Ahead of today’s game against Stoke, we caught up with our friends at the Stoke City Podcast, The Wizards of Drivel for a quick preview…
Stoke currently sit in 21st place what’s gone wrong this season?
Everything? The majority of blame seems to be going in the direction of the manager, who hasn’t been able to marshall a brand-new squad into an effective unit despite some clear talent on the pitch. There’ve been some awful injuries, particularly in defence, but we’re waiting for our attacking players to be let off the leash.
Given your bad start what would you say are your goals for the rest of the campaign?
Steer away from the relegation zone and see where we are in January. 16th appears to be our destiny every season, and just right now, it’s looking good up there.
Is Alex Neil going to be manager for much longer?
If you guys come and turn us over, it’s hard to see Neil staying in a job too much longer. Patience is wearing thin with the fanbase. He’s been fortunate that our owners are loyal, almost to a fault, with managers.
How’s Lynden Gooch been getting on?
I really like him. He’s nothing but 100% graft and I can see why he was popular with Sunderland fans. Not the greatest final ball, but he gets up and down the right side of the pitch really well.
Which Sunderland player are you most watching out for on Saturday?
Jack Clarke. Obviously being a former Stoke player (albeit briefly), but also because he seems to be smashing the league to bits on his own.
Any players Sunderland fans should watch out for in a Stoke shirt?
You won’t be able to miss Wesley, he’s absolutely huge. I imagine a lot of our players will be completely unknown to other Championship fans so keep an eye on wingers Sead Haksabanovic, Mehdi Leris and Bae Jun-Ho. Bae hasn’t had many minutes but has looked good when we’ve seen him so far. The other two are tenacious wingers with a good shot on them.
Were you at the game when you beat us 5-1?
Oh yes. It was a similar situation with Neil’s job under a lot of scrutiny. Nobody saw that result coming. Dwight Gayle scoring two made it all the more ridiculous. I know schadenfreude isn’t a great trait, but it was fun eavesdropping on the conversations on the metro back to Newcastle whilst I kept my grinning head down.
Score prediction for today?
5-1 to Sunderland.
