Sunderland Match Thread (17th October 2009)

[The 5th Benitel]

Whatever your personal views on which competition is more important (& i'd always take the CL), it isn't even a discussion given our financial state.

 

Lyon is effectively a home/away for £10m.

 

Any doubt on a key player's fitness & he needs to rest to ensure he can play against the French.

 

The league is far more important to the fans and they turn on you it wont matter how much you earn from the CL. I'm a fan with no pretentions of being an accountent and i know which one i want to see us win. Also, the longer we go without winning anything the more our fan base is likely to dwindle and i think the league is a far better bet than the CL this year.

[PaulMcC]

Is Kuyt out too? And Mascherano will be fucked. Lucas played 90 minutes for Brazil as well.

[the walsh]

if we dont either gerrard or torres on the pitch we will be lucky to get a draw sunderland will be up for this i see a certain defeat here. fat head has a great record against us hopefully we can squeeze a win.

[Megadrive Man]

I think this will be the match that shows up how painfully thin our squad is this season.

 

Bent and Jones are one of the best attacking strikeforces in the league this year and miles better than anything we've got bar Torres.

 

Even if Gerrard,Torres and kuyt play they will only be half fit and not good enough for a tough game like this one.

[Cliff T. Beast]

We need everyone fit for wednesday and sunday. If torres, gerrard or whoever isn't fully fit they don't play.

Gk. Reina

Rb. Johnson

Cbs. Carra and skrtel

Lb. Aurelio

Rm. Babel

Lm. Riera

Cm. Lucas

Cm. Spearing

Ss. Yossi

St. Ngog

[Code]

We have a pretty decent away record the last seasons against Sunderland, so usually this would be a game I would consider as one of the easy ones.

 

This seasons I`m not so sure though, like someone mentioned before, Bruce seems to have the edge over Rafa and his teams always performs against us.

 

We have injuries to important players, we are underperforming every time we are up against a half decent team and Sunderland have got a promising start this season when they finally have got some quality up front.

 

Results Sunderland away:

2008-08-16 Sunderland - Liverpool 0-1

2007-08-25 Sunderland - Liverpool 0-2

2005-11-30 Sunderland - Liverpool 0-2

2002-12-15 Sunderland - Liverpool 2-1

2002-04-13 Sunderland - Liverpool 0-1

2001-02-10 Sunderland - Liverpool 1-1

1999-11-20 Sunderland - Liverpool 0-2

1997-04-13 Sunderland - Liverpool 1-2

Overall: 8 1 1 6 4-12 19 points

[Kevin D]

Don't fancy this. I can just see Craig Burley bringing out the list of cliches on Saturday night as we struggle to a draw. Given this is Sunderland away, I should be far more certain of the result.

[Conor]

We could be in trouble here.

If the injuries and jetlag affect us we could have the following team:

 

Reina

Johnson Carra Skrtel Dossena

Kuyt Spearing Aurelio Riera

Yossi

Babel

[Brownie]

Stop being a bunch of doom-mongering fannies!

 

-------------Reina

 

Johnson--Carra--Skrtel--Aurelio

 

Benayoun--Gerrard--Mascherano--Riera

 

---------Torres--Babel

 

I'd go with that. Something a bit different with Babel up front but I think he's been much better in the last few games and possibly deserves a chance.

 

Torres and Gerrard will be fine, IMO.

[Mathewbet1]

Torres will play and we will win.

[Volle]

Zenden joins Sunderland on a free transfer according to The Guardian.

[Carra_is_legend]

Is Kuyt out too? And Mascherano will be fucked. Lucas played 90 minutes for Brazil as well.

 

Kuyt has declared himself fit according to the Echo.

[Unrighteous]

I have thought for weeks that we'll lose this one. They'll be well up for it.

[Ted]

Hasn't Benitez only ever had one league victory over Steve Bruce?

[The Chef]

Sunderland 3 (Bent 60, 70, Jones 85)

L 0

 

Negged......for being neg

[hamstrung]

Kuyt has declared himself fit according to the Echo.

 

"Its only a flesh wound"

 

[Xherdan]

Stop being a bunch of doom-mongering fannies!

 

-------------Reina

 

Johnson--Carra--Skrtel--Aurelio

 

Benayoun--Gerrard--Mascherano--Riera

 

---------Torres--Babel

 

I'd go with that. Something a bit different with Babel up front but I think he's been much better in the last few games and possibly deserves a chance.

 

Torres and Gerrard will be fine, IMO.

 

 

Thats the fucking spirit, this lot are fucking shit.

[Xherdan]

"Its only a flesh wound"

 

 

 

 

I love how the blood spews from his arm after that. Comedy genius.

[Guest LFD]

---------------------Reina-----------------------

 

Degen-----Carragher------Skrtel---------Dossena

 

------------Lucas---------Plessis----------------

 

Babel---------------Benayoun--------------Riera

 

---------------------Voronin---------------------

 

*Vomits*

[diamondjoe]

Steve Bruce is a fat headed, bent nosed knob jockey and he'll be sniffling out of his big fat bent nose on Saturday after we spank them 3-1, the fat headed cock.

I predict 3 wins this week.

[Carra_is_legend]

---------------------Reina-----------------------

 

Degen-----Carragher------Skrtel---------Dossena

 

------------Lucas---------Plessis----------------

 

Babel---------------Benayoun--------------Riera

 

---------------------Voronin---------------------

 

*Vomits*

 

Eh? Johnson, Insua, Mascherano and Kuyt are not injured you know?

[Guest LFD]

Eh? Johnson, Insua, Mascherano and Kuyt are not injured you know?

 

Oh good.

[gaz181]

------------------Reina-----------------

 

Johnson---Skrtel---Carragher------Aurelio

 

----------Lucas---Mascherano----------

 

Kuyt-----------Benayoun-----------Riera

 

----------------Babel-------------------

 

 

It would be a big ask for Agger to play his third game in a week so soon after coming back from injury so for that reason I'd leave him out.

 

If either Lucas or Mascherano can't play I'd give Spearing a go but they both should be fine. I'd give Babel a go up top and keep Kuyt down the right.

 

Aurelio over Insua at left back, mainly because our chances of scoring from a set piece improve by 124.82% when he's on the pitch.

 

Time for certain players to step up and take responsibility.

 

Sunderland 0 L 2.

[Guest LFD]

Kuyt, Benayoun, Babel and Riera all need to play, but I'm not sure who should play where and I don't think Benitez doesn't either.

[PaulMcC]

I'd be tempted to play N'Gog but i think we'd have to play 2 up front.