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

[TFC]

Tell you what would be lovely tomorrow, couple of goals and a clean sheet.

 

[B\connellblue]

What do you know !

Not hard to read between the lines. This is far more serious than we've been told.

 

[Eccles Blue]

If he wins the World Cup in America while leading Spain to the title we better not accept anything less.

I don’t want to get the thread off topic.
Just getting nervous with this lack of clarity surrounding him the past few weeks with this nagging injury.

It just feels off.

That’s what I’ve been thinking.

 

[jimharri]

If he has a decent second half of the season and regains fitness, which most times an ACL recoverer does, then should get far more than that for him. But either way, he needs to either sign a new deal or we need to shift him next summer.

I hope you're right. But that's a big if.

 

[jimharri]

Tell you what would be lovely tomorrow, couple of goals and a clean sheet.

 

[simon23]

Bernardo and Donnurumma are one booking away from a 1 game ban. Need to avoid a booking in next 6 matches - that’s going to be hard work with the officials !

Donarummas booking are nothing to do with the officials...he needs to stop bitching and moaning and he wont get booked

 

[ysmsa]

Ake is only 30. A good player….. certainly good enough to play against Sunderland.

30 going on 50,

When you have no pace to start with and lose that, it's not good.

 

[ysmsa]

This is one of those games that looks like it's going to be frustrating but where the 3 points are all that matters.

We could well go into it with Arsenal having dropped points at Villa in the early KO. Arsenal have not beaten any of the better sides this season.

Good point that

Flat track bully bottle jobs.

 

[ysmsa]

Not trying to be a downer, but it really starting to feel like we're about to see the final few months of Rodri wearing the beautiful sky blue.

It has just been a relationship that has felt off between him and the club now for a few months, and with no news of a contract extension in sight it just feels like he will play for Spain in the USA this summer then make his way to Madrid for hopefully around 90-100M.

Hope I'm wrong, but just doesn't look great.

And rightly so,

No way should the Club be offering a new contract to a player who is not fit and yet to prove they are over a serious injury.

If he was fit a contract would have been offered and signed.

100m, seriously!

Then again, they described a bloke with a broken leg as not hurt :-)

 

[HypnoticBlue]

Donnarumma
Khusanov
Dias
Gvardiol
OReilly
Nico
Silva
Cherki
Foden
Doku
Haaland
3-2

 

[Cuban heels]

I am less confident about this one after Tuesday. OK Nunes and O’Reilly have done well in positions not normally associated with them, but maybe bring Ake in along with Dias and give Gvardiol the left back role, he has already shown he can do the job. On the right we have two alternatives to Nunes, Lewis and Khusanov. All the aforementioned are capable but all are prone to occasional mistakes, but the second half against Fulham showed we need to re-think our defensive strategy.

Ake !! Hes way off it at the moment and has cost us

 

[Blue Hefner]

Bernardo and Donnurumma are one booking away from a 1 game ban. Need to avoid a booking in next 6 matches - that’s going to be hard work with the officials !

I think it’s almost certain that Donna gets booked in this game - I can see it now. Sunderland putting it on him from a corner and he then jumps up and starts barking at the ref

I hope I’m wrong

 

[jimharri]

Donarummas booking are nothing to do with the officials...he needs to stop bitching and moaning and he wont get booked

Telling an Italian to stop bitching and moaning? Good luck with that!

 

[Blue Hefner]

Donnarumma
Khusanov
Dias
Gvardiol
OReilly
Nico
Silva
Cherki
Foden
Doku
Haaland
3-2

Same less Gvardiol for Stones

 

[ESP Blue]

Bernardo and Donnurumma are one booking away from a 1 game ban. Need to avoid a booking in next 6 matches - that’s going to be hard work with the officials !

Providing they don't get booked v Sunderland I can guarantee they will v Palace, especially Donna,. That would mean missing the Brentford cup game which they probably wouldn't have played in anyway.
I just hope Donnarumma doesnt make it too obvious or there be calls for an extra ban.

 

[jimharri]

Anyone running a book on what 9 minute window in the second half tomorrow that Sunderland will score in?

 

[blue cigar]

Big win incoming

 

[Eaststander1]

Sunderland have scored 8 equalisers or winners after the 80th minute of the game this season. They’ve scored 5 after 90mins!

They’re a fit team who keep going to the end.

Absolutely they are, you know it, I know it, but one or two on here seem to be of the opinion that this game will be 'a doddle' for us.

 

[CTIDANDREW]

And rightly so,

No way should the Club be offering a new contract to a player who is not fit and yet to prove they are over a serious injury.

If he was fit a contract would have been offered and signed.

100m, seriously!

Then again, they described a bloke with a broken leg as not hurt :-)

Wait, has there been reporting that the club has not offered Rodri a new contract?
I must have missed that if there has been an update.

I thought the most recent news on that front is that the club wants to extend him to 2029 and want it done by the end of this year.

We will see what happens.
Let's just get him back and healthy for the holiday fixtures.

Also, transfermarket has his value at 90M, so anything less then that would be robbery for the best 6 in world football.

 

[Eaststander1]

Not hard to read between the lines. This is far more serious than we've been told.

I said on here five or six weeks ago that there was more to Rodri's injury than meets the eye, the club have no confidence in it, but they have to keep tellin' Rodri that they do ... and Rodri himself is inwardly dreading going out on the pitch in case he breaks down ..... its like every week he's having an '11th hour' fitness test before games, and failing them ... meanwhile the winter months are now upon us, and so are the bad weather, and difficult pitches.... I likened the situation to the lengthly Colin Bell injury, and how he attempted to restart his career after his injury, he just didn't come back the same player.

And the longer Rodri's out, the worse the doubts and fears will get ......