Sunderland vs United
Our internet friends are always welcome to share some of their ‘Pre and Post Match’ thoughts with us from now on. If you want to share, get in touch! You can still enjoy my nonsensical, confusing, punctuation buffets below their proper good ones…
Juan: (@theredinsider)
Manchester United Supporters Love Drama
The Red Devils are on course for winning a record 20th English Championship and have presented themselves with a decent opportunity to make a remarkable domestic double, by also adding the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Despite the Champions League disappointment, the fans of the world’s most popular sport club should be pretty happy on how things are panning out this season for them, however a significant part are missing an extra ingredient: late drama.
Whereas most football fans are more than happy if their team get a comfortable 4-0 win, what United fans love more than anything else is dramatic 4-3 or 3-2 triumphs, ideally coming from behind with Javier Hernández scoring from the bench in added on time…
The first part of the season was really enjoyable (4-3 at Reading, 3-2 at Chelsea, 3-2 at Manchester City, 3-2 at Southampton, 3-2 at Aston Villa, 4-3 vs. Newcastle United at Old Trafford and so on). However, what we have lately witnessed is a series of dull victories against weak opposition (2-0 at QPR, 4-0 vs. Norwich City and 1-0 vs. Reading, the two latter at home).
It’s certain that Manchester United are 15 points above bitter rivals Manchester City, but I don´t think I’m totally wrong if I affirm that United fans don´t always settle for a 1-0 win vs strugglers Reading at Old Trafford. United isn’t only about grinding out results, but playing entertaining football.
So, what can we expect at Sunderland? Considering that United face a FA Cup replay at Stamford Bridge on Monday and many players will arrive just in time to play at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, after the international break, I put my bets on another mundane 1-0 win, which on this occasion would be more than justified, considering the circumstances aforementioned.
Prediction: Sunderland 0 United 1 (van Persie)
United XI: De Gea, Rafael, Vidic, Evans, Büttner, Welbeck, Scholes, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, van Persie.
Brett:
I still miss JOS, so Sunderland games are inevitably tinged with a little sadness.
As for the game itself, I’m fairly confident they’re going to beat us. Hopefully all of our attention will be on the F.A Cup game and we’ll field a team accordingly. This will offer Sunderland the opportunity to nick the points and I think they will.
They have some really tenacious players, who I like, and Sessegnon and his back up band need to start distancing themselves from the bottom three before they get dragged into the scrap proper. Martin O’Neill, of course, understands this and I think in Graham, Larrson, Gardner et al (it’s a shame for them Fletcher and Cattermole look out for the season), they very much have it in them to cause whichever team we put out problems – let alone the weakened one I’m hoping and presuming we will.
I’m not even going to consider what team we might field.
Prediction: 2 – 3
Goals: Chicha, Welbeck 2
