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Ok I have been waiting for a pre match thread to start rather than jump onto other threads not necessarily linked to the game, so I hope you don’t mind me starting this one.
I will start with this link to an analysis of how Sunderland played against Oxford, which I hope gives you an idea of how we try to play. For balance I will post one about how we lost to Plymouth when I find it.
So how are we, Sunderland fans feeling? Well as you might expect, five points clear at the top and having our best start to a season since 1892, yes 1892, we are a very happy bunch of campers!
We always seem to come to your place in good form and do well, while you lot come up north a take a point off us. Obviously I am hoping that the first part of that pattern continues on Saturday.
I posted this on the other thread but will add it here as well, it is a podcast, What The Falk, which previews the game with Clive from Loft for Words.
Listening to that it would appear that your new owners have looked at what we have done with recruitment and tried to do the same. The difference would appear to be our 26 year old is the owner of the club and he has appointed people who know how to run a football club , while your owners have appointed a 26 year old, with little or no football experience to run your recruitment.
The result is at our end we have recruited very well and at very little cost. The team we started with against Oxford cost less than £6m to assemble, if we were to sell them now the value would be over £100m by some estimates, Jobe and Rigg making up the bulk of that.
I will leave you to comment on how your data based recruitment has gone.
We continue to field the youngest starting eleven in the division most weeks and this has led to a number of commentators saying will will fall away due to inexperience, that may be the case, but when you look at players like Dan Neil with almost 100 championship appearances and even Jobe with 50, they may be young but they are not inexperienced. What’s more a lot of the team have been playing together three years and have a good understanding with each other.
So what has changed since last season, in short we have a new manager who enjoys working with intelligent young players who can adapt to different playing patterns in game, resulting in a fluid formation with each player well drilled in what is expected and wonder of wonders we actually have strikers! Last season we played without a striker, I think the so called strikers managed about two goals between them, I am not kidding with that stat either. This often meant we had no one willing to get into the box and when we got forward the wide players had no one to cross to, so took on the shot, this obviously worked well for Jack Clarke. It did mean we were over reliant on Clarke as our only attacking outlet at times. This season we have options up top and players who know when and where to make runs into the box, it is almost like we have filled a hole in the team.
So what has changed in terms of personnel? Not much really. We lost Clarke, but we had his replacement already on the books, in Mundle, who has started very well with four goals already, he is bigger and stronger than Clarke and will run at your right back every chance he gets, we already have his replacement coming through in a young lad called Tommy Watson, and his replacement appears to be developing nicely in the under 18’s a kid called Walsh, but that is the way the director of football is trying to develop the squad.
In terms of new signings in the starting eleven, you will see Wilson Isidor starting up top , four goals in six starts and some beautiful goals as well. He is on loan from St Petersburg with a commitment to buy if we go up and an option to buy if we don’t. He looks like the solution to our striker issues and this has changed the way we play and has increased the threat we cause to other teams. The only other one likely to start is Chris Metham, on loan from Bournemouth, he came into the team when Dan Ballard was injured and has formed a very good partnership with our very own little shithouse Luke ONien , a player you love to have in your team but hate if he plays against you. Other than that the other nine were on our books last season.
The key to how we play is centred on an intelligent press, not all out pressing which can result in gaps in midfield if the press fails, but pressing at key points and in numbers, basically setting traps for the other team. Once the press has won the ball we transition very quickly into attacking positions. Out of possession we hold our formation very tight in the middle of the park, giving up space wide on either side, allowing the other teams wide players some space just inside our own half before the wider of the midfield players on that side and the full back double up on the player in possession with a third and sometimes a forth midfielder or defender closing off any outlet.
We sometimes forget that the average age of the three in the middle is only 19, but in Jobe we have a player who is bossing games like he is a mature experienced player, his ceiling is very high, then you have the 17 year old Chris Rigg, who commentators are saying is possibly even better than Jobe.
If that all sounds too good to be true it might be and like all football fans we see games through rose tinted spectacles when things are going well and just now they are going very well, so my specs might well be very tinted.
But we have lost two games and been challenged in others so how have teams done this? Against Plymouth in the second half they played at a very high intensity and forced mistakes, a penalty and an own goal leading to two of their three goals and against Watford having got back into the game Dan Neil gave away a needless penalty . So running at us in the box has forced errors and we can be susceptible to the odd brain fart .
I do think you have some quality in your squad and a decent manager and your position is false, there are teams much worse than you in this league and you will not go down, but what do you think?
I will find the tactical analysis of at least one off the two defeats, so you can so what we did wrong and post those later.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 19:13 - Oct 31 with 5165 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 21:02 - Oct 31 by WokingR
“So running at us in the box has forced errors” Bit of a problem there though isn’t there .
