Sunderland fan in peace

[The Cat]

Hello everyone.

First of all, good luck for the new season (after Saturday, obviously).

What are your hopes for the season and how do you see Saturday's game panning out.

Also, anyone on here heading up. You can always get a few pints in a safe environment at our place.

Cheers

[Lighthouse]

We hope that a few more transfers (like yourself) may help what is an ok squad that can do with a few improvents. After last season and the upheavel of a new owner we are looking for a more comfortable season than last year without setting the Prem on fire. The club say top 12. The fans would like a top half finish at least.

The game Saturday means we are away and we don't do very well going forward away from home. Can't see Fulham having enough chances to win. A draw at best but sadly more likely a Sunderland win. But if things click for us who knows?

Fulham a team in transition -  again.

Good luck to Sunderland.

[The Cat]

Thanks - tbh, most teams outside the top 6 are in almost constant transition as the desperation to stay in the league takes over any longer term thinking possibilities.

But - it makes it interesting and much better than being a top 4 bandwaggoner.

We have no real idea what to expect this season. Like you we would love a top ten finish but there are about 10 teams competing for probably 8th, 9th and 10th in reality. I would settle for being safe with 6 games left and then building on that.

Decent crowd expected at sol on Saturday and I think the first 20/25 mins will be critical. No doubt we will come out at 100 miles an hour but whether it brings dividends or not is anyone's guess.

Berbatov is always a danger and if in the mood can affect any game

[Big Martin Jol]

Hi The Cat, welcome to the forum.

You'll find we're all quite downbeat here mainly because our central midfield (particularly Steve Sidwell) just doesn't cut it. We're lacking someone who can act as a creative link between defence and attack and won't give away the ball if he catches sight of an opposition player. We've been hoping for an upgrade since the start of the window but it just hasn't materialised yet - and to be honest, we're likely to be overrun in that area come Saturday.

Having said that we've made a lot of other improvements in the off-season. New goalkeeper (Stekelenburg), centre-back (Amorebieta), defensive midfielder (Boateng), attacking midfielder (Taarabt) and likely striker (Bent) - all of whom could be considered upgrades on what we had before. We're still hoping for a new left back and central midfielder, but once that's done then and the team starts to gel we should have a fairly decent chance of re-entering the top ten. It's a work in progress at the moment.

For the Sunderland match our main area to watch will be the wings: Ashkan Dejagah on the right and Alex Kacaniklic (if fit) on the left. Both are excellent prospects and will probably end up providing most of the service to our forwards. Berbatov has a great understanding with the latter in particular and if he can be bothered to get on the end of a ball then he can do absolute magic with it, so that'll be interesting to watch.

Apart from the Barclays Asia Trophy I can't claim to have been following your pre-season closely so I'd say our best hope of taking three points is facing you before your massive influx of new players have had time to become a functional team - but sadly, due to our legendary away form/midfield weaknesses I can see us going down 2-1.

Unfortunately can't make it up but hoping to catch the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage.

Anyway, sorry to make you read all that. Good luck for the game.

[Bassey the warrior]

Hello everyone.

First of all, good luck for the new season (after Saturday, obviously).

What are your hopes for the season and how do you see Saturday's game panning out.

Also, anyone on here heading up. You can always get a few pints in a safe environment at our place.

Cheers

I'd be very very pleased if we finished top 10 and happy with top 12.
I'm expecting you to dominate the game to be honest, you're likely fitter and your players have had more time to gel. With any luck we'll sneak a point.

[Markffc123]

2-1 ffc win--darren bent to score the winner with a kieron richardson free kick to equalise(thats if he stays on the field as he may hobble off)

[The Cat]

Hi The Cat, welcome to the forum.

You'll find we're all quite downbeat here mainly because our central midfield (particularly Steve Sidwell) just doesn't cut it. We're lacking someone who can act as a creative link between defence and attack and won't give away the ball if he catches sight of an opposition player. We've been hoping for an upgrade since the start of the window but it just hasn't materialised yet - and to be honest, we're likely to be overrun in that area come Saturday.

Having said that we've made a lot of other improvements in the off-season. New goalkeeper (Stekelenburg), centre-back (Amorebieta), defensive midfielder (Boateng), attacking midfielder (Taarabt) and likely striker (Bent) - all of whom could be considered upgrades on what we had before. We're still hoping for a new left back and central midfielder, but once that's done then and the team starts to gel we should have a fairly decent chance of re-entering the top ten. It's a work in progress at the moment.

For the Sunderland match our main area to watch will be the wings: Ashkan Dejagah on the right and Alex Kacaniklic (if fit) on the left. Both are excellent prospects and will probably end up providing most of the service to our forwards. Berbatov has a great understanding with the latter in particular and if he can be bothered to get on the end of a ball then he can do absolute magic with it, so that'll be interesting to watch.

Apart from the Barclays Asia Trophy I can't claim to have been following your pre-season closely so I'd say our best hope of taking three points is facing you before your massive influx of new players have had time to become a functional team - but sadly, due to our legendary away form/midfield weaknesses I can see us going down 2-1.

Unfortunately can't make it up but hoping to catch the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage.

Anyway, sorry to make you read all that. Good luck for the game.

Thanks - great post!

Central midfield is Sunderland's main weakness - we have Cabral (ex Basel) who looks v good but our "best" option to partner him at the moment is Larsson - who isn't a cm!

Like you we have good wide players in Adam Johnson and new boy Giac (who starred for Italy over the summer).

Sounds like we will be fairly evenly matched and the game could turn on which team's flair players find the special moments.

The atmosphere will be really good, mainly driven by Di Canio himself and the feelings generated by everything that happened when we beat Newcas*le 3-0 near the end of last season. He is a cult hero from that, dirty knees etc so has a huge goodwill from the support. I understand that there will be around 44000 there.

