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MATCH PREVIEW – Sunderland AFC vs Oldham Athletic: How seriously will Johnson take the Papa John’s Trophy tie?

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Credit: @sunderlandafcofficial instagram - Sunderland face Oldham in the second round of the Papa John's Trophy...

Sunderland welcome League Two strugglers Oldham to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday evening in the second round of the Papa John’s Trophy – a cup the Black Cats won last season. 

The Wearsider’s victory over Cambridge United last weekend was much needed and came courtesy of a goal straight from a corner, before Nathan Broadhead’s superb strike in the 36th minute which proved to be the match winner.

Lee Johnson faces a selection dilemma ahead of the clash with Oldham on Wednesday evening. His side have a growing injury list and given the importance of gaining promotion this campaign, the game with the Latics may be seen as an unwanted distraction.

Will he risk many first team players? As always, opinions are split.

Momentum is everything in football and Sunderland need to win every game they are part of. 

Despite the fact the EFL trophy is not high on the list of priorities for the club, the Black Cats may see the fixture as a chance to gain some much-needed momentum which will improve the sides chances of continuing the unbeaten streak.

Some new names are expected to feature but wholesale changes may not benefit the side. A number of first-team players could do with time under their belt.

Alex Pritchard is finding some form recently and would enjoy an opportunity to find the net against a weak League Two side. Ross Stewart is the top scorer so far this season but hasn’t found the net since the abysmal 5-1 defeat at Rotherham last month – he would welcome a chance to get back on the scoresheet. 

There are younger players who certainly deserve a chance as Johnson is likely to mix it up, treating the Trophy with respect whilst sending the right message.

The Sunderland boss has approached the Papa John’s Trophy well in the past – using the competition to test out youth prospects whilst getting some minutes in the legs of his key players. It’s likely Johnson will go into the game on Wednesday evening with a similar approach, showing the club are taking it seriously but will be wary of the testing Christmas period ahead. 

The home side are looking to build on their victory on Saturday afternoon over the U’s and Wednesday night provides a perfect opportunity to get another win.

Sunderland face a tough week of League One fixtures after the game with Oldham – starting with the testing visit of Oxford on Saturday, before a tricky midweek away trip to struggling Morecambe.

The Black Cats then face a top six battle with Plymouth to end the run of three league games in seven days.

Johnson’s side could be forgiven for putting their Papa John’s trophy run on a back-burner but will see the game on Wednesday as winnable.

The home side will be looking to build their confidence ahead of the incoming crunch fixtures, especially in a competition Sunderland went on to win last year after beating Tranmere 1-0 in the 2020/2021 final.

Form:

SAFC – W D W D L

OAFC – L L W L L

Team News

Lee Johnson’s side face injury ‘challenges’ going into the home visit of Oldham which kicks-off at 7pm on Wednesday.

The Black Cats have an injury list of 7-8 players for the clash and questions have been asked over how seriously the home side can take this one, given the importance of the league.

However, the home side are likely to put out a pretty strong startling eleven in the hope to continue the form shown in the 2-1 away win over Cambridge.

Aiden McGeady remains out for 8-12 weeks with a knee injury as confirmed in the press conference last week. Denver Hume is still doubtful as Luke O’Nien is set to miss out with a persistent shoulder injury which may require surgery. 

There is a chance for younger players to play their way into contention given the growing list of injuries recently sustained. 

Tyrese Dyce, Ellis Taylor and Will Harris are all in contention to feature. While Frederik Alves and Arbenit Xhemajli may be given a place on the bench.

This is how Sunderland lined-up last time out:

 

Who would you like to see in the side tomorrow evening? 

Join in the conversation and have your say…

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Odds on the next Sunderland manger – who do you think will come in?

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Sunderland Next Manager Odds - Who do you think will come in?

Sunderland late last night sacked Tony Mowbray as manager, they expressed gratitude to Tony and his assistant Mark Venus for their positive contributions over the past two seasons, stating that they will always be welcome back at the Stadium of Light and wishing them success in their future endeavors.

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman praised Tony’s impact, acknowledging his high regard among players, staff, and supporters. Speakman highlighted Mowbray’s role in guiding the team to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and his significant contribution to team development. He emphasized that while a difficult decision, it aligns with the club’s ambition and strategy.

