Sports
Preview – Sunderland AFC vs Ipswich Town: Johnson looks to end losing streak
Match Preview:
Sunderland welcome 9th place Ipswich to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon in a top-half clash and would love to put an end to the bad results.
The Black Cats go into the fixture in poor form having lost three league games in a row and are without a win in their last six games. Defeats to Charlton, Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday mean that Sunderland have dropped down to 7th position.
Manager Lee Johnson has come under increased pressure from fans but has urged them to remain patient and trust the process. The visit of The Blues is a must-win for the home side. The team from Wearside continue to drop down the table and sit 8 points behind leaders Plymouth Argyle. Clearly, they are in desperate need of improvement on the pitch.
Sunderland were at the top of the table just a few weeks ago and will be hopeful they can still achieve promotion to the Championship with a large part of the season remaining. With an extensive injury list in previous weeks, it has been tough to get a good run together.
Credit: @SAFC Instagram
Ipswich head into Saturday’s match off the back of their FA Cup Replay victory over Oldham. Paul Cook’s side are in decent form and have lost just one of their last seven League One fixtures. However, the home side have not lost a league tie against Ipswich Town in their previous four meetings.
The team from Suffolk have scored more goals than any other side this season with a goals for tally of 34 so far. Their Goal-Difference sits at +9 and despite conceding a large number of goals this campaign, manager Paul Cook will be hoping his defence can replicate their last two matches which have ended with a clean sheet.
Ipswich can move within a point of the North East giants with their first Stadium of Light victory since 2018. The crunch game kicks off at 15:00pm on Saturday and starts off an important week for Ipswich who take on third-placed Rotherham at Portman Road on Tuesday.
Team News
For Sunderland, top scorer Ross Stewart has been in training ahead of the clash on Saturday after being monitored for a shoulder injury. Manager Johnson has revealed the striker has been given injections to lighten the load and should be fit to feature from the start. Stewart has been in great form since signing for the Black Cats in January and carries a large threat for Sunderland going forward.
Nathan Broadhead and Lynden Gooch both made comeback’s in last week’s Papa John’s Trophy fixture with Bradford City. Ex-Norwich man Alex Pritchard has shaken off his neck problem. Aiden McGeady is back from serving his one-match ban following his sending off against Rotherham United and is expected to feature in the starting 11.
Denver Hume and Leeds united loanee Niall Huggins are set to be out until 2022 and remain out of contention.
Ipswich manager Paul Cook has no fresh injury worries and is expected to recall some of his regular first-team players after a number of them were rested for the FA Cup game last time out. Hayden Coulson remains a doubt while Central Midfielder Captain Sam Morsy is one yellow-card away from suspension.
Form:
Credit: Footystats.org
Potential line-ups:
SAFC: Hoffmann (GK), Winchester, Flanagan, Doyle, Cirkin, Evans, Neil, Embleton, Pritchard, McGeady, Stewart.
ITFC: Wilson (GK), Donacien, Nsiala, Edmundson, Clements, Evans, Morsy (C), Burns, Celina, Edwards, Bonne.
What are your pre-match thoughts? Who would make your starting 11 for this crunch match?
Join in the conversation and have your say…
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.
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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…
See the full video below…
See our thoughts on the draw….
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Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
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Footage tonight has emerged of PSG fans corning Newcastle United fans in a pub and attacking them in a scary video. This follows news that police had informed Newcastle fans that attacks were possible which lead to at least one pub having to close at 10pm due to this.
We don’t have any details on what happened after the video and this is a breaking news story, follow us on social media to stay fully up to date.
You can see the video here:
YouTube – North East Updates (follow channel for more – won’t open video unless you have an account and over 18) – https://youtube.com/shorts/Uo_2G1WEuWg
X (formally Twitter) https://x.com/SupportersNufc/status/1729269902056493085?s=20
Newcastle United fans attacked in Paris by PSG fans – Watch video
Newcastle fans who would you like to see be brought in or who is most realistic – follow for all Newcastle United news – Newcastle Supporters Worldwide
There will be videos added tomorrow both before and after the PGS game on the North East Updates Youtube channel – follow the channel to stay fully up to date and see below for previous NUFC vs PSG videos…
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PSG Fans arrive at Newcastle Upon Tyne and are met by Newcastle United fans ahead of their Champions League tie (which ended in a 4-1 Newcastle United win). Newcastle Centre was on shut down with streets closed and everyone watching.
The footage is not live and IN FULL on our Youtube Channel you can see the footage below – let us know on the comments on the video what your thoughts are on it….
We rather foolishly spoke to both NUFC and PSG fans after the game – we had to stop filming the interviewing of the PSG fans due to safety concerns see both videos below…
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
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
Newcastle United has received a green light to pursue players from the Saudi Pro League after a proposed Premier League vote to restrict loan moves between clubs with shared owners fell short of the required support. This decision opens up possibilities for Newcastle to strengthen their squad in January, targeting talents from clubs linked with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Despite initial discussions to potentially bar such transfers, the recent vote outcome has cleared the way for Newcastle to explore signings.
See our video and reaction below and follow our YouTube for more local videos..
A recent meeting among the Premier League’s 20 clubs concluded without the necessary majority support to impose a ban on loan transfers between co-owned clubs. While 13 teams voted in favor of the prohibition, the requirement of 14 votes for approval was not met, granting Newcastle the liberty to pursue players from the Saudi Pro League.
This development particularly benefits Newcastle’s pursuit of Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, whom they’ve eyed as a potential replacement for Sandro Tonali. Neves, despite significant interest from the Premier League, is expected to remain with Al Hilal during the upcoming January transfer window. The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that despite ongoing speculation, Neves is content and settled at Al Hilal, playing a pivotal role within the team. His projected stay until the season’s end indicates his commitment to Al Hilal’s cause, especially crucial following Neymar’s injury.
Although ties between Newcastle and Al Hilal, sharing the same majority shareholder in Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), sparked concerns about potential rule changes, as of now, no alterations have been enforced. Speculation regarding a Premier League vote to block such moves in the winter market hasn’t materialized into action. Consequently, Neves looks set to continue his journey with Al Hilal, with no reported negotiations or approaches from interested parties.
Al Hilal’s impressive position atop the Saudi Pro League standings, coupled with their progress in tournaments like the AFC Champions League and the King’s Cup, further solidifies Neves’ integral role within the team. Their dominance, evident in their substantial lead over second-place Al Nassr, underscores their strength even with the latter boasting talents like Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ultimately, Newcastle’s access to the Saudi Pro League remains unimpeded, potentially paving the way for significant acquisitions in the upcoming transfer window.
Al-Hilal
- Ruben Neves
- Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
- Aleksandr Mitrovic
Al-Nassr
- Seko Fofana
- Marcelo Brozovic
- Aymeric Laporte
Al-Ittihad
- N’Golo Kante
- Fabinho
- Jota
Al-Ahly
- Franck Kessie
- Gabri Veiga
- Riyad Mahrez
Newcastle fans who would you like to see be brought in or who is most realistic – follow for all Newcastle United news – Newcastle Supporters Worldwide
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
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