[The Cat]

Hello everyone.

First of all, good luck for the new season (after Saturday, obviously).

What are your hopes for the season and how do you see Saturday's game panning out.

Also, anyone on here heading up. You can always get a few pints in a safe environment at our place.

Cheers

I'd be very very pleased if we finished top 10 and happy with top 12.
I'm expecting you to dominate the game to be honest, you're likely fitter and your players have had more time to gel. With any luck we'll sneak a point.

same for us tbh re 10th and 12th

We will probably be fitter if all the accounts of our pre-season are correct but we will likely have 6 debutants in our 11 so how they react to the atmosphere and the pressure is anyones guess.

We could fly out of the blocks and score early in which case the place would explode and it would be difficult for you......or we may play like strangers and be taken apart on the break.

Very difficult to predict. One thing i can confidently predict is that we will have more entertainment than last season, which was frankly dreadful. MON dished up the dullest football I have ever witnessed and how and why our crowd kept showing up I've no idea - but the atmosphere really suffered as it was just so so dull......

[Northern Cottager]

2-1 ffc win--darren bent to score the winner with a kieron richardson free kick to equalise(thats if he stays on the field as he may hobble off)

If he gets the free kick in the first 30 seconds we may have a chance of him bagging one.

[Joe McDonald]

Hello everyone.

First of all, good luck for the new season (after Saturday, obviously).

What are your hopes for the season and how do you see Saturday's game panning out.

Also, anyone on here heading up. You can always get a few pints in a safe environment at our place.

Cheers

I'd be very very pleased if we finished top 10 and happy with top 12.
I'm expecting you to dominate the game to be honest, you're likely fitter and your players have had more time to gel. With any luck we'll sneak a point.

same for us tbh re 10th and 12th

We will probably be fitter if all the accounts of our pre-season are correct but we will likely have 6 debutants in our 11 so how they react to the atmosphere and the pressure is anyones guess.

We could fly out of the blocks and score early in which case the place would explode and it would be difficult for you......or we may play like strangers and be taken apart on the break.

Very difficult to predict. One thing i can confidently predict is that we will have more entertainment than last season, which was frankly dreadful. MON dished up the dullest football I have ever witnessed and how and why our crowd kept showing up I've no idea - but the atmosphere really suffered as it was just so so dull......

I'm hoping our pre-season altitude training will give us the legs to peg you back later in the game - two different camps in Costa Rica and in Austria.  It'll be interesting to see which team settles in to their patterns of play sooner as both teams have had some major changes to personnel

[jarv]

welcome.  Don't listen to the Sidwell moaners on here. He has his limitations but is solid and without him, there are no real ball winners in midfield. He will compete with anyone, but does give away a few dodgy fouls.

[fulham traveller]

thanks the cat, can you chuck on a few beach balls on the pitch, so maybe bent might bang one in, I will be happy with a draw, though expect to lose, with di canio getting his players pumped up

[KP_FFC]

looking forward to the match tomorrow and mainly our new signings

[Berserker]

Hi Cat. I'm heading up to Sunderland today, going to match tomorrow then carrying onto to the in-laws in Edinbugh afterwards
I'm never sure how our season is going to go, or even each game, i keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.
I live in Swindon so have experience of your manager. He did well with them but needed a big transfer budget, which they couldn't sustain

[sumofallparts]

Nice posts and attitude Cat - I generally avoided watching your lot play under MON when televised as it was unbelievably drab football.

Love or hate PDC he makes it exciting and with your new players, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Have a good season :)

PS - Stoke were only just the least enjoyable team to watch 12/13 (after a MON team).

[epsomraver]

welcome.  Don't listen to the Sidwell moaners on here. He has his limitations but is solid and without him, there are no real ball winners in midfield. He will compete with anyone, but does give away a few dodgy fouls.

:plus one:

[The Cat]

Nice posts and attitude Cat - I generally avoided watching your lot play under MON when televised as it was unbelievably drab football.

Love or hate PDC he makes it exciting and with your new players, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Have a good season :)

PS - Stoke were only just the least enjoyable team to watch 12/13 (after a MON team).

Agree wholeheartedly, you should of tried going to watch it every fortnight. It was awful. Amazing that we averaged 40k watching that utter dross. Hoping for much more entertainment this season, expect to score more but concede more.
Let's hope the game tomorrow is one of first 3 on motd (will have to be a belter to be so!!!!)

[The Cat]

thanks the cat, can you chuck on a few beach balls on the pitch, so maybe bent might bang one in, I will be happy with a draw, though expect to lose, with di canio getting his players pumped up

Now that was a great day. I was at the other end of the stadium and knew absolutely nothing about the beachball until I got home!!!!

[Sammyffc]

i for one have been keeping a very close eye on the money spent and the players sunderland have brought in. Watched the pre season games in asia and was impressed by what i saw. lots of attacking intent. Hopefully your new squad , well a 80% different starting 11 will gell tomorrow and show that they are worth it. I am a very optimistic fulham fan and predict a draw haha . only as are away form is dire. we have no attacking pace upfront with berbs on his own , but hopefully now darren bent has signed he will come on and stretch you.  Sessignon is still your dangerman , he does my nut in, always seems to score random goals haha very very good player though. Chances are we will play EXACTLY as we did agaisnt swansea like are last game of the season . defend defend defend and then spring a counter attack, but hopefully not riding are luck this time. will be a very good game though. i also believe from 7th downwards is all up for grabs . lets see what happens !

[valdeingruo]

Im looking forward to see how the new improved Altidore will fit in at Sunderland. The man is full of confindence, has built up some strength and looks to be the real deal. Lets hope he has a 36 match cracker of a season for you. Guess which two i hope he doesnt do well in?