Sunderland 2 West Brom 2: Nicklas Bendtner Inspires Black Cats’ Fightback
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Under-pressure Steve Bruce saw his Sunderland side fight back from a two-goal deficit given up inside the opening five minutes to earn a gutsy point at the Stadium of Light.
Early efforts from James Morrison and Shane Long put West Brom in control, to spark cries of "Bruce out" from disgruntled home fans.
But the jeers soon turned to cheers with goals in the space of three minutes mid-way through the half as Nicklas Bendtner opened his account on loan from Arsenal, before a bullet header from Ahmed Elmohamady dragged the hosts level.
The second-half was never going to match the first for drama, as the sides settled for a share of the spoils to leave them each with a modest return of a single victory from their opening seven league games.
Lee Cattermole was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card for a horror challenge on Albion defender Steven Reid. The Sunderland skipper was hauled off for his own protection by Bruce soon afterwards.
THE GOALS
4 mins: Sunderland fail to deal with a routine free-kick into the box from Chris Brunt, and Morrison is left with a free header to glance the ball past a stranded Simon Mignolet (0-1).
5 mins: Long races on to a loose ball to easily hold off Michael Turner before slotting the ball past Mignolet (0-2).
23 mins: Bendtner opens his account on loan from Arsenal with a cool close-range finish after good work from Seb Larsson (1-2).
27 mins: Bendtner's inviting cross from the left is met be a towering header from Elmohamady from 10 yards (2-2).
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
12 mins: Cries of "Bruce out" from home fans ring round the ground.
14 mins: Sunderland show their first signs of life as Bendtner forces a save from Ben Foster.
15 mins: They're soon on the back foot as Mignolet is forced to beat out a venomous long-range drive from Morrison.
20 mins: Larsson has the ball in the Albion net, but is a yard offside when he deflects home a Stephane Sessegnon shot.
35 mins: Foster saves well from Bendtner, who shoots on the turn from 25 yards.
37 mins: Jonas Olsson aims a far psot header wide from Brunt's corner when it looked easier to score.
48 mins: Wes Brown heads weakly wide when meeting Larsson's free-kick six yards out.
59 mins: Foster saves with his knee from Elmohamady after neat build-up play by Sessegnon.
65 mins: Cattermole lucky to escape a second yellow for a horrible challenge on Reid. The Sunderland skipper is hauled off by Bruce soon afterwards.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Sunderland's stirring fight-back buys Bruce a little more time but Roy Hodgson must wonder how his side let a comfortable two-goal lead slip to see them have to settle for a share of the spoils.
UP NEXT: ALL THE REACTION
SUNDERLAND 2 (Bendtner 23, Elmohamady 27) WEST BROM 2 (Morrison 4, Long 5)
PLAYER MARKING:
Sunderland (4-4-2): Mignolet 6; O'Shea 6, Turner 4, Brown 4, Richardson 5; Elmohamady 7 (Ji 82, 6), Cattermole 6 (Colback 70, 6) Gardner 6 (Meyler 90, 5), Larsson 7; Sessegnon 6, Bendtner 7.
Subs (not used): Westwood, McClean, Cook, Laing.
West Brom (4-4-2): Foster 6; Reid 5, McAuley 6, Olsson 6, Shorey 6; Brunt 7, Mulumbu 5 (Scharner 74, 6), Dorrans 6 (Thomas 88, 5), Morrison 7; Long 7, Odemwingie 4.
Subs (not used): Fulop, Jones, Tamas, Tchoyi, Cox.
REFEREE: Lee Mason
ATTENDANCE: 34,815
NEXT UP:
- Sunderland v Arsenal (away), Premier League, 16/10/11, 1330 BST
- West Brom v Wolves (home), Premier League, 16/10/11, 1200 BST
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Nicklas Bendtner (Sunderland): Opened his Sunderland account in fine style, and could have had more with a little more luck. Led the line superbly.
Sunderland v West Brom Preview: Angry Steve Bruce ‘Let Down’ by Titus Bramble
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BST.
