⚽ Sunderland 3-0 West Ham Utd (16/8/25)

[bubbles1966]

Here we go.

38 games till we lift the title.

[WorcesterWHU]

40 points to go. Come on you I-rons.

[WappingIron]

3-0 West Ham

[ExeC]

Currently sitting joint top of the league, lets continue this positive situation with a dominant win.

[bubbles1966]

Last time out:

15 April 2017 Sunderland 2 West Ham 2 (Collins, Ayew)

Our XI: Randolph; Byram; Masuaku; Collins; Fonte; Fernandes; Kouyate; Snodgrass; Lanzini; Ayew; Carroll
(subs: Nordtveit; Calleri)

[Paolopaul]

Last time out:

15 April 2017 Sunderland 2 West Ham 2 (Collins, Ayew)

Our XI: Randolph; Byram; Masuaku; Collins; Fonte; Fernandes; Kouyate; Snodgrass; Lanzini; Ayew; Carroll
(subs: Nordtveit; Calleri)

The state of that team! And we finished 11th that season.

[johnnyb]

Last time out:

15 April 2017 Sunderland 2 West Ham 2 (Collins, Ayew)

Our XI: Randolph; Byram; Masuaku; Collins; Fonte; Fernandes; Kouyate; Snodgrass; Lanzini; Ayew; Carroll
(subs: Nordtveit; Calleri)

Blimey that's a crap West Ham team.

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Hermansen
Todibo Kilman Aguerd
Wan-Bissaka Ward-Prowse Potts Diouf
Bowen Paqueta
Fullkrug

Genuinely think we'll play keep ball, Diouf will whip in one sumptuous cross and we'll win a pretty dull affair.

2-0, Bowen and Fullkrug.

[WestSamToo]

No complacency in this first match thread of the season.
I've watched Sunderland a few time on TV last season and they are purely counter-attacking.
They will be well up for this, the crowd will be right behind them so it will be a tough game for sure.
Hard to say if we'll be able to unpick their packed defence and will be vulnerable to their diagonal balls in behind.

Hopefully the determination we seem to be showing in pre-season will carry on into this first game...

[Ludeksgloves]

I don’t know about you lot, but I would really like us to win this game.

[Ludeksgloves]

Last time out:

15 April 2017 Sunderland 2 West Ham 2 (Collins, Ayew)

Our XI: Randolph; Byram; Masuaku; Collins; Fonte; Fernandes; Kouyate; Snodgrass; Lanzini; Ayew; Carroll
(subs: Nordtveit; Calleri)

The return of ‘The Feet’.

[Claret&Blue,Thru&]

will be vulnerable to their diagonal balls in behind.

I've always tried to avoid this.

[Pob!]

Fonzie
Todibo Kilman Aguerd
Wan-Bissaka Ward-Prowse Tommy Diouf
Bowen Paqueta
Fullkrug

[EastVillageHammer]

I looking forward to the preview - I know nothing about this lot anymore. Is Steve Bruce still the manager?

2-1 victory, with late pressure that makes my sphincter go wobbly.

[ironsonthebrain]

I reckon this game will be a marker for the season. Potter’s had a preseason, he’s brought in a few players ( ? of his own choosing) so there’s no excuses.
A win shouldn’t be beyond us.

[I am Legend]

Going with 1-1. I wish we didn't have to line up like this or that formation, but we just do not have the midfielders to make anything work.

------------------Areola-------------------
------Todibo---Kilman--Aguerd---------
AWB----------------------------------Diouf
----------Potts----------Paqueta---------
------------------Soucek------------------
------------Bowen----Fullkrug-----------

It's what I think he'll go with. We need 2 new signings in the middle or its going to be a difficult job for Potter to get us playing to our potential.

Personally I'd play:

------------------Areola-------------------
------Todibo---Kilman--Aguerd---------
AWB-----Alvarez-------Paqueta------Diouf
----------Bowen-------Guilherme--------
-----------------Fullkrug------------------

Can't wait for Summerville to be back.

[k-r-c]

A win shouldn’t be beyond us.

I think that’s underplaying it a lot.

We should be looking to get 3 points here. They have changed a lot of their team and they will need time to bed in.

They will of course be up for their first game and West Ham are always the giver in these situations but we need to turn up and give a professional performance.

I would be disappointed if we don’t win or atleast play well enough to say we should have won if we don’t.

But yes your first few words are right - this game does set us up for where we plan to be this season.

[James P]

Managed to get a ticket through a mate. After Saturday I’ll have a complete current PL collection of clubs visited. Never lasts long though!

[Bubbles Fortuna]

Rather surprisingly they haven't strengthened their defence at all, other than the signing of Mandava, who has seemingly been a perennial back up his entire career.

Lots of additions in attack and midfield but their defence is really poor. We should be looking at scoring at least two, and our defence should be able to keep them to below two themselves.

[UpneyHammer]

I’d be really, really disappointed if we didn’t win this one.

Sunderland were god awful in the play offs yet somehow nicked a few last minute goals in both semis & final to go up.

They’ve been active in the transfer market but the gap between the championship + PL has never been bigger, therefore I’m expecting them to be this seasons Ipswich & struggle to get past 25 points.

Am glad this is away, as we tend to play a totally different game away from the bowl & all the negativity that comes with playing there.

It’ll be lively inside the SOL, but kill the crowd early and we ‘should’ be fine.