OPPOSITION VIEW: BHA

Sunderland head to the south coast, riding the wave of derby day success, to take on a very inconsistent Brighton and Hove Albion. We spoke to Parker from Dogma Magazine about how the match (and our respective seasons) could go...

10th in the Premier League after 16 games, how would you describe Brighton's season so far?

10th is fully representative of our season so far. Neither good nor bad. We are predictably inconsistent. We look sort of good for a few games, and then sort of bad for a few. Disjointed and momentum-less.

What are your thoughts on manager Fabian Hurzeler?

Have you heard how old he is! His age (32) has become his thing... and whilst it becomes a bit tiring to hear it referred to over and over, it also highlights a pertinent point; years in the dugout create experience, and sometimes his inexperience has cost us. Figuring out how to get a football team to perform consistently week in week out should be his primary homework assignment. I think we would prefer for him to have learnt on the job elsewhere for longer, before joining us, but most of us like what we see. Some of his managerial work (particularly his substitutions) have been inspired - but some less so.

How has Tommy Watson done since signing for the Seagulls in the summer?

Who is this Tommy Watson you speak of? He’s been permanently injured, or even if nominally available for selection has been deemed too inexperienced for the matchday squad. ‘Not ready’ is the official line given for his absence. It’s all a bit baffling. Perhaps he has just been really unlucky with knocks, or perhaps the manager doesn’t like what he sees in training? The laws of football dictate that players score against their ex teams – which means a goal for Adingra, and a rare appearance plus a goal for Watson!

Former Sunderland favourite Danny Welbeck seems to have found a new lease of life at 35 and is your top scorer with seven goals. What do you think of Welbeck?

We love him. We also fixed him: thanks to some corrective surgery, Danny is no longer made of glass. It’s fair, I think, to imagine the career he would have had if this surgery had been conducted when he was a much younger player. But anyways… he’s been with us for longer than any other club, and has scored more goals for us than anyone else.

What have you made of Sunderland's return to life in the top flight? Do you see similarities between our model and Brighton's?

It’s been an impressive start, no question. Fair play to you. I don’t see any similarities (soz!) in the respective models. Sunderland have done exactly what we never do – purchased a load of players for NOW. For the first team. And look at the difference this approach can make. We usually sign players (and now managers) for three seasons down the line. It can be frustrating.

Which BHA player could cause us some damage?

Whoever might be fit on Saturday! Our injury record is spectacular. We have topped the PL injury league table for the past three seasons. It’s an issue that seemingly never ends.

Alternatively, which Sunderland player has caught your eye the most and worries you?

Whoever was responsible for your player recruitment this season.

What's your score prediction? Who will get the goals?

Honestly, no clue. Some weeks we are good, some weeks we are tepid. We concede loads of soft goals. We usually score some goals. It could be anything.

Where would you recommend for travelling Sunderland fans to grab food or drink?

Brighton has more pubs per person than any other city in the UK. We are the KINGS of boozers (and therefore boozing). There’s a designated away Weatherspoons if that’s your thing (West St) plus literally hundreds of other places to try. The majority of the pubs immediately outside of the station are home only. There’s also Lewes (which is the alternative train route option) - another pub hotspot albeit on a much smaller scale.

Finally, where do you think both sides will finish this year?

For Sunderland I guess the worry is that the good start will fizzle out – but it’s not that uncommon for a promoted side to start good and stay good. Sheffield United a couple of season back, for example. So definitely in the top 10.

For us… well, there’s some disquiet starting to grow around the club. The club itself have made some strange (and unpopular) decisions of late, and not all fans are fully bought into Fabian as boss. So there’s a scenario whereby things continue to meander south. But, equally, there’s a lot of talent in the squad, and in the dugout too, and a case can be made for a strong second half of the season and the rediscovery of the mojo that helped to propel us to European football a couple of seasons back.