Match Thread Sunderland - Coventry City Match Thread - Tuesday 13th May (92 Viewers)

[Jimmy87]

I think whatever they come up with, whatever line up they put out, adaptability will be key. If it's not working then Lampard needs to have the bravery to change things early or try something different.

 

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[clint van damme]

Well in fairness simms has been playing all season and offered next to nothing so why does he become prime Batistuta when hes dropped ?

It happens with all our strikers, should have played Bassette, he plays, should have played Simms, he plays, should have played BTA,
It tells me none of them are good enough, (currently in Basettes case and Id still like to see if we could develop him).

 

[Flying Fokker]

Well in fairness simms has been playing all season and offered next to nothing so why does he become prime Batistuta when hes dropped ?

Partly because this is Sunderland and he still needs to prove a point…can’t do that when you’re on the bench. Although that in itself speaks volumes.

 

[Rob Roy]

The bookies may well make Sunderland winning a foregone conclusion - haven't seen the odds - but the scenarios one way and another for both teams are so simple that the tie remains in the lap of the Gods.

Against Sheffield United this season at the SOL we set up as per last night and won 2 v 1 - again break away goals (from memory) by Isidor and Mayenda won it for us. What would happen if you score first is a moot point; but it's well known that once on the pitch the Sunderland players decide what the tactics are, game situation dependant.

For coventry you have a couple of things going for you in my opinion:

1. I noted last night the number of goals scored after 75 minutes - wouldn't be surprised too see a late goal - smash and grab finishes the tie emphatically; and
2. The number of headers you score is massive and has to be a worry - note you scored another one last night

The attendance, due to segregation restrictions, will probably be around 45k (ground holds circa 48k/49k) and I tried to cast my mind back to similar midweek games in front of 45k plus on Wearside in a cup tie situation, which is what this effectively is. From memory we have done ok and for example we played Sheffield Wednesday a couple of years ago in the SF of the play offs and won 1 v 0.

However for Coventry all you have to do is score after say 10 minutes and leave the winner until late on and thats a very simple manner of victory.

My worry if I were a Coventry fan would be the obvious one - Isidor and Mayenda. They have pace to burn. You saw Le Fee open up your defence with one pass for Isidor to score the first. He is a talented lad. O'Nein (roundly booed and discarded by the opposition) is the talisman for the team - huge in terms of team influence.

As I said last night I've watched football for 58 years (first match was 1967) and I've seen matches won and lost in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways; so I cant say there is any scenario that would surprise me on Tuesday.

Our recent home record is poor, but everyone (including me; ever the skeptic) asked the question last night of whether our recent record is more about taking the foot off the gas knowing that the play offs had been attained - and the answer looks like yes; so our recent record at home may count for absolutely nothing.

But the tie is very much alive and either of the sides could be celebrating a hard won victory on Tuesday. All both sides...and their supporters can do, is give it a go and see where life takes you.

Finally, please let's have none of this "Sunderland will be over confident" stuff. We aren't Liverpool and our history is littered with disappointments. Absolutely nobody on Wearside/County Durham is talking about foregone conclusions. Coventry still poses a considerable threat to us; particularly in the air.

Safe journey to those attending from Coventry.

 

[Tommo1993]

Partly because this is Sunderland and he still needs to prove a point…can’t do that when you’re on the bench. Although that in itself speaks volumes.

You can’t just want to prove a point against former teams, this isn’t Sunday league.

 

[alexccfc99]

Can we do it? Of course we can

Do I THINK we will do it? Probably not, I think it’s a bridge too far

But who knows, an early goal and we are back to square one and the home support are restless

BELIEVE and go for it City

 

[alexccfc99]

An actual paid and supposedly respected journalist by the way… they are fucking vile that lot

Soon as the shoe is on the foot though they are crying to the media asking for our away fans to be banned from their ground

 

[jordan210]

Gone win 4-0 so no panic lads.

 

[alexccfc99]

Just had a flick on their forum and I can’t believe I am seeing someone of a CCFC persuasion waving the white flag to of all the fanbases on all the football forums in the world, that lot on there - Why you’d want to spend your time on a website where we are hated I will never know - I’m not confident but I’d never feed their already huge ego and opinion of themselves

 

[Sick Boy]

We need a much higher temp moving forward. It's the only way to get Wright, Saka, EMC space to work in. Otherwise they just get 2 men on them tight when they receive the ball.

Sunderland will play the same way, have we the players capable of breaking down a low block? Our history isn't great.

Whatever, surely Frank now knows we need a proper centre forward, a more forward playing central midfielder as well as defensive cover.

I think he’s tried to find a system that works with the players we’ve got. We need some big changes upfront for a proper plan B next season.

 

[Sick Boy]

Just had a flick on their forum and I can’t believe I am seeing someone of a CCFC persuasion waving the white flag to of all the fanbases on all the football forums in the world, that lot on there - Why you’d want to spend your time on a website where we are hated I will never know - I’m not confident but I’d never feed their already huge ego and opinion of themselves

More than a few on here have already thrown in the towel.

 

[Grendel]

Does last night poor some cold water on the 'Simms doesn't offer anything!' meme? In this system vs. a team sitting deep, I'm convinced that role is sacrificial, and the Wright hat trick made people think it's not.

No it’s conflating a players value when he hasn’t played.

He isn’t what we need

 

[Tommo1993]

More than a few on here have already thrown in the towel.

Tbf if my personal unexpected happened, some of us would laugh at ourselves. But most towel throwers would probably go into hiding for the night.