Steve Bruce has delivered a damning assessment of Titus Bramble, the Sunderland defender who has been suspended by the club following his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault and drug possession.
Bruce reminded his players of their responsibilities as role models after admitting he felt 'let down' by the 30-year-old.
"It's what's football management's all about unfortunately," Bruce said.
Bramble was detained by Cleveland police early on Wednesday and questioned over an alleged sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug. He was later released on police bail.
He has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation by Stadium of Light chiefs, which also includes his exclusion from training with his teammates.
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Bruce added: "I'm sure you're aware there's a police investigation going on and obviously I'm restricted to what I can say. But for me the big disappointment was that he shouldn't have been there in the first place.
"With the rewards footballers get, there has to be a responsibility, a moral responsibility. I don't think that footballers should be in nightclubs on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, especially after you've just been beaten at Norwich and with how badly he performed.
"If it was me, I'd be locking myself away for 48 hours and burying my head and making sure when training comes around I go and perform better than I did on Monday and put it right. That's where unfortunately they let themselves down.
"That's the disappointing thing for me but that's what football's become. With the rewards they have, they have to show a bit more responsibility."
Despite his clear disappointment with Bramble, a player he has signed twice in his management career, Bruce insisted the club's off-the-field worries will not distracting him from the task of turning round what has been a disappointing start to the season.
He added: "Nothing will derail me. I've been doing this job a long time and I've been let down many times by certain players. It makes me even more determined through adversity. I sometimes scratch my head and think what the hell am I doing it for? But it's what football management is now.
"The vast majority of players come from a working class background and most of them remember their roots and have a respect for the people who're still there. The players are alienating the working class people who follow the game."
Even before the Bramble incident, with almost indecent haste, the pressure had been piled back on an increasingly beleaguered Sunderland manager.
West Bromwich Albion may arrive at the Stadium of Light a point and five places worse-off than their hosts. But in comparison, the scrutiny which his opposite number Roy Hodgson has been placed under has been minimal.
In defence of the avuncular Albion manager, whose side occupy an uncomfortable position in the bottom three in the embryonic Premier League table, he hasn't had a second annual £40 million summer warchest with which to bolster his squad. Bruce has.
In addition, Hodgson's record in the latter third of last season was nowhere as abject as that of Bruce, who is back under the spotlight not so much for the 2-1 defeat at Norwich, more due to the latest no-show from many of his players.
A paltry four victories in their last 24 matches in all competitions hardly helps Bruce's cause.
Such is his current predicament, only Blackburn's Steve Kean is shorter odds to be the next Premier League manager relieved of his duties. Yes, things are that bad.
Key Match-Up: Wes Brown v Peter Odemwingie: Bruce is among a number of Premier League managers to have monitored the Nigerian before Albion were handsomely rewarded for taking the plunge last year. Brown has been one of Sunderland's better performers so far this season, but hasn't been immune from the occasional lapse.
Form Guide: Form guide? More like lack of form guide. These sides have won just twice between them in 12 league outings combined so far this season, suggesting the smart money is on the shares being spoiled at the weekend.
Match Odds: Sunderland 2/1, West Brom 7/2, Draw 10/3
Sunderland v West Brom Preview: Pressure Quickly Back on Steve Bruce
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BST.
Well, that was short-lived, wasn't it? With almost indecent haste, the pressure is back on an increasingly beleaguered Steve Bruce.
West Bromwich Albion may arrive at the Stadium of Light a point and five places worse-off than their hosts.
But in comparison, the scrutiny which his opposite number Roy Hodgson has been placed under has been minimal.
In defence of the avuncular Albion manager, whose side occupy an uncomfortable position in the bottom three in the embryonic Premier League table, he hasn't had a second annual £40 million summer warchest with which to bolster his squad. Bruce has.
In addition, Hodgson's record in the latter third of last season was nowhere as abject as that of Bruce, who is back under the spotlight not so much for the 2-1 defeat at Norwich, more due to the latest no-show from many of his players.
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A paltry four victories in their last 24 matches in all competitions hardly helps Bruce's cause.
