What a huge couple of days this is, both on and off the pitch. First, a trip to the north-east beckons, arguably the biggest match of the season, and then that court case which is imperative for the long term future of this football club. In normal circumstances a win on Tuesday could ignite Blackpool's season, but with a possible 12 point deduction on the horizon, these are far from ordinary circumstances.
Injuries and Suspensions:
Lee Catermole is doubtful to play through injury, but Sunderland as a whole have a reasonably fit squad. Blackpool still have the injuries of Max Clayton, Jimmy Ryan, Callum Guy and Jay Spearing to contend with; Spearing especially being a huge miss for the Seasiders.
The History:
Sunderland is a club of fantastic history and is a club that should never have found themselves in League One. The club has won the FA Cup twice and the first division six times after being founded in 1879. The Black Cats were an ever present part of the early first division, remaining in the division for an impressive 68 seasons.
Recent times have proved much more tough for them though with consecutive relegations sending the club into free fall. For a club that spent 10 consecutive seasons in the Premiership, finishing as high as 10th, this is an absolute disaster. The fans have remained supportive however , as 46,039 piled into the Stadium of Light on boxing day, and this support has helped them on their way to fourth place, with three games in hand.
After Simon Grayson left the club in a precarious position last season, eventually meaning that the Black Cats were relegated stone cold bottom of the Championship, questions were certainly raised as to how the club would fare in League One, but all credit to them and Jack Ross, as they target an instant Championship return.
The Manager:
Jack Ross is still relatively young in management terms, but he has already managed three clubs. The Scottish manager was utilised as both a defender and midfielder in his playing days which was predominantly spent in Scotland. The bulk of his career was spent at Clyde where he played 159 times, but he also had spells at Hartlepool, Falkirk and St Mirrin. He career was sadly cut short in 2011 through a knee injury, but this opened up management as an option.
Once being introduced to coaching at Dumbarton as assistant manager he quickly gathered interest. A successful stint as the coach of the Heart of Midlothian under-20 team in 2014 led him on to further management jobs at Alloa Athletic and St Mirren. It was his promotion from the Scottish Championship with the latter that would eventually attract Sunderland and he was appointed in May 2018.
Star Men:
Jon McLaughlin
31 year old Jon McLaughlin has been the man between the sticks this year for the Black Cats. The Scotsman has played 32 times so far this season and only conceded 31 goals. He has also played for Heart of Midlothian, Burton and Bradford over the course of a successful career, and will prove difficult to beat, especially for a Blackpool side struggling with goals.
Aiden McGeady
Irish winger McGeady has had a decent season with Sunderland so far, scoring 8 times and providing 6 assists. After being left out early in the season, he has been virtually ever present since and is a real asset for Sunderland to deploy. His experience at many levels has proved invaluable, having played for Celtic, Spartak Moscow, Everton, Preston and Sheffield Wednesday. That amounts to 32 times in the Premier League and 144 times in the Scottish Premiership, he will be one to look out for.
Will Grigg
Having recently signed for a hefty 3.4 million pounds, a deal that came in just before the January transfer window slammed shut, Will Grigg has the task of filling the void left by Josh Maja. The 27 year old played 17 times for Wigan this season in the Championship, but the eventual Sunderland offer was too good to turn down. He has also played for Walsall, MK Dons and Brentford and has 260 matches of League One experience, scoring 96 goals. He will be itching to prove his worth at his new club, which makes him a danger to the Blackpool back lines.
Stats:
4 draws in their last five matches and scoring just five goals in that time, Sunderland fans have recently had some cause for concern. The season as a whole, however, has been very successful so far. Two wins in their games in hand would see them into a automatic promotion spot and they have been a free-scoring, resilient side. They have scored 1.72 on average and conceded 0.93, but minus Maja they lose a proven goalscorer and it remains to be seen whether Grigg can fill these boots. Jack Ross will be pleased with where his side is though and will be targeting an automatic promotion.
Prediction: 1-1
However much a win would do for either side, I think a draw is the most likely result. Blackpool are improving and Sunderland are not at peak form. The quality of Sunderland is likely to come through however and they have not lost in 8 league matches and Championship quality players, such as new signings Leadbitter and Grigg, will make it yet further difficult for Blackpool.
Last Meeting:
UTP
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