Report written 4 August and to be updated in run up to Sunderland's opening match away to Man City on Saturday 13 August at 5:30pm
Last Season Stats
I suppose there is a feeling of relief around Sunderland after last season. They were very close to being relegated and the then manager Sam Allardyce is seen to have done an excellent job to recover their season and keep the team in the Premier League. The now England manager decided to dispense with the director of football for player purchases and brought in his own players that fitted how he wanted to play in January. They will look to improve massively after finishing in 17th position in the table on 39 points. Only two points above relegated arch rivals Newcastle united.
Manager
It falls to David Moyes to steer Sunderland in the right direction in the new season. The former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad manager will be eager to get back into the swing of things in the Premier League. We should find an organised, well drilled team that will play in a reactive way depending on the oppositions strengths and will look to overload teams with overlapping runs on the wings. Generally, he sticks to a tried and tested 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system.
Defence
Firstly, the goal keepers.
Vito Mannone – With no Costel Pantilimon around, Vito Mannone will now be the first choice goal keeper. Last season played a total of 20 games for Sunderland.
Jordan Pickford – Looks like another season where the young goalkeeper will be understudy to Vito Mannone.
The Defenders include.
Bill Jones – Picked up a hip injury in the friendly against Montpellier but that shouldn’t keep him out for long. Otherwise the full back would have expected to potentially start the season at right back. Last season made 22 appearances scoring 1 goal.
Patrick Van Aanholt – The full back was one of the good things to come out of a bad season for Sunderland. He played in 36 games scoring 4 goals.
Younes Kaboul – The versatile central defender and fans favourite will look to resume his central defensive partnership with Lamine Kone from last season. He made 23 appearances last year.
John O’Shea – The club captain and veteran defender, will be looking again to be the mainstay of the team. Last season he played in 31 games.
Lamine Kone –Brought in last season by Sam Allardyce from Lorient to shore up the defence. He formed a good partnership in central defence with Younes Kaboul and that looks set to continue. Last season he made 15 appearances scoring 2 goals.
Midfielders
Lee Cattermole –The club vice-captain and heart of the midfield. The no-nonsense midfielder will look to continue to be the anchor man in midfield. Last season he played in 34 games.
Sebastian Larsson – Has recently come back from the European championships to join up with the first team again. The Sweden international winger and last season supporter’s player of the season, will be looking to add to his 19 games played last season.
Jack Rodwell – The midfielder will be reunited with David Moyes again this season and will be looking to continue in the heart of the midfield for Sunderland. Last season he made 24 appearances scoring 3 goals.
Jeremain Lens – The talented Dutch winger brought in by Dick Advocaat a year ago was sidelined under Sam Allardyce. But looks like he might have a second opportunity with David Moyes at the helm and after a season of the Premier League under his belt will be better for it. Last season he played in 23 games scoring 4 goals.
Wahbi Khazri – The creative Tunisian International winger was brought in by Sam Allardyce to add some further creativity to the Sunderland midfield. He made 14 appearances last season scoring 2 goals.
Jan Kirchhoff – Had a slight knock in a friendly game against Montpellier but is expected to be fit for the start of the season. Another Sam Allardyce signing brought in to help add further steel to the Sunderland midfield. The defensive midfielder looks to line up alongside Lee Cattermole. He made 15 appearances last season.
Note: Yann M'Villa was on loan at Sunderland last season but after Allardyce's move, the club are trying to resign the defensive midfielder but at the moment he is not a Sunderland player.
Forwards
Fabio Borini – The versatile Italian forward has become an integral part of the Sunderland team. Last year very often popping up to score crucial goals when it counted. He played in 27 games scoring 5 goals.
Jermain Defoe – Has picked up a thigh injury ruling him out until the start of the season. The striker was the team’s top scorer and player of the season with 18 goals from 33 appearances.
Duncan Watmore – The young forward will have a chance to get a regular starting birth now that Jermain Defoe is injured. Last season he played in 25 games scoring 4 goals.
Expected Line-ups
I think we can expect a few new signings before the season starts properly. Especially after a new Manager arriving and due to the injury to Jermain Defoe. Therefore, I would expect the lineup to evolve and keep doing so until midnight on the day the transfer window closes. I would expect a team similar to the below to start the season (Possible alternative player marked in brackets):
4-4-1-1 formation:
Goal Keeper: Vito Mannone
Defence: Patrick Van Aanholt, Younes Kaboul, Lamine Kone, John O’Shea (Bill Jones)
Midfield: Jeremain Lens (Fabio Borini), Lee Cattermole, Jan Kirchhoff (Jack Rodwell), Wahbi Khazri (Sebastian Larsson)
Forward: Duncan Watmore, Fabio Borini
It’s possible that they could start the season with a more 4-5-1 type of formation with Borini played either as winger as he seems to be playing in the friendlies supporting a loan front player. I think another striker will be joining Sunderland before the transfer window closes due to the injury to last year’s leading scorer Jermain Defoe and the lack of strength in depth the club have in the striker department.
Summary
It will be interesting to see who David Moyes brings into the Sunderland team and how they adopt his strategy and techniques. I don’t think the team will be quite as defensively minded as the last term. But I would also expect them not to be committing too many players forward. I think the key players for fantasy managers will be Vito Mannone and Patrick Van Aanholt. The later for scoring goals from full back and the former for the number of saves he may have to make. Otherwise the pick of the players is Fabio Borini who should still be able to get into scoring positions and has 3 goals in pre-season.