Such is his current predicament, only Blackburn's Steve Kean is shorter odds to be the next Premier League manager relieved of his duties. Yes, things are that bad.
Key Match-Up: Wes Brown v Peter Odemwingie: Bruce is among a number of Premier League managers to have monitored the Nigerian before Albion were handsomely rewarded for taking the plunge last year. Brown has been one of Sunderland's better performers so far this season, but hasn't been immune from the occasional lapse.
Form Guide: Form guide? More like lack of form guide. These sides have won just twice between them in 12 lague outings combined so far this season, suggesting the smart money is on the shares being spoiled at the weekend.
Match Odds: Sunderland 2/1, West Brom 7/2, Draw 10/3
Sunderland v West Brom Preview: Pressure Quickly Back on Steve Bruce
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BST.
Well, that was short-lived, wasn't it? With almost indecent haste, the pressure is back on an increasingly beleaguered Steve Bruce.
West Bromwich Albion may arrive at the Stadium of Light a point and five places worse-off than their hosts.
But in comparison, the scrutiny which his opposite number Roy Hodgson has been placed under has been minimal.
In defence of the avuncular Albion manager, whose side occupy an uncomfortable position in the bottom three in the embryonic Premier League table, he hasn't had a second annual £40 million summer warchest with which to bolster his squad. Bruce has.
In addition, Hodgson's record in the latter third of last season was nowhere as abject as that of Bruce, who is back under the spotlight not so much for the 2-1 defeat at Norwich, more due to the latest no-show from many of his players.
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A paltry four victories in their last 24 matches in all competitions hardly helps Bruce's cause.
Such is his current predicament, only Blackburn's Steve Kean is shorter odds to be the next Premier League manager relieved of his duties. Yes, things are that bad.
Key Match-Up: Wes Brown v Peter Odemwingie: Bruce is among a number of Premier League managers to have monitored the Nigerian before Albion were handsomely rewarded for taking the plunge last year. Brown has been one of Sunderland's better performers so far this season, but hasn't been immune from the occasional lapse.
Form Guide: Form guide? More like lack of form guide. These sides have won just twice between them in 12 lague outings combined so far this season, suggesting the smart money is on the shares being spoiled at the weekend.
Match Odds: Sunderland 2/1, West Brom 7/2, Draw 10/3
Sunderland v West Brom Preview: Pressure Quickly Back on Steve Bruce
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, West Brom, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BST.
Well, that was short-lived, wasn't it? With almost indecent haste, the pressure is back on an increasingly beleaguered Steve Bruce.
West Bromwich Albion may arrive at the Stadium of Light a point and five places worse-off than their hosts.
But in comparison, the scrutiny which his opposite number Roy Hodgson has been placed under has been minimal.
In defence of the avuncular Albion manager, whose side occupy an uncomfortable position in the bottom three in the embryonic Premier League table, he hasn't had a second annual £40 million summer warchest with which to bolster his squad. Bruce has.
In addition, Hodgson's record in the latter third of last season was nowhere as abject as that of Bruce, who is back under the spotlight not so much for the 2-1 defeat at Norwich, more due to the latest no-show from many of his players.
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A paltry four victories in their last 24 matches in all competitions hardly helps Bruce's cause.
Such is his current predicament, only Blackburn's Steve Kean is shorter odds to be the next Premier League manager relieved of his duties. Yes, things are that bad.
Key Match-Up: Wes Brown v Peter Odemwingie: Bruce is among a number of Premier League managers to have monitored the Nigerian before Albion were handsomely rewarded for taking the plunge last year. Brown has been one of Sunderland's better performers so far this season, but hasn't been immune from the occasional lapse.
Form Guide: Form guide? More like lack of form guide. These sides have won just twice between them in 12 lague outings combined so far this season, suggesting the smart money is on the shares being spoiled at the weekend.
Match Odds: Sunderland 2/1, West Brom 7/2, Draw 10/3
Titus Bramble Suspended by Sunderland in Wake of Defender’s Arrest
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, Premier League, Football
Sunderland have suspended defender Titus Bramble, who was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of sex and drugs offences.
