Match Thread Coventry v Sunderland Championship Playoff 1st Leg Friday 9th May (48 Viewers)

[DT-R]

Quietly confident about this one. I think as long as we can take a good 2 goal cushion in to the away leg we should be OK.
I don't want to be Notts County though. Yes, we've just beat them in the league, yes their current form is dreadful, but that doesn't mean we've already won before we've even kicked a ball. Let's not gloat online about how we're gonna smash them #RoarUsToWembley etc. Let the gloating be done once we've got 2 wins on the board.
But play like we did against them, WBA and Boro and there's absolutely no reason this isn't in the bag. Turn up away like we did at Derby, Plymouth and Luton and we'll give them the confidence to go and win it.
Still think the momentum is ours and we "should" make it through though.
Same starting 11 for me with the options of BTA, JDS, EMC (hopedully) off the bench. If we can get to a comfortable score early doors like we did in the league match then we can think about resting legs (Sheaf, Thomas, Rudi etc) for the 2nd leg/Wembley.
I'm saying 3-1 then a 1-1 away.

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[chiefdave]

View attachment 42929

A friends daughter is a regular at their games and doesn’t think they have any chance at all of beating us

Get a result in the first leg and their fans will be giving their players stick from kick off

 

[Johhny Blue]

Sunderland will have some Deja vu of sorts.
Bristol City draw from 2 down to hand Coventry the easy game

 

[clint van damme]

I thought Bidwell had a decent game against Middlesbrough. I would stick with the same starting eleven if everyone is fit.

I don't think we'll deviate barring injury

 

[clint van damme]

Some

Quietly confident about this one. I think as long as we can take a good 2 goal cushion in to the away leg we should be OK.
I don't want to be Notts County though. Yes, we've just beat them in the league, yes their current form is dreadful, but that doesn't mean we've already won before we've even kicked a ball. Let's not gloat online about how we're gonna smash them #RoarUsToWembley etc. Let the gloating be done once we've got 2 wins on the board.
But play like we did against them, WBA and Boro and there's absolutely no reason this isn't in the bag. Turn up away like we did at Derby, Plymouth and Luton and we'll give them the confidence to go and win it.
Still think the momentum is ours and we "should" make it through though.
Same starting 11 for me with the options of BTA, JDS, EMC (hopedully) off the bench. If we can get to a comfortable score early doors like we did in the league match then we can think about resting legs (Sheaf, Thomas, Rudi etc) for the 2nd leg/Wembley.
I'm saying 3-1 then a 1-1 away.

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Some good points re: the Notts County comparisons

 

[quinn1971]

A friends daughter is a regular at their games and doesn’t think they have any chance at all of beating us

Get a result in the first leg and their fans will be giving their players stick from kick off

I always thought the higher you finish the better chance you’ve got of going up, but theyv‘e made an absolute balls up of it, don’t know if they’ve been told to take easy and save it for the play offs or they’re just not that good, but to lose 5 on the bounce scoring only 1 is a hard mindset to just turn around, def need to go there with a lead, but we couldn’t have a better chance, beat Mboro to get the play offs then Sunderland to get to the final, couldn’t have planned it any better

 

[clint van damme]

I always thought the higher you finish the better chance you’ve got of going up, but theyv‘e made an absolute balls up of it, don’t know if they’ve been told to take easy and save it for the play offs or they’re just not that good, but to lose 5 on the bounce scoring only 1 is a hard mindset to just turn around, def need to go there with a lead, but we couldn’t have a better chance, beat Mboro to get the play offs then Sunderland to get to the final, couldn’t have planned it any better

5th place has a higher play off win rate than 4th - just!

 

[blunted]

Just to take your minds off it, I’m in the departure lounge at Gatwick, having brekkie before flying off for two weeks in sunny Antigua, that should be enough to keep your minds off the game. Hahaha

365 beaches, one for each day of the year. Love Runaway beach where friends used to run the diving school. There used to be several beaches where the bars ran happy hours sequentially. All the piss heads used to meander from one beach to the next for the cheap booze. Hilarious the later it got.

 

[procdoc]

I think the team will be:
Wilson
MVE Thomas Kitching Dasilva
Grimes Sheaf
Sakamoto Rudoni Wright
Simms

 

[JSL]

I think the team will be:
Wilson
MVE Thomas Kitching Dasilva
Grimes Sheaf
Sakamoto Rudoni Wright
Simms

I think Bidwell will keep his place and we will be unchanged

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

A win in the first game (preferably by at least 2 goals) Let's face it though, anything can happen. Our last few home games / and the atmospheres give me hope that we will (at least) turn up for the occasion. Sunderland have some good players, but their team seems in a state of torpor (always believe!) at the moment.

 

[Hobo]

A win in the first game (preferably by at least 2 goals) Let's face it though, anything can happen. Our last few home games / and the atmospheres give me hope that we will (at least) turn up for the occasion. Sunderland have some good players, but their team seems in a state of torpor (always believe!) at the moment.

A win would be nice. But a draw wouldn't be a disaster. We might get more space in behind at their place. Plus at their place the emphasis is on them.

What I don't want is us going up there with any complacency and thinking the tie is over.