Pre-season games:
20 July: Hartlepool 0-3 Sunderland (Victoria Park). Goals: Defoe 2, Khazri
23 July: Rotherham 1-2 Sunderland (New York Stadium). Goals: Borini, N'Zogbia
25 July: Stade Nyonnais 0-2 Sunderland (France). Goals: Watmore 2
27 July: Dijon FCO 2-3 Sunderland (France). Goals: Khazri, Borini, Asoro
30 July: Montpellier 1-1 Sunderland ( France). Goal: Borini
5 August: Borussia Dortmund (Austria)
1st 10 EPL matches:
Man City V Sunderland
Sat 13 Aug 17:30
Sunderland V Middlesbrough
Sun 21 Aug 13:30
Southampton V Sunderland
Sat 27 Aug 15:00
Sunderland V Everton
Mon 12 Sep 20:00
Tottenham V Sunderland
Sun 18 Sep 16:30
Sunderland V Crystal Palace
Sat 24 Sep 15:00
Sunderland V West Brom
Sat 1 Oct 15:00
Stoke V Sunderland
Sat 15 Oct 15:00
West Ham V Sunderland
Sat 22 Oct 15:00
Sunderland V Arsenal
Sat 29 Oct 15:00
Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
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- Kevin and Perry
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- Kevin and Perry
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
New signing Papy Djilobodji will look to add competition for places in central defence but he can also play in central midfield.
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- Kevin and Perry
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
Looks like Larsson picked up a knock before the game against Dortmund which finished 1-1. But should still be ok for the start of the season.
Sunderland: Mannone (Pickford, 46), O'Shea, van Aanholt, Kaboul, Kone, Cattermole (Embleton, 84), Rodwell (Gooch, 77), Lens (Honeyman, 82), Khazri (J Robson, 46), Watmore (Asoro, 67), Borini (Greenwood, 84).
Sunderland: Mannone (Pickford, 46), O'Shea, van Aanholt, Kaboul, Kone, Cattermole (Embleton, 84), Rodwell (Gooch, 77), Lens (Honeyman, 82), Khazri (J Robson, 46), Watmore (Asoro, 67), Borini (Greenwood, 84).
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
Kone looking set for a move but with McNair (centre or right def) signing maybe Sunderland almost look to have a potentially half decent defence if Papy Djilobodji is the real deal (could well play in a defensive midfield spot), not 100% sure on who will play where apart from PVA could yet turn out to be a decent shout but plenty of other in that price bracket that I'll probably start the season with over PVA.
I'd expect Manonne to keep his No1 spot.
I'd expect Manonne to keep his No1 spot.
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- Kevin and Perry
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
Paddy McNair & Donald Love have signed for Sunderland according to the BBC for a combined £5.5 million. Love is a Scotland under 21 international fullback. But can also play in midfield. McNair as previous comments seems to be either a centre back or right back.
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
So based on the above and comments on SkySports, I think after injuries to their midfield, the line-up today away to Man City in the late match could be:
Goal Keeper: Vito Mannone
Defence: RB (could be one of 3!), Younes Kaboul, Lamine Kone (may be sold soon to Everton), Patrick Van Aanholt
Midfield: Jeremain Lens, O'Shea (due to injuries), Jack Rodwell, Wahbi Khazri
Forwards: Defoe, Borini
Goal Keeper: Vito Mannone
Defence: RB (could be one of 3!), Younes Kaboul, Lamine Kone (may be sold soon to Everton), Patrick Van Aanholt
Midfield: Jeremain Lens, O'Shea (due to injuries), Jack Rodwell, Wahbi Khazri
Forwards: Defoe, Borini
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
Moyes signs another former player in Pienaar, who has been on "trial".....
Kaboul to Watford
Kone not starting, which means the long awaited move to Goodison is going to happen?
Kaboul to Watford
Kone not starting, which means the long awaited move to Goodison is going to happen?
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Re: Sunderland - Expected Line-Up 13 August 2016
The line-up was:
V Mannone,P van Aanholt, L Kone, , Y Kaboul, D Love yellow card, D Watmore (A Januzaj, 64), L Gooch yellow card (W Khazri, 65), J O'Shea, J Rodwell, F Borini, J Defoe (P McNair, 83)
Subs not used: J Asoro, J Pickford, J Lens, P Djilobodji
As per above the CB pairing of Kaboul & Kone look to be on their way to Watford & Everton respectively and Pienaar has done enough in his trial to be signed on. Januzaj was a late signing from Man Utd and did well as a sub last Saturday. Cattermole should be back within the next week.
V Mannone,P van Aanholt, L Kone, , Y Kaboul, D Love yellow card, D Watmore (A Januzaj, 64), L Gooch yellow card (W Khazri, 65), J O'Shea, J Rodwell, F Borini, J Defoe (P McNair, 83)
Subs not used: J Asoro, J Pickford, J Lens, P Djilobodji
As per above the CB pairing of Kaboul & Kone look to be on their way to Watford & Everton respectively and Pienaar has done enough in his trial to be signed on. Januzaj was a late signing from Man Utd and did well as a sub last Saturday. Cattermole should be back within the next week.
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