Bramble was detained by Cleveland police early on Wednesday and questioned over an alleged sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug. He was later released on police bail.
A club statement confirmed the suspension, pending the outcome of an internal investigation by Stadium of Light chiefs.
Bramble, 30, has also been excluded from training with his teammates for the time being.
"Sunderland AFC has confirmed that Titus Bramble has been suspended from duties, pending the outcome of a club investigation.
"The player will not attend team training or be available for selection for matches during this period. The club is unable to make any further comment."
Sunderland host fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at the weekend looking to improve on a run of just one victory in seven games this season.
Michael Turner is expected to replace former Wigan and Newcastle centre-back Bramble, who has made three league starts this season after overcoming a knee problem.
Norwich 2 Sunderland 1: Canaries Rise to Occasion to See Off Black Cats
by Jon WestFiled under: Sunderland, Norwich, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Norwich piled the pressure on Sunderland manager Steve Bruce with a deserved victory at Carrow Road.
Norwich bossed most of the first 45 minutes and led through Leon Barnett's 31st-minute tap in, the defender's first Premier League goal.
And the second half was just three minutes old when Steve Morison doubled the Canaries' lead.
Kieran Richardson pulled one back late on but Norwich held on to add to their first win of the season, last week's 2-1 win at Bolton.
Bruce was a former Norwich favourite and helped them beat Sunderland in the 1985 Milk Cup final.
But this reverse was an embarrassment for the former Manchester United man, who saw his players out-performed by a Canaries side that is continuing an amazing journey under Paul Lambert that began in League Two just two seasons ago.
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GOALS:
31 mins: Elliott Bennett plays a swift one-two with David Fox and his cross eludes the Sunderland defence to allow Barnett a tap in.
48 mins: Marc Tierney's cross from the left is met by the head of Morison, who scores from six yards out having out-jumped Wes Brown.
86 mins: Richardson pulls one back with an effort from the left of the box.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
6 mins: Wes Hoolahan seizes on an error by Titus Bramble but can only lob over the Sunderland bar.
26 mins: Nicklas Bendtner sees his snapshot on the turn saved by Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.
63 mins: An error lets bendtner in but Ruddy saves again.
68 mins: Sunderland substitute Connor Wickham sees close range connection fly straight to Ruddy.
REACTION:
Lambert paid tribute to his side's team spirit - which he reckoned had been created by being stuck in Norfolk together all week, every week.
"I think that comes from where this club is, in the Norfolk area. There not much you can do here other than travel nine hours to get somewhere. You have got to hang about with each other, so I think that certainly helps you.
"I am proud as anything of them. I have been since the day I walked through the door. The players that have left, the new ones coming in and the ones who were already here have been a credit to the club."
Bruce admitted his side had been poor.
"It was disappointing. We simply didn't perform. We have international players who unfortunately played poorly. It wasn't our night.
"I can't criticise their work-rate but simple mistakes made it a very difficult game for us. We switched off for both goals and that sums up our evening. They were poor goals to give away."
WHAT IT MEANS: That Norwich can enjoy the rest of the week and if they look at the table they will see themselves in the top half. As for Sunderland, performances must change on the pitch or they will take place elesewhere.
NORWICH 2 (Barnett 31, Morison 48) SUNDERLAND 1 (Richardson 86)
PLAYER MARKING:
Norwich (4-4-1-1): Ruddy 8; Naughton 7, R Martin 7, Barnett 7, Tierney 7; Bennett 8 (Crofts 84, 5), Johnson 7, Fox 7, Pilkington 7 (Vaughan 78, 5); Hoolahan 7; Morison 8 (Holt 78, 5).
Subs (not used): Rudd, Surman, C Martin, de Laet.
Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Mignolet 6; O'Shea 6, Brown 6, Bramble 5, Richardson 7; Elmohamady 6, Gardner 7, Vaughan 6, Larsson 5 (Dong-won 67, 6); Sessegnon 5 (Wickham 67, 6); Bendtner 7.
