Welcome to the Sunderland AFC live blog for Wednesday, February 7.
The Black Cats crashed to another defeat on Saturday, this time against Ipswich Town, leaving Wearside with three points after a 2-0 win.
Chris Coleman added Ovie Ejaria, Ashley Fletcher and Lee Camp on loan deals until the end of the season last week, and all three made their debuts against Mick McCarthy's men.
They all did reasonably well, but it was the old defensive frailties which cost Sunderland dearly as they couldn't build on a positive start against Ipswich on Saturday. We've got all the reaction and analysis to the game.
Join the Chronicle SAFC team for all the latest from the Stadium of Light throughout the day.
That will be all for tonight folks. Thanks for joining us. Here’s the podcast to close with:
The goalkeeper has dislocated his finger.
Robbin Ruiter will be out for probably eight to 12 weeks with a dislocated finger – a badly dislocated finger.
The training top is better than the actual home kit
World Series Boxing is coming to Gateshead on February 16. Two of the stars of the British Lionhearts team, Pat McCormack and Calum French, were at the Academy of Light yesterday doing some training with Joel Asoro and Jason Steele.
Full details of the boxing even can be found here:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/other-sport/boxing/pat-mccormack-calum-french-head-13995380
The Newcastle defender, who spent a season on loan at Sunderland, told NBC Sport:
It’s great. Some Newcastle fans might hate this but even when I was at Sunderland, the fans were good. Here the fans are great and there’s definitely some really passionate fans up here.
Twelve months in the making, David Moyes gets the man he failed to land while at Sunderland.
Rees Greenwood left for Gateshead on a free. But step forward U18 star Sam Greenwood who scored this free-kick in the weekend’s 2-0 win over Wolves
They’re paying nearly £30kpw between the pair.
Full story: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/sunderland-sending-nearly-30000-week-14252472
He said:
I came through at the Sunderland Academy. I’ve been there since the age of eight; I went on loan to Bury (last season, making two appearances), came back to Sunderland and then joined here on loan for the rest of the season.
It (Sunderland) is a great club and a big club. They’re obviously not doing too well at the minute but hopefully they can turn it around.
I spent the majority of my time growing up there and I learned a lot.
I just need to get out there and play first-team football. That was my aim from the start and that’s what I’ve done.
I’m looking for regular games and to really establish myself, so fingers crossed I can do that here.
Read more from Beadling on his move here:
David Moyes tried to sign ex-Man Utd defender Patrice Evra while at Sunderland but the Frenchman turned the move down.
Now a free agent after an altercation with a Marseille fan led to him being released last year, Moyes is ready to give the full-back a lifeline by offering him a contract at West Ham.
Sunderland travel to the New Den on Saturday, March 3. Ticket details are:
Tickets are priced at £26 adults, £17 over-60s, £13 under-16s and £7 under-12s and will be sold in the following order:
Season card holders with…
38+ BCP from 9am Thursday 8th February until 4.30pm Friday 9th February
20+ BCP from 9am Monday 12th February until 4.30pm Tuesday 13th February
10+ BCP from 9am until 4.30pm Wednesday 14th February
0+ Thursday 15th February until Friday 16th February
Then general sale from 9am Monday 19th February
Wow, 14 years ago!
He said:
Where do I start with that? There’s an incident right at the end where we have a set-play. Sheasy (John O’Shea) wins a header and it bounces. If we really react to it, we get a shot at goal. It’s the first phase and we’re not thinking about the second phase – Ipswich were.
Maybe that will come with experience.
We may as well keep five back, put a couple in the box, take a short corner and play for time but for me a set-play is a chance to score a goal. You can send one body up and if you deliver the ball into the right area and that one person really wants to go and win it, he can. I’ve seen that many times.
According to the Bristol Post, the Robins have jetted off for a five-day training camp in Dubai ahead of the Sunderland game.
In an attempt to rejuvenate their season, manager Lee Johnson has took the squad for an intense training camp.
It is understood they’ll be returning tomorrow, ahead of Sunderland’s visit on Saturday.
Will the trip rejuvenate them? Or might the Black Cats catch them a little jet-lagged on Saturday?
Here’s hoping!
Lets do this.
We’re two points away from safety so it’s not like we’re in a challenge that we can’t win, but every week we’re in the bottom three its energy-sapping and it takes away your confidence. I see that but we have to keep on until we can’t go anymore and make sure that we give everything we’ve got for where we are.
His take on Sunderland and the dire situation they’re in.
Chairman/owner Ellis Short is the biggest problem at the club. The sooner he sells it, the better for everyone – himself included. He was once enthusiastic, pouring millions into the coffers only to see it frittered away by bad decisions from those he trusted. But Short knows he is not wanted, and he would like to sell. The trouble is, buyers are not exactly queuing around the block to purchase a rotting club playing in front of a half-full ground, languishing in the Championship relegation zone with players who do not want to be there but are not willing to walk away from the expensive contracts Short’s lieutenants were stupid enough to give them. He is not at the games, or even in the country when they are played, having moved back to America
Lets make the most of the chances.
Bryan (Oviedo) was taking the deliveries on Saturday and he was hit and miss but in fairness to him when he does put it in the right areas we don’t win the first one enough, don’t win the second one enough, and straight away we’re defending.
Things need to improve and fast.
We may as well keep five back, put a couple in the box, take a short corner and play for time but for me a set-play is a chance to score a goal. You can send one body up and if you deliver the ball into the right area and that one person really wants to go and win it, he can. I’ve seen that many times.
His take on whether Sunderland fans should protest.
A personal feeling is that Sunderland’s plight is deserving of a wider audience but as long as the prevailing narrative is apathy. Their story risks going the way of Hull’s. Anger and a unified voice can shine a light on what is going on at the club, about the unfulfilled potential and sense of disconnect between it and the community.There are enough people who care who can be galvanised: 40-odd thousand to whom the club matters deeply, as well as ex-players and managers of real stature with a podium to sell their vision of what Sunderland can be and – perhaps – attract a buyer to whom that energy appeals. Could Niall Quinn and Peter Reid be engaged in this? There are those who say protest would be pointless or damaging. But is that so different from the direction the club is headed at the moment?
Despite energy-sapping defeats.
The dilemma facing Sunderland fans.
Good morning and welcome to today’s live blog.
We will bringing you all of the latest SAFC news, views and updates as well as all of the build-up to Bristol City.
Stick with us throughout the day!