Chris_R

I make that 19 different goalscorers in the league this season. ...So far.

Odds of 6 away games from 7 draws is 5.47%, I think? So the kind of run you'd expect once every 18.3 years, assuming you had this many draws each year. So it's unlucky, but not quite "Oh my god it must be rigged!!" territory quite yet. It's shit though.

So Tino's chance was one game away to Arsenal. Fucking hell.

Tradition - it's an internet forum, not a cave painting. Anyway, if I were writing the team sheet out I'd do them goalie first, but if I'm sorting the formation I'd put the striker at the top, that way the left sided players are on the left etc. Even if it is tradition, which I'd argue strong it's not, not all traditions are good. Also saying "that's why the numbers go 1 2 3" makes absolutely no sense, as if in 1928 Herbert Chapman was thinking of how he could make life easier for people writing on the internet.

Well I wouldn't play Isak in goal for starters, and Karius is probably not a good striker.

That 0% chance of winning from 20 minutes ago feels rather generous right now.

Yeah kinda feels like he's thrown him a hand grenade and kept the pin. Unless we now beat Arsenal away, he can say it didn't work and just bring Burn back in. Grim if that happens TBH, needs to give Livramento time. But let's see.

So you're saying they were due a win?

I can't see why Ashworth would be any more (or less) likely to work for a new club whilst on gardening leave now, than he was when he was on gardening leave waiting to join us. Although we don't have that answer, the club will, and it'll play into their negotiations. That said, this will absolutely drag on. The window is closed, there's no reason at all for either side to make a significant move in their bargaining position until the summer window gets underway so I guess he's got a few months at least whilst we all just sit looking at each other. For me though, I'd rather pay him his wages to do nothing for 2 years than to reduce our asking price by even 1p, just based on how Man U were with Lingard. It also sends out a message to other clubs that they need to start dealing with us fairly, or there'll be times in the future where we'll have something or someone they want and we won't be amenable to them.

Good. If they're thinking about moving on before they even get the job, we're right to dissuade them from even applying. We don't want those people anywhere near us.

Odd people. Why would it be any different if we signed one of their players? Could they just leave for us for nothing, with us citing restrictions of trade? Or would they then think they'd be free to ask for whatever transfer fee they wanted? This is what this is, effectively, a transfer fee. Pay it or GTF.

Yeah that's why there's no FFP either, and we've spent billions. Oh hang on...

If we're weak at right wing, if Trippier must be allowed to get forward, and if Burn is a liability and if Livramento must start, then ... Trippier plays right wing, Livramento plays right back, Hall plays left back and Burn goes to the glue factory. Sorted.

Controversial, but maybe the club could ask?

Nah. That implies that 2/3 of the EU have heard of Sunderland...

People are missing the obvious - the ONLY person who plays left back is Dan Burn... Targett couldn't get a game Livramento can't get a game Hall can't get a game It's most likely nothing to do with Hall, it's just that he's not Dan Burn.

Only Callum Wilson could be out for 3 months with a sprained tit.

They leave piles of tickets in places, or with businesses etc They're counted as "sold" even if the place they leave them with just chucks them in the bin, because how can Sunderland know? Those people *might* turn up.

Maybe someone should steal Schar's hairbrush and we can get his DNA and clone him, then our 2044 lineup can just be a Fabian Schar XI? Well, maybe a Schar X. Schar isn't tall enough to play left back, so Dan Burn will still be starting...

I've been to Plymouth away twice, once in fhe FA cup for a 0-0 bore draw, then later in the same season to see us lift the Championship trophy, same match which relegated Plymouth to L1. Considering we relegated them, they were first class. They played us "We are the Champions", completely tolerated our pitch invasion, many stayed back and clapped our team during our promotion walkaround, and were far more gracious as hosts than they had any right to be. For that reason, personally I've always had a soft spot for them ever since and kept an eye on how they've been doing. They were top notch that day. Considering I don't think we've played them since (correct me if I'm wrong!), I'm not sure how they could hate us. Maybe one or 2 fans are salty over us winning the league in their back yard and sending them down, but it certainly didn't come across as the overwhelming feeling of their fanbase on the day. Almost as if the mackems are completely making stuff up? But they wouldn't do that, would they....?

That's just being silly. If we did that, who'd play in midfield?

Not sure if he's the best midfielder I've seen play for us, but he's definitely in the top 1.

And just for the forum police, I'll repeat that I love both Howe and Burn. Howe's worked miracles and Burn seems a great lad. But nobody is above criticism.

There's a difference between a central defender who is quick, agile and can get up and down the pitch like Ake, and Dan Burn. There's no harm in having someone fast, skillful AND tall at fullback, but Howe has decided that height is more important than those other two attributes combined. If it was working, fine. But it isn't. And his continual refusal to address it or even consider doing something different is frustrating. And if it's frustrating for me, I can't even imagine how frustrating it must be for the £65m worth of actual fullbacks we've bought (or committed to buy) who's careers are being wasted because no matter what they do in training they'll never be tall enough and so won't ever be given a chance. And if you think that last point is unfair, tell me the last time a fit and available Dan Burn was not picked to start.

Is it a mystery though? Nobody plays ahead of Dan Burn. It's that simple. Targett couldn't get in, Hall couldn't get in, now Livramento can't get in. Burn is 6'7", so unless someone else manages to train themselves to be 6'8", unlucky, there's nothing they can do to get in the team. There's no mystery, they're just not tall enough.