Subs (not used): Westwood, Turner, Cattermole, Colback, McClean.
REFEREE: Chris Foy
ATTENDANCE: tbc
NEXT UP:
- Norwich v Manchester United (Away), Premier League, 01/10 1500 BST
- Sunderland v West Bromwich (Home), Premier League 01/10 1500 BST
MAN OF THE MATCH: Elliott Bennett (Norwich): The way he set up the first goal was the best example of how the former Brighton winger is taking to life in the top division but there were plenty of others too. Pacy.
Live Premier League Text Commentary: Norwich v Sunderland
by Jacob SteinbergFiled under: Sunderland, Norwich, Premier League, Football, Min-By-Min Reports
Minute-by-minute commentary from Carrow Road.
Norwich v Sunderland Preview: Titus Bramble Braced for Hostile Reception
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, Norwich, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE, CARROW ROAD, MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2011. KICK-OFF: 2000 BST
Norwich have yet to win at home this season while Sunderland have yet to taste success outside the Stadium of Light so far: both sides will therefore being eyeing the other as the perfect opportunity to put that right.
The Canaries have been entertaining as well as unpredictable on their top-flight return as their games have featured red cards and penalties more often than not as manager Paul Lambert juggled his starting line-up constantly to keep his men on their toes and the opposition guessing.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce was a former Carrow Road favourite in his playing days before finding fame and fortune in the Manchester United defence and he will be happy if his players an replicate the score from the last time the two teams met - a 4-1 Carling Cup success two seasons ago when Norwich were in League One.
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Key match-up: Grant Holt v Titus Bramble. Captain Holt was dropped for last week's 2-1 win at Bolton but it would be a big surprise if the burly striker wasn't brought back for this one. If so he will be up against Bramble, whose Ipswich connections - he sponsors youth teams at his former club - are unlikely to be overlooked by the home fans. A heavyweight contest to savour therefore.
Form guide: The win at Bolton was Norwich's first since their return to the top flight, which had seen them draw with Wigan and Stoke and lost to Chelsea and West Brom before that. Sunderland thrashed Stoke 4-0 to record their first win of the season following draws with Liverpool and Swansea and defeats by Newcastle and Chelsea.
Odds: Norwich 6/4, Sunderland 9/5, draw 12/5.
NORWICH:
Lambert confirmed he was not afraid to change a winning team, especially as Steve Morison led the line on his own at the Reebok Stadium while Holt watched for the majority of the match from the bench.
"Every player I trust," he said. "The lads who I pick, I trust them. I don't think anybody's inferior to any other person. Whatever team I pick will do their best to try to win and the lads, I thought, were excellent last week. I thought they deserved to win the game.
"I have been more than happy with how we are playing. I never have that worry that they won't give me everything they've got. That's one thing I've always felt here. I've never thought they've not been at it, apart from the MK Dons game (a 4-0 home defeat in the Carling Cup), but one game in two and a bit years is exceptional."
Strategy: Lambert opted to drop centre back Ritchie de Laet for the Bolton game and moved Russell Martin across from right back to take on England forward Kevin Davies and the Scot hinted he could remain there.
"Russell is a lad that has never let me down," he said. "Even when I had him at Wycombe - he's somebody that I trust, for me, that's really, really important. I thought against Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic I thought him and Leon Barnett were exceptional."
Injury update: Lambert will be without three of his centre backs through injury - Zak Whitbread (hamstring), Daniel Ayala (knee) and Elliott Ward (knee).
Sunderland’s Steve Bruce Faces Fall-Out Over Lee Cattermole Axe
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, Premier League, Football
For Steve Bruce, there were plenty of up sides to his bold decision to drop Lee Cattermole. Now comes the down side.
A 4-0 win over Stoke City - their first in six games this season - minus his erstwhile captain, relegated to the bench in favour of a central midfield pairing of Craig Gardner and David Vaughan vindicated the manager doing without the services of a player he had previously been unstinting in his loyalty to.
So far, so good, perhaps.
