The Saviour - Kick starting a Career?

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The good news keeps up coming following the win against Bournemouth. Both Vito Mannone and Fabio Borini have both returned to training following their lengthy spells on the sidelines. While neither are expected to play serious minutes against Watford, it is really reassuring to know that with these players coming back we have a little bit more depth and perhaps some more quality too.

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Sunderland Vs Watford
26th November, 2016.​

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Team News​

So there is the new system, and plenty of changes to go with it. Manquillo and Cattermole are both suspended so in come Billy Jones for his first start of the season and Jan Kirchhoff. Anichebe partners Defoe up front with Januzaj narrowly pipping Khazri for the attacking midfield spot just behind the front two.

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Two wins on the bounce as the move to the new system works a treat. Offensively we were superb today, I couldnt have asked for me. Unfortunately we look more than a little leaky at the back which is going to have be tightened up over the next few games by tweaking the tactic. Twice we took the lead in the first half and twice we were pegged back instantly, but Defoe's late decider didnt leave any time for a third comeback for Watford. The partnership of Anichebe and Defoe is blossoming as they both got on the scoresheet and assisted all the goals for eachother, teamwork. This win takes us up on to 19 points which I think is probably half of what we need to stay up, a promising sign after just 13 games.

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November Review​

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A great month! The West Brom result was frustrating but the manner of the win over Bournemouth was a real turning point, especially when it was followed up with a successful change of tactic, another win and goals for both our main strikers. When you throw in to the mix that Borini and Mannone are ready to return as well we are looking in really good shape.

Table​
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We are sitting pretty in the table, 7 points clear of the relegation zone and only 3 behind the Europa League places. We cannot afford to get complacent however as we have some tough games ahead and a couple of losses in a row can see us slip all the way back down into the danger zone. How Ronald Koeman is still in a job I have no idea while Middlesrough look as good as gone already.



Player of the Month​
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Victor Anichebe is going to shade the award this month after his contributions in our last two games. He single handedly changed the game against Bournemouth while a goal and two assists against Watford saw him unlucky not to be named man of the match. Very glad we didnt sell him at the start of the season.



December Fixtures​
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What a month of football. A jam packed schedule will test our squad to the full while we face crucial games against 15th place West Ham, 17th place Palace, 18th place Hull and 19th place Everton.
 
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Crystal Palace Vs Sunderland
3rd December, 2016.​

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Team News​

Vito Mannone makes his first appearance of the season as he is fit enough to start in goal today while Javi Manquillo makes his return from suspension at right back. Khazri is in for Januzaj in the attacking midfield position while Fabio Borini is fit enough for the bench and Lee Cattermole is left out entirely.

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Poor. Plenty of possession and plenty of chances but nothing to show for it. Januzaj hitting the bar is as close as we came, although Mandanda made a couple of excellent saves to deny Defoe. The leaky defence is at it again, although it seems to be the defensive midfield spot thats struggling as both Cattermole and Kirchoff have been poor of late, maybe time for Rodwell or Poyet?

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Right on cue, here comes our latest batch of injuries. Fabio Borini is going to be a big miss as he picks up yet another training ground injury and will miss the next 4-5 weeks. I think I also may have cursed young Diego Poyet by mentioning his name. Just as he is about to get a look in the first team, he tears his hamstring and will miss 2-3 months of football. Awful timing for the lad.

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Manchester United Vs Sunderland
11th December, 2016.​

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Team News​

McNair gets a chance against his old side as he replaces the out of form Kone while Rodwell gets a chance in defensive midfield in an otherwise unchanged lineup. Januzaj misses out as he is ineligible against his parent club.

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Well that was painful, but was probably to be expected. It's not even like we were dreadful, they were just so good! We could not cope with the movement of Depay, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Mata and Zlatan and our already fragile defence just fell to pieces. On to the next one!

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Sunderland Vs Arsenal
14th December, 2016.​

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Team News​

Cattermole and Kone are both restored to their places in the starting line up in an otherwise unchanged side sporing a few tactical tweaks.

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Not good enough when you consider we were playing against 10 men for two thirds of the match following Coquelins rash two footed tackle. We came close on a number of occasions but we just didnt have that clinical edge. We now find ourselves 16th in the table and only 4 points off the relegation zone, amazing how quickly things can change in football.

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Sunderland Vs West Ham
17th December, 2016.​

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Team News
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Jordan Pickford is back from injury and retakes his place in the side! We also switch back to our start of season formation and tactic in a bid to try and rediscover some of our form. The new shape means both Khazri and Januzaj can play, with Anichebe dropping out.

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Ah the comforts of a familiar tactic, I remember why I liked it so much now. Solid at the back, we barely gave West Ham a sniff and claimed only our 3rd clean sheet of the season. In a similar fashion, they frustrated us for most of the game as we struggled to work that final killer ball but eventually Defoe ran off his marker and slotted neatly home to give us the lead. Ndong wrapped it up in injury tie with his 2nd goals for the club and all of a sudden we are all feeling a lot better about ourselves.