Sky bet have released the odds for who the next manager may be, let us know on our Facebook page who you think will be the next manager and join in the conversation…

Steven Schumacher
2/1
Julien Sablé
7/2
Paul Heckingbottom
7/2
John Eustace
6/1
Graham Potter
10/1
Kim Hellberg
10/1
Kevin Muscat
12/1
Nathan Jones
14/1
Francesco Farioli
16/1
Jesse Marsch
16/1
Kevin Phillips
16/1
Diego Martinez
20/1
Frank Lampard
20/1
Jim Goodwin
20/1
Lee Carsley
20/1
Patrick Vieira
20/1
Roy Keane
20/1
Thierry Henry
20/1
Gary Rowett
25/1
Jocelyn Gourvennec
25/1
Michael Duff
25/1
Neil Warnock
28/1
Aitor Karanka
33/1
Karl Robinson
33/1
Leam Richardson
33/1
Nigel Pearson
33/1
Steve Evans
33/1
Steve Bruce
40/1

The North East Youtube channel has launched a weekly Premier League Prediction show. Based at the Geordie Star in Newcastle we invite Adam Pearson in to both go through the talking points of the last weeks premier league fixtures and then give our predictions for the week ahead.

 

You can test your football knowledge against us, get your premier league predictions in before the first premier league game kicks off to be counted and anyone who beats r team we will credit on screen. Make this new feature a part of your weekends pre premier league tradition and get involved!

 

You can see our predictions for game week 15 below….

 

You can see our thoughts on the upcoming SAFC vs NUFC derby game below and Adam discussing winding up SAFC fans recently

Follow the channel to stay fully up to date, for some big local videos and to support us!

You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news –  https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates

North East Updates App - North East news - Newcastle Sunderland, Northumberland and Durham.

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Premier League Prediction Show – Compete against us on YouTube + Adam Pearson

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Premier League Prediction Show with Adam Pearson

The North East Youtube channel has launched a weekly Premier League Prediction show. Based at the Geordie Star in Newcastle we invite Adam Pearson in to both go through the talking points of the last weeks premier league fixtures and then give our predictions for the week ahead.

 

You can test your football knowledge against us, get your premier league predictions in before the first premier league game kicks off to be counted and anyone who beats r team we will credit on screen. Make this new feature a part of your weekends pre premier league tradition and get involved!

 

You can see our predictions for game week 14 below….

You can see our predictions for game week 15 below….

 

You can see our thoughts on the upcoming SAFC vs NUFC derby game below..

Follow the channel to stay fully up to date, for some big local videos and to support us!

You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news –  https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates

North East Updates App - North East news - Newcastle Sunderland, Northumberland and Durham.

Continue Reading

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Sunderland AFC has announced the departure of Head Coach Tony Mowbray

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Sunderland AFC has this evening parted company with Head Coach Tony Mowbray.

The Club expressed gratitude to Tony and his assistant Mark Venus for their positive contributions over the past two seasons, stating that they will always be welcome back at the Stadium of Light and wishing them success in their future endeavors.

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman praised Tony’s impact, acknowledging his high regard among players, staff, and supporters. Speakman highlighted Mowbray’s role in guiding the team to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and his significant contribution to team development. He emphasized that while a difficult decision, it aligns with the club’s ambition and strategy.

Emphasizing the commitment to their long-term strategy for sustainability and success, Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus thanked Tony for his hard work and affirmed the club’s focus on implementing a high-performance culture and a strong playing identity.

The club reiterated the importance of fan support in their progress and invited supporters to the Stadium of Light during the festive period and into 2024.

During the interim period, Mike Dodds, supported by the existing coaching team, will oversee the first-team’s training and match preparations until the appointment of a new Head Coach is finalized.

———-

See our Interview with Newcastle United Youtuber Adam Pearson after he wound the Sunderland fans up following the news of the derby…

Click the image below to watch the video…
Adam Pearson Winds up Sunderland Fans

See the full video below…

See our thoughts on the draw….

 

We are supporting the Warm Christmas meal appeal – you can donate a warm Christmas meal to someone in need in Newcastle and the North East below..

Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk

 

Warm Christmas Meal Appeal - Newcastle

 

Follow our YouTube for some big local videos and to support us!

You can now download our FREE new app to stay fully up to date with all North East related news –  https://linktr.ee/northeastupdates

North East Updates App - North East news - Newcastle Sunderland, Northumberland and Durham.

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