I am going to say that this is the game where we get our first home win. I don't know why but the tide has to turn, coming away from Burnley with a point and a clean sheet might just be the change required.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 22:30 - Oct 31 with 4569 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 21:55 - Oct 31 by NorthantsHoop
I am going to say that this is the game where we get our first home win. I don't know why but the tide has to turn, coming away from Burnley with a point and a clean sheet might just be the change required.
Agreed…sometimes the unexpected happens like us getting a draw at Burnley. And today, I saw a lady walking down the street and not looking at her phone.
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 22:30 - Oct 31 by colinallcars
Agreed…sometimes the unexpected happens like us getting a draw at Burnley. And today, I saw a lady walking down the street and not looking at her phone.
I saw a lady and she was …
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 03:24 - Nov 1 with 4290 views
Blimey you are in the throes of ecstasy at the moment Mr Sunderland fan.
Pride comes before a fall.
Sunderland have fantastic support and with so many promising young players, it must be a bit of a breeze lately.
I have been impressed when I have seen Jobe Bellingham too. He more than likely a future Premier league player next season even if you fail to get promotion.
I would hold of the Premier League promotion party though, got this feeling you will come unstuck on Saturday. We are such an upside down club, it's more probable than possible.
Appreciate you have had a fabulous start but its early days.
This is the club, and maybe even poster, who was trying to get Clive to jump ship last season and join them, based on his prematch preview which, rightly so, received high acclaim.
Fortunately, Clive couldn't be bought back then but I worry that they might now up the offer and with 2 Perronis,Clive will be with us no more.
We all/have our price/weakness.
If anybody can dig up the thread from last year, or maybe actually a couple of years ago when he was being heaped with praise based on his prematch write up it would be appreciated, as it was a very good read!
I think there are a few on here who view the relative lack of success of our data-driven signings as vindication for the argument that data just doesn't work.i.e.how can it be that we've signed players like Celar and Madsen who apparently don't fit the 'game model'. But I'm increasingly convinced that it's simply the case that our data just isn't very good.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 09:16 - Nov 1 with 3935 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 21:02 - Oct 31 by WokingR
“So running at us in the box has forced errors” Bit of a problem there though isn’t there .
Yeah, Sod’s Law that their one fault is something we are incapable of doing.
Anyway, I think that’s a ruse to bring us out. We sit tight in our own half, eleven men behind the ball and a couple of spare goalkeepers at hand. At some point one of theirs will get bored with it, stoop down to retie his laces in a Tyler Richards stylee and little Smythie will charge through and slip our first touch in their area past the keeper. 1-0 game over.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 09:33 - Nov 1 with 3882 views
To respond to a couple of comments above, yes we know pride comes before a fall, but allows to be proud of this team. However we are Sunderland and having been attending games since 1968, I do understand that this can all all go tits up on Saturday.
No, I am not the guy who tried to get Clive to transfer to Sunderland. After the suggestion they he could be bought, I got our data guys to have a look at his figures and they came to the decision that if he could be bought for two bottles of weak larger, he would not fit the model of our fan base, you need at least ten pints of 6% IPA to make it even as far as the youth development squad!
Yes we are in ecstasy just now, which fan base anywhere wouldn’t be after 9 wins in 12 games.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 09:45 - Nov 1 with 3843 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 09:33 - Nov 1 by safcinpeace
To respond to a couple of comments above, yes we know pride comes before a fall, but allows to be proud of this team. However we are Sunderland and having been attending games since 1968, I do understand that this can all all go tits up on Saturday.
No, I am not the guy who tried to get Clive to transfer to Sunderland. After the suggestion they he could be bought, I got our data guys to have a look at his figures and they came to the decision that if he could be bought for two bottles of weak larger, he would not fit the model of our fan base, you need at least ten pints of 6% IPA to make it even as far as the youth development squad!
Yes we are in ecstasy just now, which fan base anywhere wouldn’t be after 9 wins in 12 games.
Yeah, that must be a lot of fun.
I'm not predicting much from QPR on Saturday but you never know. I'll go along anyway and then head up to Leeds the following week. Not expecting much from that either but stranger things have happened.
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 03:30 - Nov 1 by FredManRave
Wait a minute. Enough with the nicities.
This is the club, and maybe even poster, who was trying to get Clive to jump ship last season and join them, based on his prematch preview which, rightly so, received high acclaim.
Fortunately, Clive couldn't be bought back then but I worry that they might now up the offer and with 2 Perronis,Clive will be with us no more.