Now comes the difficult part. Given the absence of any training ground injuries this week, it's hard to justify making changes for the trip to Norwich City, so the ex-England Under-21 midfielder can expect further bench warming duties at Carrow Road, with John O'Shea again wearing the skipper's armband.
Clearly, it's far too early to write-off Cattermole's Stadium of Light career simply due to one, albeit significant, snub. However, the longer his absence from the team continues, the more difficult it will be to justify any return as captain.
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Eventually restoring the Teessider to the team is one thing, but if that isn't accompanied by him leading the team out, what does that say regarding Bruce's assessment of both the player's ability, and, more pertinently, his character?
The manager, insisting the £5 million arrival from Wigan in 2009 remains a key part of his plans despite being dropped for the first time in his Sunderland career, said: "Nobody epitomises what I like about a footballer more than my captain." At least he's still calling you his captain, Lee, things can't be all that bad.
Sunderland 4 Stoke 0: Black Cats Off the Mark in Spectacular Fashion
by Jason MellorFiled under: Stoke City, Sunderland, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Three goals inside half an hour eased the pressure on Sunderland manager Steve Bruce as his side ended a depressing run of eight defeats in their previous nine home games at The Stadium of Light.
Titus Bramble and Craig Gardner were on the mark, with a Jonathan Woodgate own goal sandwiched in between, as Stoke saw a run of nine games without defeat come to a crushing end.
Sunderland might have added more but were content to settle for a fourth from the impressive Seb Larsson.
THE GOALS
5 mins: Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic allows a close-range scrambled effort from Bramble under his body for a soft opener as Stoke fail to deal with a Larsson corner. (1-0)
11 mins: Nicklas Bendtner pressures Jonathan Woodgate who can only head an own goal past the hapless Begovic from Larsson's inviting ball into the box. (2-0)
28 mins: Bendtner feeds Gardner on the edge of the box, whose deflected effort finds the top corner past a stranded Begovic for the midfielder's first goal since a £5 million summer move from Birmingham. (3-0)
58 mins: Larsson curls a 20-yard free-kick into the bottom corner after a foul on Stephane Sessegnon (4-0)
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
14mins: Robert Huth's close range shot is blocked by keeper Simon Mignolet after a trademark Rory Delap throw causes chaos in Sunderland's six-yard box.
16 mins: Mignolet produces a stunning save to deny Marc Wilson, whose 20-yard free-kick was destined for the top corner.
45 mins: Peter Crouch heads Wilson's cross directly at the keeper.
70 mins: Huth is lucky to stay on the pitch after appearing to strike Bendtner in the face, unsighted by the ref.
86 mins: Bendtner fails to make a decisive touch on a dangerous Kieran Richardson cross.
88 mins: Crouch has the goal at his mercy but totally miscues his attempt.
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WHAT IT MEANS
Pressure off Bruce and the Black Cats after a bold decision to drop tough-tackling Lee Cattermole ended with a victory that halts their winless start to the season and offers proof that this appears to be shaping up into a very unpredictable Premier League season. What might have been predicted, however, is the fact that Stoke are apparently struggling with the early days of their debut Europa League campaign. A midweek trip to the Ukraine certainly seems to have taken its toll in this instance.
TO COME: ALL THE REACTION
SUNDERLAND 4 (Bramble 5, Woodgate og 11, Gardner 28, Larsson 58) STOKE 0
PLAYER MARKING:
Sunderland (4-4-1-1): Mignolet 7; O'Shea 7, Bramble 8, Brown 7, Richardson 7; Elmohamady 7, Gardner 7, Vaughan 7, Larsson 8 (Colback 63, 6); Sessegnon 7 (Ji 81, 6); Bendtner 7 (Wickham 85, 6).
Substitutes (not used): Westwood, Turner, Cattermole, McClean.
Stoke (4-4-2): Begovic 3; Huth 3, Shawcross 5, Woodgate 4, Wilson 4; Walters 6, Delap 5 (Palacios 71, 5), Whitehead 5, Etherington 4 (Pennant 65, 5); Crouch 4, Jerome 6 (Jones 61, 5).
