Likely Sunderland team and data:
Patterson - goalkeeper - youth product - good enough to be attracting the attention of Liverpool, Wolves and Spurs - seemingly.
Cirkin - full back - nominal fee from Spurs - good player on his day but seems to be having regular off days ATM;
Hume - full back - £250k from Linfield - NI captain - steady away
O'Nein - centre back - £250k from Wycombe Wanderers - one of those players every team needs and irritates the opposition. In for the injured Ballard ATM;
Mepham - centre back - loan from Bournemouth - see Cirkin
Total cost of goalkeeper and defence - circa £500k to £1m
Bellingham - £3m from Birmingham City - arguably our best player this season - clearly he isn't here long term - Man United, Dortmund amongst others looking at him
Neil - holding midfield - youth product - started off iffy - grown in confidence as the season has progressed
Aouchiche - circa £500k from Lorient - French U20 - 4rth left winger we have used this season (Clarke sold, Mundle injured, Tommy Watson now injured) canny player
Mayenda - spanish under 17 - 19 years old - £1m euros from Sochaux - hit and miss, missed 2 gild edged chances v Blackburn and Stoke in successive away games
Aleksic - Serbian U19 signed from Radnicki 1923 for a reported £3m - hardly played - looks ok on the ball
Rigg out injured - bruised ankle v Blackburn
Total cost of midfield - circa £7.5m
Striker - Isidor - loan from Zenit - classy on his day and has scored some good goals
Total cost of above strikers = zero
Total cost of starting 11 = circa £8.5m
Likely on bench = Ogansuyi 18 year old Belgian CF - Liverpool offered money for him in the close season - next talent at SAFC?
Roberts - free from Man City - really tricky player on his day but has too many off days
Connelly - former Hull et al CF - not been used much - seems off the pace but has a reasonable reputation
Moore - reserve goalie
Rusyn - Ukrainian forward - likely to be sold in the January window
Alese - signed from WHU - England U20 international - might play instead of Cirkin
The story so far:
We started off brightly and held a 5 point lead at the top of the table. however we dont have the squad depth and experience and 10 injuries have taken their toll on the squad. We seem settled in 4rth - haven't managed to make any headway getting back into the top 3 but then again Middlesbrough and others cant seem to get that 4rth spot off us ATM.
Feature of our season is scoring or conceding late goals so if you are watching on the telly - dont switch off - and if you are at the game - dont leave early.
Conceded a 90th minute equaliser at Ewood Park on Boxing Day and yesterday conceded a 92nd minute sickener to s very poor Stoke team to leave with nothing - having peppered their goal and hit the post twice.
20 games to go so anything can happen and we are probably ones to avoid in the play offs if we get there as on our day we are canny.
Unbeaten at the SOL this season although we have scored late goals to maintain that record.
Lost just 4 times all season which is favourable with even the best in the division so we are a difficult team to beat overall.
Have kept just 1 clean sheet in the last 10 league games - so not overly impressive at the back ATM. Need to tighten up.
Scouting at the club is excellent as is the coaching - emphasis on youth. The whole squad has been acquired for buttons.
If promoted would likely be thrashed most weeks and honestly not sure what our transfer policy would be. No way would we spend say £80m to £100m on players. Would likely take the parachute payments and yo-yo for a bit.
Crowd will be around 40k - really poor weather forecast
Likely result - score draw
Unlikely result - Sunderland win
Big hope v Sheffield United? You have a load of injuries as well - saw after match interview with Wilder after WBA game - and recent performances v Burnley and WBA maybe signal a poor run ATM (every team will have one).
Big surprise if SU win = No.
