SUNDERLAND AT ST MARY'S

Can Saints start the season with back-to-back wins?   whether there have been many Premiership seasons we have started with two wins....

Mind you, I am not taking this one for granted and think it could go either way.

Don't think it will be an easy game and think will be 1 goal more than red cards!

I am taking us to win 2 - 1, 1 player each side sent off and lots of controversy.

Unfortunately will not be there for this one as have a family wedding to go to but will be hoping wi fi around so can keep up to date.

Hoping for a win but not feeling very confident....come on Saints, let's show we can be consistent this season!

Apparently Sunderland are 4-1 aginst for the win, which seems very generous to me. Hope Boruc is not a gambling man, if he gives away any soft goals I'll be wondering.....

Last Saturday I was saying...
"After staying clear of TV, radio and the net all day so that I could watch without knowing how the game would end.......I was totally p***ed off by Sky who showed the scores on the screen at the start of the programme!! They never did that last season and don't know why they did it! Evil or Very Mad I have tweeted them (politely I promise) and asked them not to do it again. Will be interesting to see if I get a reply....or whether they do the same again next week!
Bloody annoyed as I might as well have followed the match progress during the afternoon or listened for the result at 5 o'clock."

Please don't do it again Sky!

SAINTS: Boruc, Chambers, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Ward-Prowse, Lallana, Rodriguez, Lambert.

Subs: K Davis, Clyne, S Davis, Ramírez, Cork, Osvaldo, Hooiveld.


No Maya, wonder whether he is out of favour or is unfit? I can understand Tino might not want to break up the Lovren/Fonte partnership after last week's win, but I would have expected Maya to, at least, be replacing Jos on the bench.

I am not too keen on Ramirez being used as a sub, I don't feel he has a lot of impact when coming on late in the game. Personally, I would start with Ramirez, and, if he fails to impress, then replace him.

Now going to try to hibernate so not to hear the score....

Oh well, disappointing but could have been worse. Plus it's nice that in the first 2 games this season it is Saints who have been scoring in the closing minutes and not the opposition.

KING WANYAMA....I thought he was massive in this game.
OSVALDO........showed some good touches, was obviously keen and looked promising. On the day did not seem to link too well with Lambert but hopefully this will come . He is going to have to keep on the right side of referees.
RAMIREZ.....seemed to show more than he has, hopefully Osvaldo's arrival will encourage him.

??Were Shaw and Schneiderlin hurt or was their withdrawal tactical?

Saints clearly should have won easily and worrying that took so long to break them down. Think Sunderland have to be grateful to their keeper!

(BTW...Sky did it again.... )

Mate that went said Ref was unbelievably bad, Lee Mason, and struggle to remember him ever having a good game! At the end a point is better than nothing and did appear to create chances. Suspect if Rodrigues does not score soon he will be the one to make way for Osvaldo.