Substitutes (not used): Sorensen, Whelan, Upson, Wilkinson.
Sunderland v Stoke Preview: Steve Bruce out to Show he’s in it for the Long Run
by Jason MellorFiled under: Stoke City, Sunderland, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011. KICK-OFF: 1500 BST.
Tears, sweat, possibly even a drop or two of blood. The danger of hitting the wall; that feeling of complete and utter exhaustion, that you're never going to reach your intended destination. The sheer, unadulterated futility of it all.
Yes, given his current plight, Steve Bruce has plenty in common with the 50,000 runners competing in the Great North Run, which finishes just up the coast from the Stadium of Light.
The stragglers, in fact, will still be coming in to finish the gruelling 13.1 mile course at the start of a game which will have a significant bearing on the Sunderland manager's credentials to remain in situ for the long run.
After eight defeats in their last nine home games, the stadium is no longer a fortress, more a prison in which Sunderland's hopes of building on their first top 10 finish for a decade have been entombed in front of their increasingly frustrated supporters.
There's little doubt that resentment from fans towards Bruce is on the increase after a winless, largely listless start to the campaign that's seen them find the net just twice in eight hours' football.
The derby setback to Newcastle simply intensified the growing frustration towards the manager, and his Geordie roots, which are always exacerbated during a poor run of results.
Defeat to a Stoke side manned by many of the players he has deemed surplus to requirements on Wearside - and therefore with something of a point to prove - would merely crank the pressure up another notch or two.
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A saving Grace for Bruce, whose side have recorded just a single home win since the start of January, could be the fact that Stoke touched down back home from their testing Europa League trip to Kiev a little over 48 hours before their appointment in the North-East.
The admirable Tony Pulis has an ever-improving squad in terms of numbers and quality, but even so, fatigue may play a part in the visitors not being able to fully exploit their opponents' current woes.
Key Match-Up: Wes Brown v Peter Crouch: It's the one who signed against the one who got away (again). Bruce has tried on umpteen occasions to land Crouch, so it's a near nailed-on certainty he will score. Brown, of course, will have a say in that, although the ex-Manchester United defender will only just about have recovered from the chastening hour he spent trying, and largely failing, to contain Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge last week.
Form Guide: Surely there's not a football follower in the land who isn't aware that Sunderland haven't won this season. It's the opposite end of the scale for Stoke, who are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.
Match Odds: Sunderland 2/1, Stoke 13/5, Draw 4/1
Don’t Rule out Asamoah Gyan Returning to Sunderland
by Jason MellorFiled under: Sunderland, Premier League, Football
To lose one record signing in a calendar year is unfortunate.
For two to leave in the space of seven months is the height of carelessness. Welcome to the anything but dull world of Sunderland Football Club.
First things first, the departure of Asamoah Gyan to play in the United Arab Emirates, in footballing terms at least, is no great shakes.
Certainly, it's nothing on the void left by Darren Bent's equally hasty and similarly unexpected exit to Aston Villa in January.
In a 12-month spell on Wearside where he has struggled for form and fitness, a modest return of 11 goals in 37 appearances suggests Gyan's departure, though ill-timed, is one from which Sunderland can move on. That's somewhat unlike the case with Bent, whose absence is one still being felt in the 'goals for' column.
Sunderland have plenty of things going for them. A fine stadium and training complex, an impressive fanbase and plenty of tradition and history.
But, just as the Bent affair proved, Gyan following him out of the door shows that in the grand scheme of things, the Black Cats are still some way down the pecking order in football's food chain.
For their inconvenience at least, they receive a loan fee approaching half the £13m they paid for the player just a year ago.
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Asking why the Ghana international should want to pursue his career in a footballing backwater more used to offering players at the end of their careers one last well-paid hurrah is akin to the loaded question Caroline Aherne's character Mrs Merton once asked the lovely Debbie McGee. What do you see in the millionaire Paul Daniels?
