Starting XI: Is This The Team To Get Sunderland Into Europe?!
· Yahoo Sports
After last Sunday’s excellent win at Everton gave us a glimmer of European hope, we head into the season’s final fixture with the possibility of claiming a place in one of the European comps next season. Of course, it’s not in our hands completely, we just need to do our bit – which is win against a Chelsea team who stumbled over the line against Spurs in midweek, following defeat in the FA Cup final last weekend. Team wise, we know Omar Alderete is struggling and Chemsdine Talbi is out – so is this the side Le Bris will name this afternoon?
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Goalkeeper: Robin Roefs
Easy one to begin with. It was interesting to hear Le Bris talk about Roefs this week – he confirmed what we’d all seen, in that he’d been a little hesitant upon returning from injury, but is back in his best form now – something he showed with a game-changing save at 2-1 at Everton. What a signing he’s been.
Defence: Lutsharel Geertruida, Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, Reinildo
I can’t imagine Omar Alderete will miss out unless he’s desperately hurt, so I’m predicting he’ll be in the starting line up, although Luke O’Nien’s brilliant showing last week demonstrated we’ve no reason to be concerned should the Paraguayan miss out. Whichever of the two of them plays will surely be alongside an unchanged defence, with Geertruida making a big play for a permanent deal.
Midfield: Trai Hume, Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fee, Noah Sadiki, Nilson Angulo
I reckon it’ll be same again in midfield today, especially with Talbi out. Xhaka, Le Fee and Sadiki will form the three once more, while Trai Hume will once again be asked to do the centre back/right back/right mid/centre mid role. For anyone struggling to see the ‘why’ in Hume’s selection there, just watch him when Chelsea have possession – he’s integral to the defensive set up. Yes, he doesn’t offer as much as some other options would going forward, but he helps us stay in games and build a platform for those more attacking players to come on against tired legs, as Rigg, Isidor and Diarra did to good effect last week.
Forward: Brian Brobbey
Le Bris called Brobbey his first choice striker in midweek, and that’s unsurprising – the Dutch international’s got better and better as the season’s progressed, and showed a different side to his game with his run and goal on Sunday. While his season total of seven so far may not seem brilliant, he’s started just 21 games, playing the full 90 on just 5 occasions, so he’s scoring more than one in three, which isn’t at all bad, considering we aren’t the most attacking team around.