Home Match Build Up 09/04/2022 L1: OUFC v Sunderland

[Joey]

I disagree with Whyte , yes he has missed chances but was extremely unfortunate against Plymouth and is a real danger .His assists this season are impressive and we look slow without him around the front line ( Taylor , Bodin , Henry )
Kane is quality but has been a bit below par but could still pull the strings .

If Henry is fit he has to play over Whyte. You mention his 10 assists which is all well and good but if he hadn't been playing then in such an attacking team that could have been matched and maybe they'd have scored some goals as well. Across Whyte's career in England he's got a 1 goal every 10 games record, he's just not a good finisher. Henry has the best final ball at the club and is a great goalscorer as well, even if he doesn't have the pace of Whyte.

I'm not sure Whyte's pace is a huge asset either, he doesn't seem as quick as before and often ends up checking back anyway, he certainly doesn't make the most of it.

 

[ECYellow]

Any spare or unwanted adult and child tkt for North Stand I'll gladly take off of anyones hands , not for me and my boy ( season tkts) but a school friend and Dad ...they left it too late as missus wasn't sure then she says yes but tkts gone

Got two adults for SSU going begging if they’re any good to them?

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Brannagan should have fresh legs. McGuane, Sykes, Holland seem in good form. Something like:

Stevens
Long McNally Moore Brown
Brannagan
Sykes McGuane
Whyte Taylor Holland​

Could work.

If we did want to go back to three at the back:

Stevens
McNally Moore Long
Williams Brannagan Brown
Sykes McGuane
Bodin
Taylor​

Dropping Kane? Madness.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Stevens

Long
McNally
Moore
Brown

Kane
Brannagan
Sykes

Whyte
Taylor
Holland

Play a team with some balance and some pace. Go at Sunderland from the start. Bring on the old guard after 60. Forde should make an appearance at some stage.

Subs

Eastwood
Forde
Henry
McG
Bodin
Williams
Er.. Winnal.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

If Henry is fit he has to play over Whyte. You mention his 10 assists which is all well and good but if he hadn't been playing then in such an attacking team that could have been matched and maybe they'd have scored some goals as well. Across Whyte's career in England he's got a 1 goal every 10 games record, he's just not a good finisher. Henry has the best final ball at the club and is a great goalscorer as well, even if he doesn't have the pace of Whyte.

I'm not sure Whyte's pace is a huge asset either, he doesn't seem as quick as before and often ends up checking back anyway, he certainly doesn't make the most of it.

I love Henry and when 100% fit and on form gets in my side somewhere but not alongside Bodin as along with Taylor no pace at all .
Whyte is fast and worries defenders causing them to have to defend deeper .

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Dropping Kane? Madness.

I wish we’d dropped/subbed him against Morecambe…

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Stevens

Long
McNally
Moore
Brown

Kane
Brannagan
Sykes

Whyte
Taylor
Holland

Play a team with some balance and some pace. Go at Sunderland from the start. Bring on the old guard after 60. Forde should make an appearance at some stage.

Subs

Eastwood
Forde
Henry
McG
Bodin
Williams
Er.. Winnal.

Dropping McGuane? Madness.

 

[werthersoriginal]

GK Stevens, shades Eastwood for me.

RB Long, CB Moore, CB McNally LB Brown, our strongest defence and you have to do something about all the goals we have been conceding.

Midfield 3 of Kane, Brannigan and McGuane, don’t really like Kane in the holding role but we don’t have a lot of options so go with all 3 to try and get a hold of the game, should at least be competitive.

RW Whyte, CF Taylor, LW Sykes up top, again not ideal but that 11in a 4-3-3 is probably our most physical, competitive team for me at the moment.

When you are on a bad run (which we are even if it’s a short one) you need to go back to basics and earn the right to play, have a good shape and not give away silly goals. It will be a tight game but we need a win to keep the season alive, they don’t give a lot of goals away so I reckon we are going to need one of those rare clean sheets ourselves then look to nick one.

Or switch the sides of the wingers . We definitely need to play all of our tough hard working players, not that we have many

 

[m]

Going to miss this one.

There should be a law against agreeing to something months ago when you're not really paying attention.

 

[Manorlounger]

Got two adults for SSU going begging if they’re any good to them?

That's no way to talk about myself and Mrs Lounger!

 

[dickwalton1964]

Struggling to get the enthusiasm for this one. The place would have been rocking had we got three points somewhere over the past 2 games but 1 out of 9 has pretty much ended our season. There's always a chance but we are miles too lightweight when it really matters and right now it feels just as it did when we faced Blackpool in the play offs - we are there or thereabouts but you just know we will get out muscled. We are an underdog limping towards the finishing line and I just cannot see us seeing this through.

 

[Blox21]

I think we will this one 2-1 it’s bloody fleetwood that worries me

 

[Mad Dog]

Going to miss this one.

There should be a law against agreeing to something months ago when you're not really paying attention.

That's how they get ya, always pay attention!

 

[Mad Dog]

Struggling to get the enthusiasm for this one. The place would have been rocking had we got three points somewhere over the past 2 games but 1 out of 9 has pretty much ended our season. There's always a chance but we are miles too lightweight when it really matters and right now it feels just as it did when we faced Blackpool in the play offs - we are there or thereabouts but you just know we will get out muscled. We are an underdog limping towards the finishing line and I just cannot see us seeing this through.

Whilst I tend to agree, it's not over yet, and you never know what might happen, it's a 6 pointer, with a chance to take points off a playoff rival, so let's get the place rocking, and at least go down swinging

 

[MarkG]

Sunderland ready for Oxford to 'throw caution to the wind' in crunch play-off clash

Sunderland boss Alex Neil is gearing up for tomorrow's high-stakes game against play-off rivals Oxford United

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

Positive or Cautious: What route should Alex Neil take when he picks his side vs Oxford?

If you were Alex Neil, on Saturday would you stick with the more positive setup we’ve seen recently in games against weaker opposition, or would you make changes to be more cautious?

rokerreport.sbnation.com

Predicted XI: The two changes Alex Neil could make for Oxford United clash

Sunderland will face play-off rivals Oxford United this weekend – but who will start at the Kassam Stadium?

www.sunderlandecho.com

Sunderland boss delivers this verdict on Oxford United ahead of key test

Alex Neil says his scouting mission in midweek underlined the task that faces his Sunderland side this weekend.

www.sunderlandecho.com

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

I’ve gone full circle on this one.

I may be guilty of trying to find the positives after the last week, but I feel as though the way we’ve been backed into a corner could yet be the spark we need.
If we make the play-offs now we will surely have earnt it (11 points required I reckon, so at least 3 wins but probably 4). If we’d got a point at Plymouth and won at Morecambe we’d perhaps only need another 7 or so points and we’d probably have just about done enough, but possibly limped our way into them.

As I say, perhaps this was the spark we needed (on and off the pitch)? I quite like the fact that we have to go for the win tomorrow (not that we’d ever settle for a point at home) but there is something slightly cathartic about being in this situation.

I’ve made my peace with the last week and have a weird feeling that we may just cause one or two surprises yet this season!

 

[Sarge]

close game likely, given what's at stake .... that said, with a full house, this Oxford United squad are more than capable of delivering a proper battering of anyone if we put chances created away - and, if the defence defends properly

reckon it'll be a narrow home win, nicking all 3 points late on

 

[RyanioBirdio]

2-1 home win.

 

[Bath Yellow]

Referee is Ben Toner

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

You heard the man:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1512362891692978176