In Gyan's, case, according to reports, he saw a pay packet in the region of £120,000-a-week. Or more than three times the remuneration he received at the Stadium of Light, where he had been denied a pay rise despite requesting one soon after his arrival.
Sunderland 1 Chelsea 2: Daniel Sturridge Stars as Fernando Torres is Axed
by Jason MellorFiled under: Chelsea, Sunderland, Premier League, Football, Match Reports
Fernando Torres was given an unwanted chance to put his feet up as Chelsea cruised to victory to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The Blues' £50 million record signing was confined to a 15-minute cameo from the bench in favour of Daniel Sturridge as Andre Villas-Boas flexed his managerial muscles.
Sturridge repaid his manager's faith, doubling Chelsea's lead shortly after the interval with an impish finish, opening his account on his return from suspension.
With Raul Meireles making an impressive debut in midfield, Chelsea rarely looked back after taking an early lead through skipper John Terry's first goal of the season.
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It was another day to forget for winless Sunderland, who subsided to their latest defeat to add insult to injury after the shock departure of record signing Asamoah Gyan. Ji Dong-won's injury-time effort was scant consolation for the hosts.
THE GOALS:
18 mins: Terry is allowed two bites at the cherry to find the net from a narrow angle via defender Phil Bardsley after Juan Mata's free-kick came back off the post. (0-1)
51 mins: Sturridge beats Wes Brown to a ball from Meireles to finish with a cheeky backheel as Simon Mignolet came to block. (0-2)
90 mins: Ji Dong-won opens his Sunderland account, sweeping home a cross from Larsson after Bendtner's flick. (1-2)
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:
12 mins: Nicklas Bendtner wastes a golden chance to break the deadlock, the unmarked debutant heading wide from Seb Larsson's free-kick.
20 mins: Jack Colback is lucky to escape with a yellow card for a terrible challenge on Ramires.
25 mins: Anelka out-paces Titus Bramble to fire in a shot that grazes the crossbar.
45 mins: Petr Cech marks his return to the side with a fine save low to his left to deny Stephane Sessegnon.
45 mins: Larsson heads badly wide when meeting a Kieran Richardson cross.
63 mins: Florent Malouda almost scores with his first touch, forcing a fine save from Mignolet.
WHAT IT MEANS:
Chelsea remain unbeaten and go into their Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen in great form. Without a victory in their five games this season, the pressure mounts on Sunderland manager Steve Bruce.
Sunderland v Chelsea Preview: Andre Villas-Boas Looks to Increase Pressure on Steve Bruce
by Jason MellorFiled under: Chelsea, Sunderland, Premier League, Football, Match Previews, Team Previews
PREMIER LEAGUE: STADIUM OF LIGHT, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011. KICK-OFF 1500 BST.
They are impressive statistics in anyone's book. No fewer than six consecutive victories, seven games unbeaten. In fact, their most recent defeat arrived almost 11 years ago.
If Chelsea could hand-pick any Premier League venue at which to play an away fixture, with such a fine record on Wearside, it would probably have to be the Stadium of Light.
Add into the mix the fact that they come up against hosts who're yet to taste victory this season, and who are clearly in need of installing barn doors to replace goal posts for their so far hopeless forward line.
Given the circumstances, only those looking through the most red and white tinted glasses would predict anything other than Andre Villas Boas' side stretching their somewhat under-stated though nevertheless unbeaten start to the campaign.
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Of course, such an outcome would only serve to further increase the pressure on manager Steve Bruce after what has been a largely miserable start to the season for the Black Cats.
Key Match-Up: Lee Cattermole v Frank Lampard: Only a few days ago, this had the makings of England past against England future. Scrub that. Lampard is well and truly back in the international fold, while the Sunderland skipper needs to up his game in order to fulfil the rich promise that once saw the young Teessider marked out as a soon to be regular with the national side.
Form Guide: Sunderland are without a victory so far this season, with a modest two points from their three Premier League games and a Carling Cup exit at the first hurdle to Brighton. Chelsea are unbeaten, with seven points from a possible nine.
Match Odds: Sunderland 7/2, Chelsea 9/5, Draw 15/2