The clash with City is a difficult game, with Sunderland on a terrible run at the moment. Bad runs happen to all teams once in a season, but this is a particularly torrid time for Black Cats fans. The question is, do we want games to come up quickly in succession, or do we prefer a break between games so that the team can try to get their act together? We have no choice, of course, but I for one hope the team are in better shape psychologically now that they have licked their wounds and key players like Campbell and Turner are back in contention after long-term injuries.

The only tactic I would venture to advise Steve Bruce to follow for Sunday's game is to play the team that won 3-0 at Chelsea in November, and tell them to be just as fearless! That was a day that no true supporters will forget, and the team for that demolition of the Blues was:
01 Gordon
02 Bardsley
03 Richardson
04 Turner
05 Onuoha
09 Bramble
06 Cattermole
07 Zenden
10 Henderson
17 Welbeck
33 Gyan

Just one problem, much of the team is available, but it would take a miracle recovery from Kieran Richardson to be fit, as well as Turner and Gordon not yet being fully at match fitness apparently. Oh, and Onuoha is ineligible. So aside from those minor details all is well with the plan, but in all seriousness we do need someone to come out and rally the players at a ground where we scored 3 goals last season.

The lads could obviously go out and play as well as they did at Arsenal, and draw 0-0, but for the team’s morale we need goals, and more goals. And in contrast to that day we can have both Welbeck and Gyan upfront for the 90, with the Ghanaian’s confidence sky–high after his excellent goal at Wembley this week.

So as a typical optimistic and biased Sunderland supporter I am looking for the bad run to come to an end tomorrow, against a depleted City, but in all honesty, a point would feel like a victory.

PS - A quick afterthought about the selective memories of football managers: Kenny Dalglish was quoted on Soccernet as 'seeking clarification' as to who decides whether a penalty should be awarded, the referee or one of his assistants.

He said: "The only thing I would say about the penalties is one was given by the referee and one by the linesman. If they just tell us when the linesman takes over the authority from the referee, then I think we will understand it better. We had the benefit of it two weeks ago at Sunderland and I don't know why. I still don't know why two weeks later. I know the linesman is there to be of assistance to referee. But it would be important if they tell us when they overrule the ref because he was only 10 yards from play for the second one.''

So Kenny, be careful what you are moaning about, you looked quite happy when things went in your team's favour at the SSOL. We did not see you protesting the apparent inconsistency to the 3rd official then.
©Lars J.S. Knutsen

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