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Everton Vs Sunderland
21st December, 2016.​

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Team News​

Its an unchanged starting line up from the team that beat West Ham last week in an attempt to create some stability. Seb Larsson is fit enough to make it onto the bench, giving us another creative option.

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This really was a big game, and we really did mess up. Everton played us off the park and we had no answer for it. All of their goal threat was Baines and Coleman lofting crosses in to Lukaku and Valencia, but even knowing they were going to do it we couldnt stop it. This season is going to go to the wire, we just have to not get too carried away when we win and not get too low when we lose.

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Leicester Vs Sunderland
26th December, 2016.​

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Team News​

A visit to the champions for boxing day is a nice one for the fans and we play a very familiar looking side. Duncan Watmore is in for Adnan Januzaj as the only change from our defeat to Everton. The absence of Mahrez from the Leicester team sheet is heartening.

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Soundly beaten again to continue our dreadful month. Our defence was an absolute shambles as we were badly let down by Lamine Kone stupidly getting himself sent off. Jermain Defoe got a couple more goals to continue his own personal crusade of trying to keep us up single handed, but hes not going to be able to do it alone.

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Hull Vs Sunderland
31st December, 2016.​

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Team News​

New years eve, the final fixture of the year and its a big one, a relegation dogfight against Hull. It seems apparent our defence is going to be abysmal no matter how we play, so I figured we might as well try and create at the other end. We have switched back to the narrow diamond with Anichebe coming back into the team and Jason Denayer making his first start of the season in place of the suspended Lamine Kone.

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You would think I would be thrilled with this, and dont get me wrong its a great result! But the overriding emotion at the moment is frustration that we cant play like this all the time. We were brilliant, we created so many chances and Khazri and Defoe took their goals beautifully. A fantastic way to end the year as we inch ourselves ever closer to the magic 40 points.

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December Review​

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A shocker of a month! 5 defeats and 2 wins saw us do just enough to keep our heads above the surface but we have a fair few games against the big teams coming up in the next couple of months so only time will tell how damaging it will be.

Table​
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Its City, United and Arsenal for the title by the looks of it, Middlesbrough stuck to the bottom and everybody else in between could still either get relegated or Europe. its so tight in the bottom half of the table that one result can gain or drop you 6 or 7 places.

Player of the Month​
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Its him again! I know its boring but Jermaine Defoe is perhaps the only really classy player we have in our side. Both of our wins this month have come from his goals and he is now in to double figures for the season. If we survive, this man deserves freedom of the ****** city.

January Fixtures​
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A nasty month of football. We really need to take advantage of Burnley because Chelsea, Stoke and Tottenham are all going well at the moment. Southampton in the FA Cup provides nothing but a distraction really, not that I wont take the FA Cup seriously, but it means so little compared to Premier League survival.
Transfer Window is open!​
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We really do have no money to play with. On top of this, because of our present financial situation the board will only reinvest 50% of any money through transfers. If I am going to improve the squad, which desperately needs improving, I am going to have to sell to buy, but not only that, I am going to have to sell high and buy low.

Formulating a plan to move forward with, I have decided that the narrow diamond is going to be my main tactic. Our attacking play comes so much easier when in that formation. This gives me a clearer idea of what type of players I need to add and who is expendable or even necessary to sell to make things happen.
 
Enjoying this a lot! Will be interesting to see who you bring in or sell!
 
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Burnley Vs Sunderland
2nd January, 2017.​

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Team News​

Massive changes in the squad as we pay the price of having to play two games in three days. Shinnie, Kone, Jones, Kirchhoff, Rodwell, Larsson and Januzaj all come in by necessity to make up a very unfamiliar looking team. This could go one of two ways, we are either going to get battered, or our squad players are going to step up and earn their futures at the club.

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What a game. We so nearly did enough to get something from this match but the damage was done in the first half. We were absolutely awful, somewhat unsurprisingly having thrown so many random players into the team. After smashing some heads together at half time we were much better in the second half, Anichebe and Defoe proving their partnership is solid with Anichebe netting a screamer and Defoe providing two assists. Januzaj and Denayer also claimed their first goals for the club but we were to be cruelly denied by a spectacular long range effort from Steven Defour. One thing I can take from this game, Lamine Kone's time at the club looks to be coming to a close, he was dreadful and has been for a while.

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3rd Round Tie
Sunderland Vs Southampton
7th January, 2017.​

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Team News​

Another reshuffle as we take on Southampton in the FA Cup. I have put out our strongest back five (back 6 if you count the keeper) while Seb Larsson keeps his place after impressing against Burnley. Januzaj gets another chance to impress and there is a debut for young academy striker Joel Asoro who has a chance to shine after scoring 15 goals in 12 games for the Under 23's. Jermaine Defoe is rested and Fabio Borini returns to the bench after his second injury lay off of the year.

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If there is a god, please send me a centre back that can actually defend? A really boring match with neither side creating anything of note. Denayer threw the game away by handballing a cross that wasnt going anywhere when there wasnt even a Saints player in the box behind him. That was all the invitation Tadic and Southampton needed. A blessing in disguise being out of the cup? I dont mean to hit the panic button just yet, but have you seen our next run of fixtures?

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