Gav says…
Frankly, I’d be annoyed if we don’t go as strong as we can.
I know we’ve got loads of injuries right now but we’re well safe in the Premier League and should be thinking about the rest of the season as a giant opportunity. I’ve not seen Sunderland take the FA Cup seriously for years, and we really should be thinking about trying to win it.
We aren’t Manchester City or Arsenal so we can’t really fully change our side and expect to cruise through games.
I know Noah Sadiki and Trai Hume are suspended,
so that likely means we have to just pick as strong a team as we have available anyway, but you catch my drift — now isn’t the time to be resting players.
Assuming Robin Roefs is still out, I’d start Melker Ellborg in goal and then I’d line up with a back four of Luke O’Nien, Dan Ballard, Omar Alderete and — if he’s fit — Dennis Cirkin.
I’d go with Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Enzo Le Fée as the midfield trio, with Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi on the wings, and Eliezer Mayenda up front.
Anthony Gair says…
At this stage, Port Vale is the kind of tie Sunderland should treat with utmost seriousness, not as a casual outing.
It’s a one-off on their own patch and they’ll make it uncomfortable from the very first whistle, so we’ll see second balls, set pieces, and breaks in play.
The “we’re a game from Wembley” talk is for the stands and group chats — on the pitch, it has to be ruthless and grown-up because the cup doesn’t care about momentum or league positions.
If we want to seriously talk about a run, we must respect Vale’s right to be here and acknowledge their chances. They’ll fancy their chances the moment we start rotating for the sake of it.
Selection-wise, I’d go strong through the spine and only rotate where it doesn’t weaken the mentality of the side, so keeping Granit Xhaka in the team would be huge for this, in my opinion.
Keep Dan Ballard at the back, a proper ‘holder’ in midfield, and Eliezer Mayenda, who’ll compete and not just “get minutes. This won’t be won by pretty patterns — it’ll be won by managing the ugly bits, defending our box, not giving away silly free kicks and having the patience to keep them under pressure until the moment comes.
On paper, we’re the better team, and we should back ourselves. But ‘better’ only counts if we play like it, and that means taking Port Vale seriously enough to put them away.
Ciaran McKenna says…
The prospect of a Wembley trip could easily distract people from the challenges that are still to come.
After reaching the forty-point mark against Leeds, many have decided to stop looking over their shoulder and whilst it does seem likely that safety has been secured, I won’t relax until it’s mathematically complete.
Still, I want to see us continue our genuine efforts in the FA Cup, regardless of our opponent.
We’re odds on for Sunday’s clash, but no game is ever a given. Port Vale are currently bottom of League One, but I have no doubts that they’ll be right up for the match. Therefore, we need to be just as motivated.
With our injury list, rotation is rather restricted.
There’ll be some rotation following the Leeds game on Tuesday — both to keep the legs fresh and provide cover for the suspended Trai Hume and Noah Sadiki. I think Wilson Isidor, Chris Rigg and Chemsdine Talbi will start and after a demanding, 112-minute defensive display at Elland Road, it would’ve been nice to have some of the defenders rested, but that doesn’t appear to be a valid option.
Régis Le Bris has made it clear that the FA Cup is to be taken seriously and I hope he continues in that vein this weekend.
Another trip to Wembley would be brilliant for the club but there are still two games to win before that, and we need to focus on them first.
Ian Bendelow says…
Does anyone remember losing 3-1 to Port Vale under Peter Reid in 1997? I certainly do. I was on a golf course at the time and I got attacked by a swarm of bees.
It told me two things: first, that anyone can beat anyone else, and secondly, under no circumstances must you wave your five iron around like a madman in an attempt to intimidate the buzzy little buggers.
That season, we finished with ninety points and we’re currently head and shoulders above our opponents on Sunday. However, due respect must be given to the footballing narrative gods and the ghost of Ronnie Radford, because there’s a chance we could get done here.
Funnily enough, Régis Le Bris’ options are fairly limited, and in truth, if we don’t pick a strong side, we might see a couple of the canteen staff and the coach driver lining up in midfield.
My message to Le Bris is this: pick whoever you want, but make sure they are focused. Don’t pick up any injuries if at all possible — and don’t have any regrets.
I’m concerned about the pitch, which resembles something from Saving Private Ryan and is probably littered with barbed wire and dead horses, so the chance of someone doing their ankle is heightened.
Just please don’t do what we did at Hull all those years ago, where it wasn’t so much the weak side but the half-baked attitude which sunk us.
John Wilson says…
We should take the game against Port Vale very seriously indeed.
We’re safe in the league and hopefully we have the freedom to enjoy matches and express ourselves, and see how far we can go. That said, the FA Cup has presented us with a great chance to at least get to Wembley for the semi-finals.
However, anyone looking ahead to the quarter final draw ‘after we’ve got past the villains’ could be in for a nasty shock.
We should be very aware of how seriously these games should be taken and I’m assuming Régis Le Bris will put out his strongest side of players who are fit and able.
We won’t have another fixture for a week, so anyone from that starting eleven raring to go after Tuesday’s victory over Leeds should get the nod. Obviously if the club feels a player needs to be rested, so be it, but we need to respect our opponents — both in team selection and more importantly application and attitude towards the game.
They’ll be fielding a team of players who’ll be desperate to show what they can do against a Premier League team and they’ll be at it from the start, so anything less than that from Sunderland could leave us with egg on our faces.
Psychology plays a massive role in these type of match ups. The Lads need to have their eyes on the prize, be totally committed and match Vale for enthusiasm, energy and desire. If we have that, surely any team we put out will be enough.
It would be a brilliant end to a brilliant season for the fans to have a trip to Wembley, even if it were to end at the last four stage.
Malc Dugdale says…
Let’s go for it!
Our Premier League future is all but sorted with forty points on the board — what an achievement by early March, and I’d have taken that six more games from now with a big smile on my face.
Why not have a cup run alongside our remaining nine games, to give us some entertainment and excitement? The cup run of 1992 is one of my most endearing memories of this club, and every generation deserves that.
Play the best side we can barring injuries and needed rest. Get into the draw for the next round and take it from there. That’s my view.
We have an abundance of lads in our squad who’ve had minimal minutes in the Premier League, so let’s get them some game time and give this a proper bash. The injuries we have will limit extensive rotation but they can and should feature — and should excel.
On Tuesday night, Luke O’Nien showed that he’s more than good enough for the Premier League, and others from last season will be too.
This is a chance for the squad to shine and for us to really have a go at getting to Wembley again.
Why the hell would we not go for it?
