueMonkey79]

.................. Donnarumma..............
....Nunes.... Dias.... Stones.... Gvardiol........
............. .... O'Reilly... Nico.............
.... Doku.......... Foden........... Moush.......
................. ..... Haaland..................

Nico needs help holding midfield. I think O'Reilly is the best fit for this.

Sunderland are another team full of runners and play with a high tempo.

Another tough test...

Could go either way but hopefully being at home will give us the advantage.

 

[johnny crossan]

.................. Donnarumma..............
....Nunes.... Dias.... Stones.... Gvardiol........
............. .... O'Reilly... Nico.............
.... Doku.......... Foden........... Moush.......
................. ..... Haaland..................

Nico needs help holding midfield. I think O'Reilly is the best fit for this.

Sunderland are another team full of runners and play with a high tempo.

Another tough test...

Could go either way but hopefully being at home will give us the advantage.

fairly certain Cherki will start

 

[BlueMonkey79]

fairly certain Cherki will start

Don't think he's at the required level of fitness yet. I think he's more effective coming on as a sub at the moment.

 

[Cobwebcat]

I’m not saying it’s an easy win but Sunderland have been the second luckiest team in the PL this season (after Villa) so they aren’t performing in a way which reflects the points they have got and will soon start to drop down the table if they continue at this level.

Pep says they are an excellent side but he says that of all our opponents. I expect them to easily stay up and they run for each other but really we should be passing this team to death.

As an aside I remember their visiting fans to be the loudest I can remember.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

View attachment 176500

I really like the look of that team.

 

[MCFC1993]

Both of their centre midfielders (Xhaka and Sidiki) are one booking away from a suspension, so hopefully they'll pick up yellows tonight at Anfield. Seen some Sunderland fans actually willing them to do so, in order to ensure they're available against Newcastle the following weekend!

That would be nice. Leeds (H) coming up too. Whereas they may just view us as a free hit, although after watching us recently maybe not!

 

[Rammy Blue]

I really like the look of that team.

Switch Stones in for Dias and it’d do for me.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Switch Stones in for Dias and it’d do for me.

I can't disagree with that, Dias has become a shadow of his former self, sadly.

 

[117 M34]

Ait nouri and rico lewis in for o reilly and nunes.
Cherki in for bernardo or reijnders

 

[kurteiz]

I want Khusanov to start at rightback. Nunes has improved but still gets caught in possession and gives away the ball in crucial areas. I'd like to see Ait-Nouri at leftback, with O'Reilly ahead of him or in the middle. Doku has started to drift to much inside for my liking, leaving O'Reilly to cover the leftwing by himself. Gvardiol hasn't looked assured this season, so I wouldn't mind Ake or even Stones instead, although he didn't play well last night.

 

[Banano]

Sunderland to go 3 up by half time and to City win 4-3. Pep is just playing games with us all

 

[TurboDuo]

I want Khusanov to start at rightback. Nunes has improved but still gets caught in possession and gives away the ball in crucial areas. I'd like to see Ait-Nouri at leftback, with O'Reilly ahead of him or in the middle. Doku has started to drift to much inside for my liking, leaving O'Reilly to cover the leftwing by himself. Gvardiol hasn't looked assured this season, so I wouldn't mind Ake or even Stones instead, although he didn't play well last night.

Everyone wants to see that

 

[Gabriel]

Even if we take a three-goal lead, I think Sunderland will still fancy their chances if they can get back into it. There’s a nervousness about us, and the moment we stop going at teams with purpose and just look to keep possession, the worse it becomes. Similarly, no idea whose responsibility defensive coaching is, but we cannot have our whole team in and around the six-yard box at corners, leaving an arc of opponents on the edge with a free shot. Schoolboy stuff.

 

[paulchapo]

Sunderland have done much better than many expected. They've obviously got something about them and don't give up as Saturdays result proved. People who have studied them in more depth say they are the sort of team who's style always cause us problems. Mind you given our performances lately id say that's every bloody team lol.

 

[Withnail]

Sunderland in a patchy run of form at the moment. One win in four, they got battered by Fulham (they should have lost by much more), got a bit lucky against Arsenal, and were pretty naff against Everton before that. But they played the perfect game against Chelsea, having almost none of the ball while creating high quality chances, and got that rousing win against Bournemouth last weekend. They have so much fight, energy, and a bit of quality to go with it, which is a nightmare combo for us at the moment.

I think we've got to go solid back four, two defensive DMs, and then four attacking players for this one. Try to let them have the ball, a la Bournemouth, Liverpool, and United, in the hopes that we just let them punch themselves out. I think if we try to "play" they will just sit tight, hit us fast on the transitions, and do us in. Leeds were the better team for 45 minutes last weekend and Sunderland will be looking at what they did. Isidor is more of a threat than Calvert-Lewin and I'd want Stones in for Bernardo for extra height.

Donnarumma
Khusanov, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol
Gonzalez, O'Reilly
Foden, Cherki, Doku
Haaland

Nunes has played too much football recently and looks like a mistake could happen at any moment for him. Bernardo too looks like he can't play as much football as he's being asked to, plus we need Stones' height and experience at the back right now. Reijnders is looking better, and took his goal well against Fulham, but I think we need Cherki just to help us keep the ball up the pitch for longer periods - and every time he comes on the pitch he creates something, which will be needed in a tight game.

Hopefully Sunderland give 100% of everything at Liverpool tonight and end up knackered for Saturday.

Decent line up that, it's either Cherki or Reijnders for the attacking midfielder role. Cherki possibly just shades for me after his excellent cameo last night.

 

[Eaststander1]

Hopefully Sunderland give 100% of everything at Liverpool tonight and end up knackered for Saturday.

The chances are that they will lose at Liverpool tonight, and be hellbent on puttin' things right at the Etihad!

 

[uwerosler28]

I really like the look of that team.

I don't think we should be shoving Foden back central when the last 2 games he has excelled back out on the right where he previously won POY.

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

9-8 to us, after going 8-0 up at half-time.

 

[eastmanc]

6-5

cmon

I'd take that.:-)