 

[quinn1971]

A win in the first game (preferably by at least 2 goals) Let's face it though, anything can happen. Our last few home games / and the atmospheres give me hope that we will (at least) turn up for the occasion. Sunderland have some good players, but their team seems in a state of torpor (always believe!) at the moment.

perfect Scenario, they’ve got to beat us at some point, Like us v Preston, we win 2-0 at our place and lose 1-0 at theirs, they get there win they’re due( prob won’t get another one for years) , and it’ll be the flattest ever win, perfect

 

[quinn1971]

perfect Scenario, they’ve got to beat us at some point, Like us v Preston, we win 2-0 at our place and lose 1-0 at theirs, they get there win they’re due( prob won’t get another one for years, and it’ll be the flattest ever win, perfect

Actually, bollocks to that beat em twice

 

[clint van damme]

A win would be nice. But a draw wouldn't be a disaster. We might get more space in behind at their place. Plus at their place the emphasis is on them.

What I don't want is us going up there with any complacency and thinking the tie is over.

Drew the last play off semi at home and won the away leg but yeah, would be nice to give ourselves an advantage.

 

[Great_Expectations]

Like most of the football world I think O’Nien is a tosser. I also think he’s bang average at football and not a natural CB.

Simms to use all the aggression he’s saved all season to pull him around all over the place, ready for BTA to his pace against his tired legs.

I also think Mepham is a donkey too.

Play anywhere near our potential and we have to be confident.

 

[wingy]

Why is Aidan Dausch 2nd favourite to score on friday night?
View attachment 42946

Motivation?

 

[quinn1971]

Like most of the football world I think O’Nien is a tosser. I also think he’s bang average at football and not a natural CB.

Simms to use all the aggression he’s saved all season to pull him around all over the place, ready for BTA to his pace against his tired legs.

I also think Mepham is a donkey too.

Play anywhere near our potential and we have to be confident.

They looked scared shitless every time wright ran at them, shame without EMC playing wrights out wide, he’ll still give them problems but they’ll have it easy against simms, dont Get why Asante couldn’t play on the left, created the 2nd goal from there yesterday, and put wright down the middle again

 

[Calista]

I believe either version is acceptable, though the z is favoured state-side.

Stateside

 

[clint van damme]

Stateside

Bit niche but....

 

[Hincha]

The confidence in others is reducing my confidence - we still need to perform at our best to beat these

Southampton finished poorly last year and turned it on for the play offs, so Sunderland could too

Le Fée and Ballard being back (neither played in the league match) makes them a lot better as well

 

[robbiethemole]

First pics of the day, Mrs mole necking the rum already!!

 

[skyblue_55]

It would seem that since their Dubai trip , they have experimented with different formations & personnel & as we know , come up with 5 straight loses .
A strange manager , with his team now floundering & hopelessly out of form , so let’s just hope that we can make it 7 straight loses !

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

First pics of the day, Mrs mole necking the rum already!!

Forget that, show the food

 

[Paxman II]

Book your Wembley tickets!

 

[fernandopartridge]

Their heads are completely gone, can only hope their players feel the same

It’s Coventry

In the play-offs. Do we have any chance?

www.readytogo.net

I mean tbf they are an exceptionally bipolar fan base. They thought they were a couple of seasons from winning the Champions League after the first few games this season.

 

[pusbccfc]

I mean tbf they are an exceptionally bipolar fan base. They thought they were a couple of seasons from winning the Champions League after the first few games this season.

They really don't help themselves. Must be a very tough club to play for. Constant pressure and little support.

 

[Noble]

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

The last bit is spot on

 

[kg82]

Like most of the football world I think O’Nien is a tosser. I also think he’s bang average at football and not a natural CB.

Simms to use all the aggression he’s saved all season to pull him around all over the place, ready for BTA to his pace against his tired legs.

I also think Mepham is a donkey too.

Play anywhere near our potential and we have to be confident.

Get at Hume as well. Good player, but always looks like he’s got a red card in him. Pretty sure there was a game in the not too distant past where I thought he should’ve been off against us.

 

[Blake]

I can't imagine he'd start Jamie Allen over Sheaf, but Jamie Allen had a fantastic game against them in the 3-0 win.

 

[SkyblueTexan]

I found this interesting and thought I’d share

 

[Lamps]

The confidence in others is reducing my confidence - we still need to perform at our best to beat these

Southampton finished poorly last year and turned it on for the play offs, so Sunderland could too

Le Fée and Ballard being back (neither played in the league match) makes them a lot better as well

Le Fee played the full 90 minutes. Seems to have totally lost all interest. Was a waste of a place in the side to them. Ballard isn't a bad player but he wouldn't get into our side.

Their confidence is in shreds. They now play not to lose instead of trying to win but defensively they're not very good. Onion is a poor excuse of a Championship player. They can't cope with high balls into their area.

But what I think has caused the most problems are their own supporters. They see themselves as the best in the world. They see their club as one of the biggest in England although they've hardly won anything for a century. They get on their players backs constantly when things aren't going to plan because they see it as their right to be able to. Their players seem to have just given up.

Even though they had a bad last couple of months they still had a very good season especially as they have a young squad. They did their lap of honour after the game to a near empty stadium as they thought their players didn't deserve one. They're jealous of their 'Saudi' local rivals. Envious isn't a big enough word. Their home ground has become quieter than a library.

If we start off well they will soon be on their own players backs. Their rights come before their support of their own players. We're the last side they wanted to meet in the playoffs. We're loud and proud. They haven't won at our place since something like the 80's. Not beat us at home since about 2007.

Of course we should be confident. Lampard won't let us be overconfident. If we get an early goal I can't see anything but a place in the final.

 

[baldy]

Crap plus sounds nothing like him

 

[Otis]

Bit niche but....

View attachment 42947

Marc McNulty has let himself go a bit, hasn't he.