Martin Wanless predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 1 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Le Fee
If in late May you’d shown me this prediction, I’d have questioned my future sanity and requested the men in white coats visit
immediately, but I honestly feel as if we have a real chance of getting all three points today.
Man Utd’s struggles are well documented, and we’ve shown we’ve got immense resilience, talent and tactical nous – and the way Man Utd play could well be perfect for us.
Of course, there’s every chance we fall flat on our faces, but I fancy us to play well today, and if we do, we can get something!
Enzo Le Fee from a set piece to open the scoring..
‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 0 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Isidor
We will never get a better chance to beat The Red Devils at their gaff, so I am backing the boys to do so today.
If we can grab even a draw, I will be a happy man, but the roles are as close to reversed as they will ever be; SAFC are organised, talented, confident and determined to succeed, while Man Utd are unreliable, unpredictable, disjointed, deflated and desperate.
Wilson is fast and in form, and I am backing him to get in behind and nick the only goal in what will be a tight but victorious day for all but Amorim.
Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 1 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Isidor
What a great time to be heading to Old Trafford – their manager on the ropes, not performing to expectations, and the usual malaise that has followed them the past few years.
It’s exciting that we get to go to the big grounds again, and even more so when we have a set of lads full of confidence, wanting to impress week in, week out.
I find it quite incredible we’re going in this fixture in our current position – 5th in the league, the best start of a promoted team in a decade, and even some (say it quietly) saying we are favourites to win.
I think an early goal would really ramp up the pressure and get us on our way. Despite their failings, Man United still have a lot of quality and as always, we’ll need to be at our best, but the current crop ooze confidence and ambition, and I back them to keep us going.
Will Jones predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 1 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Xhaka
Let’s be honest… if you’d told me a year ago we’d be heading to Old Trafford with a genuine chance of winning, I’d have laughed you out of the pub. But here we are. Confident, organised, and absolutely flying.
United are a mess. The manager looks like he’s aged ten years in ten weeks, half the squad are sulking, and the other half are wondering what the plan is. Meanwhile, we’re turning up with Granit Xhaka ready to leather one in from 25 yards and a midfield that actually knows what it’s doing.
We’ll need to ride a storm, obviously. It’s still Old Trafford. But if we get the first goal, and I reckon Xhaka’s overdue a screamer, the mood in that ground will turn quicker than you can say “Glazers Out.”
This team doesn’t fear anyone. And if we play like we have been, we’ll leave Manchester with all three points and a few pundits scrambling to rewrite their season predictions. Haway the Lads.
Matty Foster predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 1 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Xhaka
We go to Old Trafford today, with one club confident and flying high, and the other an absolute mess with an under pressure manager.
If you’d told me even 5 years ago it would be this way round, I’d have laughed at you.
Even looking at the quality of players they have at their disposal, they should not be as bad as they are right now.
The first goal will be key today. If we score first, confidence could drop, and it could get ugly in the home end.
I keep seeing Arsenal saying Xhaka likes to score screamers against Man Utd, so he is an obvious choice for first goalscorer!
Anthony Gair predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 0 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Sadiki
More of the same from our little battling Mackems, please! If the lads graft as hard as they did against Villa and Forest, we’ll have every chance of nicking this one.
Let’s be honest, though on current form, we’ve got nothing to fear. We’ve got organisation, spirit, and a team that actually looks like it wants to play for the shirt. If there’s a side more likely to roll their sleeves up and win the battles all over the pitch, it’s Sunderland.
First goalscorer? I’m going for Noah Sadiki. Partly because I just want to see him wheel away at Old Trafford. Little legend in the making!
Gary Winter predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 1 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Isidor
After a superb result on the road against Nottingham Forest, the momentum train is full steam ahead.
It’s all still very surreal, but the effort levels and commitment on the pitch are off the charts at present. We have to enjoy this but I’m mindful that a lot of these results are a whisker away from being an alternative outcome.
We won’t get a better chance of beating Manchester United at Old Trafford since when Ryan Giggs was in temporary charge in 2014, following the sacking of David Moyes.
A repeat of that 1-0 win would be brilliant, and definitely within reach. As much as they’re going through a tough time, United still have the quality to beat most teams at home, as they showed against Chelsea only two weeks ago.
I’m remaining grounded and would gladly take a point now to add to our impressive tally to start the season (albeit against all the easy teams in the league).
Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…
Score prediction: Man Utd 0 Sunderland 1
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Xhaka
There was a time Sunderland would rock up at Old Trafford, and it was a free hit when a defeat wasn’t so bad as long as it didn’t ruin the goal difference.
This Sunderland are made of sterner stuff and let’s be honest, this is not the United of old. With a manager who looks like he’s just waiting for the rest of his multimillion-pound contract to be paid up sooner rather than later.
I’m not going to even bother writing about tactics or formations because at some point our bubble will burst and realistically we will slide down the league but having grown up in the 90’s surrounded by Southern United fans who couldn’t point to Manchester on a map, I’m just going to enjoy the fact we are heading to Old Trafford confident of getting something.
Last time out…
The boys did us mega proud away at Forest a week ago, showing all the grit and determination required to get the only goal in the game and to bring home the spoils. Yes, we were up against it for spells, but we also could have scored a couple more.
It was the type of performance where it was very difficult to pick a man of the match. Roefs, Alderete, Mukiele, Xhaka, and many others could have taken it. That is a compliment to them all and to the whole team, to be honest.
Last game predictions
Brett had the best gut feeling for the Forest game and was the only one to get the actual result correct. His call for Isidor to score first fell short, as it did for the raft of lads who joined him.
Only Matty saw big Alderete steaming in at the back post and heading us to victory.
Five of the lads got a point for the right outcome, and two of the lads got nowt.
Predictions Table and Standings
Brett steams from 3rd into top spot after calling the 1-0 away win at Forest.
Next to nowt between 2nd and 6th, and only one point between that and bottom, where the champ from last season and the one before presently reside.
How the points are awarded
Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:
- Correct score = Three points
- Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
- Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = One point (no goalscorer is a valid call)
- Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.