 

[Lionelr]

We will win this game! I’m so sure of it. I’d imagine it’ll be the same line up too, could potentially see us working with 2 up front also. Sunderland set up and played like Plymouth did to us, men behind the ball and we struggle to break it down. I’d imagine we will be well in tune, much more direct, crosses into the box and a lot more aggressive and hungry in the rematch. Frank has experienced this before with Derby and achieved a result vs Leeds. It’s a game that suits us to a tee!

 

[Speedie's Head]

I think he’s tried to find a system that works with the players we’ve got. We need some big changes upfront for a proper plan B next season.

I think Frank accepted that starting BTA was a mistake. We thought so here before the game. Ellis isn't working out and it's forcing Haji out of position, where he's much less effective. He has to drop deeper than he did at times last season with the back four. It's really the EMC's injury that's been the problem but I'd start him on Tuesday and put Haji back down the middle where he looks much more dangerous. With all the play very predictably coming down the right to have him stuck out on the left is daft if there are alternatives.

 

[clint van damme]

More than a few on here have already thrown in the towel.

What does it matter though?
Everyone on here wants us to win, but if people think we can't go up there, a goal down and win our first away game for 2 months its hardly being unnecessarily pessimistic.

But what posted on here won't make any difference it's all down to the manager and players now.

 

[Tommo1993]

What does it matter though?
Everyone on here wants us to win, but if people think we can't go up there, a goal down and win our first away game for 2 months its hardly being unnecessarily pessimistic.

But what posted on here won't make any difference it's all down to the manager and players now.

Fans always have and will give everything on Tuesday. The players need to match that, because individuals recently really haven’t.

 

[Sick Boy]

What does it matter though?
Everyone on here wants us to win, but if people think we can't go up there, a goal down and win our first away game for 2 months its hardly being unnecessarily pessimistic.

But what posted on here won't make any difference it's all down to the manager and players now.

I was replying to a post about someone going on their forum and throwing in the towel.
As we saw with Sunderland last night, league form is out the window at this point. There's no reason why we can't go up there and win.

 

[Sick Boy]

Fans always have and will give everything on Tuesday. The players need to match that, because individuals recently really haven’t.

Both Simms and Wright owe a massive performance.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

I was replying to a post about someone going on their forum and throwing in the towel.
As we saw with Sunderland last night, league form is out the window at this point. There's no reason why we can't go up there and win.

Even me, as a usual pessimist doesnt understand the derision after the result. If we score in the first 30 minutes the tie is flipped on its head totally.

 

[clint van damme]

I was replying to a post about someone going on their forum and throwing in the towel.
As we saw with Sunderland last night, league form is out the window at this point. There's no reason why we can't go up there and win.

There's plenty of reasons why we can't!
But that doesn't mean we won't.
There were plenty of reasons why they shouldn't have won last night but they did, but I'm hoping against hope really.

 

[chiefdave]

More than a few on here have already thrown in the towel.

It's only one goal but I think there's concern that going into the 2nd leg with a lead they can do exactly the same game plan as they did last night.

 

[David O'Day]

At the risk of being called "over optimistic" by some utter floof I do think we will do this.

 

[Saddlebrains]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

 

[eyesee]

I agree - think we need to go 4-4-2.
I read something about when Lampard was at Derby and they beat Leeds at Elland Rd and he’d been working on some tactical masterclass for the second leg.
Let’s hope he’s got something up his sleeve.

yes.
but let's hope it's not assante.

 

[Kingokings204]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

That’s my view. We do only need to win by one goal to force extra time but yeah it’s just a total hammer blow to lose in that manner. Too much to do from here

 

[Sick Boy]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

In that case it's probably for the best because we'd have zero chance in the final.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

If we went there level I'd have said every chance


To win at their place by 2 goals is just a bridge too far i feel

We only need to win by 1 to take it to extra time.

 

[SkyblueTexan]

I agree - think we need to go 4-4-2.
I read something about when Lampard was at Derby and they beat Leeds at Elland Rd and he’d been working on some tactical masterclass for the second leg.
Let’s hope he’s got something up his sleeve.

Clive asked him the same question in the interview yesterday, but FL said the players were different for Derby. He apparently doesn’t have a plan B.

 

[Saddlebrains]

We only need to win by 1 to take it to extra time.

Weve got a horrendous recent record of extra time and pens so I'd rather avoid that

 

[napolimp]

Most disappointing thing about this tie for me is how we were hyped up. I genuinely started believing we were destined for Wembley, even though my initial gut instinct to making the play offs was that Sunderland were favourites, and it was going to be really tough. As I posted on here. Makes it even harder to face the loss when everyone appeared to be saying Cov were going to walk it.

It actually feels a little better now can face this single match with no expectation of making it to Wembley. We're underdogs, have a go, enjoy it, anything other than a loss would be an incredible bonus. Having said that, we're a goalscoring team and we're probably going to score on Tuesday. Question is are we going to score first.

 

[Ccfcisparks]

Weve got a horrendous recent record of extra time and pens so I'd rather avoid that

Well if it’s going out, or a chance at going through with extra time and pens I’ll take the latter

 

[SkyblueTexan]

If you listened to all the prematch interviews, FL was talking about 3 more games. I think everyone looked past Sunderland to to Wembley and the complacency showed when many were not at their best and shocked to see Sunderland play the low block. That's poor planning on the team's part imho.

The other problem is we lack Torp who was part of the team for both league games this season. He can wriggle his way, take set pieces, shoot/head the ball, cross the ball and give us another weapon. Man do we miss him.

 

[Major Tom]

Obvious statement but it's whoever scores the next goal and if early will determine how they match pans out.

 

[Warwickhunt]

Le-bris will play exactly the same way! Why would he change a winning formulae? We have got To go two upfront and start getting the ball in earlier, obviously try getting around the back when you can but Tat's diagonal balls into the box are far more effective as are EMC's get two players on the edge of their box to pickup 2nd balls