We all/have our price/weakness.
If anybody can dig up the thread from last year, or maybe actually a couple of years ago when he was being heaped with praise based on his prematch write up it would be appreciated, as it was a very good read!
At least we have one saleable asset.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 09:56 - Nov 1 with 3814 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 03:24 - Nov 1 by numptydumpty
Blimey you are in the throes of ecstasy at the moment Mr Sunderland fan.
Pride comes before a fall.
Sunderland have fantastic support and with so many promising young players, it must be a bit of a breeze lately.
I have been impressed when I have seen Jobe Bellingham too. He more than likely a future Premier league player next season even if you fail to get promotion.
I would hold of the Premier League promotion party though, got this feeling you will come unstuck on Saturday. We are such an upside down club, it's more probable than possible.
Appreciate you have had a fabulous start but its early days.
More probable than possible? What on earth have you been smoking Nump?
SkyBet have us at 13/5. Quite astounding for a home league win. Nowhere near long enough to tempt me though. You ought to get your mortgage on it at those prices mate!
[Post edited 1 Nov 9:59]
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 10:41 - Nov 1 with 3686 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 03:30 - Nov 1 by FredManRave
Wait a minute. Enough with the nicities.
This is the club, and maybe even poster, who was trying to get Clive to jump ship last season and join them, based on his prematch preview which, rightly so, received high acclaim.
Fortunately, Clive couldn't be bought back then but I worry that they might now up the offer and with 2 Perronis,Clive will be with us no more.
We all/have our price/weakness.
If anybody can dig up the thread from last year, or maybe actually a couple of years ago when he was being heaped with praise based on his prematch write up it would be appreciated, as it was a very good read!
Wish I'd gone.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 11:31 - Nov 1 with 3552 views
When we played them in March I thought they looked a mess, we should have beaten them and they looked a team going nowhere. To see them this season the turnaround is incredible. Some really good young players, exciting going forward and some experience as well. I'm sure they'll hit a sticky patch at some point but they have a hell of a chance this year as it doesn't look a good league
Their midfield is light years ahead of ours, Bellingham looks a really good player as does Rigg
The small bit of hope i have is that Sunderland are a bit like us, as soon as it looks like they've cracked it they do something really daft. First goal is big at the weekend, if we can get ahead we have a decent chance but if we fall behind I think we'll get picked off on the break
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 11:54 - Nov 1 with 3472 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 11:37 - Nov 1 by daveB
When we played them in March I thought they looked a mess, we should have beaten them and they looked a team going nowhere. To see them this season the turnaround is incredible. Some really good young players, exciting going forward and some experience as well. I'm sure they'll hit a sticky patch at some point but they have a hell of a chance this year as it doesn't look a good league
Their midfield is light years ahead of ours, Bellingham looks a really good player as does Rigg
The small bit of hope i have is that Sunderland are a bit like us, as soon as it looks like they've cracked it they do something really daft. First goal is big at the weekend, if we can get ahead we have a decent chance but if we fall behind I think we'll get picked off on the break
I get what you're saying Dave but we've actually only scored the first goal three times this season. We've never got the second goal. We've only held the lead after those opening goals for 44 minutes combined all season. From those three games we've amassed the grand total of one point. Not convinced at all that if we somehow get ahead it'll make any difference to the result.
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 11:57 - Nov 1 with 3456 views
QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 11:54 - Nov 1 by Padulas_Shampoo
I get what you're saying Dave but we've actually only scored the first goal three times this season. We've never got the second goal. We've only held the lead after those opening goals for 44 minutes combined all season. From those three games we've amassed the grand total of one point. Not convinced at all that if we somehow get ahead it'll make any difference to the result.
I am clutching at straws a bit. I just think if they score first we haven't got 2 goals in us so might as well go home
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QPR Vs Sunderland pre match chat on 12:30 - Nov 1 with 3336 views
I remember pre-season predictions, including Gab Sutton's view that Sunderland would win the League. I was highly sceptical, as was our esteemed, cheap date, editor.
Sunderland looked really good in the early stages of last season before falling away quite badly. Was that all due to managerial upheaval? Or a young side running out of steam?
Well, the youngsters from last season, have got more experience under their belts; Our struggles have been documented already. Injuries to key players like JCS, Chair and Colback (don't laugh SAFCinpeace) on top of trying to integrate a host of new signings with no Championship experience. Now add the absences of Frey and Paal plus doubts over Dembele and Fox and it doesn't seem promising.
Its hard to see this as anything but an away win. However, it would be so QPR to turn out a best performance of the season and finish with the 3 points.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop and now on Bluesky
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