I may change my mind...and the reason is that I dont really care how we do in the cup at the present as my mind is on how the club allowed this current season to happen and are showing no signs whatsoever of being able to arrest the decline.
Can't miss a game in which we stand a chance of winning! Having said that, Oxford have only lost once in their last 7 league matches and they've reached the third round of both the EFL and FA cups, so they'll be feeling confident. Their goal difference is 0 compared to our -27. Hopefully the massive gulf in class between the Championship and League 1 will stand in our favour - having said that, we're hardly playing Championship standard! Hoping for a win but suspecting a draw.
-- Edited by GlennMiller on Sunday 1st of January 2017 07:51:14 PM
I won't be going, home league matches matter for me, i have stopped going to away matches, big holiday coming up!! but I will be going to Newcastle As require the ground, I missed out last time as was unemployed at the time.
Against Oxford I think we will win, but we have to go for it if we mean business and want to get through to the next round. Even at the expense of Barnsley on the 28th Jan.
Then hopefully we will pull out a prem team in the next round, and of course bow out with dignity lol.
I would think that man for man we have better players than them, but confidence is a huge factor. Our players are not used to winning. Oxford are in decent form. It could go either way. I hope we play the strongest team we can. The fans need something to cheer about and any win in any format can only help boost morale and confidence. Please God there won't be a repeat of the Morecambe fiasco. I am taking my old dad to this one. His last match was a 5-0 or 5-1 (can't remember) thumping of Notts County about three years ago - I think Vuckic got a couple of them - so lets hope he is a lucky omen.
-- Edited by smiler on Tuesday 3rd of January 2017 05:02:48 PM
A quick check reminds me it was a 6-0 win over Notts County.
Unfortunately being born in South Shields and despite the fact he has lived here since 1958 and is a Millers sympathiser, my dad is a Sunderland supporter first and foremost, and even if he is ready to get the dubbin and his old boots out I think their need is nearly as great as ours!
If we hammer Oxford I'll coordinate a whip round for that half season ticket though.
Definitely going as It'll be a good yardstick for next season's L1 campaign, we may win, can't remember the last time we were in the fourth round.
Not much between us in the bookies betting.. generally 6/4 us and 9/5 Oxford, about right I think. I'd be slightly more surprised in we win, and I agree it is a yardstick for the players we have left for next year in League 1.
Likewise, if we get beat badly, shows how much work we have on... it's only one game but they will be up for it, and in form, so it's the equivalent of a team next year looking for promotion from league 1, so I do think it's a fair yardstick..
well, now we know the answer... the team as it stands is not league 1 standard... don't know what else to say really except right now if someone offered mid table finish in league 1 next season, with the team starting to win a few and a decent manager getting them playing for the shirt and us starting to keep clean sheets, I'd bite your hand of for that...
Definitely going as It'll be a good yardstick for next season's L1 campaign, we may win, can't remember the last time we were in the fourth round.
As yardsticks go, this result is very very worrying, as I believe this present squad would struggle in L1, but there are some positives, the recent good form of Newell, young Yates coming on for our latest expensive liability Blackstock & doing very well, also we should try our hardest to keep Adyemi as he is a very good player, but jeez we need two fullbacks, two younger, more mobile & quicker CB's & a goalie that doesn't think that the ball is made out of soap, nothing sticks, he nearly did a Burton again today twice. Forde at least tries things & should be persevered with, Vaulks works hard but I'm not at all convinced & Danny will be on his way this month so we'll need a striker...........................Is it May yet?
Definitely going as It'll be a good yardstick for next season's L1 campaign, we may win, can't remember the last time we were in the fourth round.
As yardsticks go, this result is very very worrying, as I believe this present squad would struggle in L1, but there are some positives, the recent good form of Newell, young Yates coming on for our latest expensive liability Blackstock & doing very well, also we should try our hardest to keep Adyemi as he is a very good player, but jeez we need two fullbacks, two younger, more mobile & quicker CB's & a goalie that doesn't think that the ball is made out of soap, nothing sticks, he nearly did a Burton again today twice. Forde at least tries things & should be persevered with, Vaulks works hard but I'm not at all convinced & Danny will be on his way this month so we'll need a striker...........................Is it May yet?
Brad we have 1 CB, he was sat on the bench today !!!
I thought we had a young promising CB. Thorpe, and we gave him away
Lad fro Man U Towd' out on loan isn't he ? I was thinking of Belaid who has had a great couple of games only to be discarded as soon as Broadfoot's back
Yes thats right gaz. I think Thorpe's contract runs out at the end of this season and I dont expect he would want to re-sign even if we offered it to him.
I didnt see much of him but what I did see I thought he did ok. He came to us with quite a pedigree and as I remember it was a shock to Man U fans when he was let go, he was held in high regard.
We never really used him and shipped him out to Bolton where I understand he has played regularly and done ok. I would have thought he would have been what we need right now, but we let him go in favour of worn out old has beens. We very nearly let Belaid go too
Young lad from Spurs, Ball< recently loaned to Peterbrough has something too. A bit raw at the moment but someone to mould n build on> so really we could have 3 decent CB's if picked used correctly an nurtured.
