Martin Wanless predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 1 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Chemsdine Talbi
We’ll surely put out a strong team today, just as we did at Everton, and we’ll need to as it’ll be a tough fixture.
Given the opposition, it’s likely we’ll go back to a more attacking setup, and I fancy us to get the job done in ninety minutes.
Talbi should play — possibly from the right today — and I’m backing him to score first in a tight win for the Lads.
‘The Champion’ Malc Dugdale predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 0 Sunderland 3
Sunderland’s first
goalscorer: Wilson Isidor
I’m hoping I can see this game as I’ve come away for a winter camping break (in a caravan, not a tent — I’m not that mad) but whether I see it or not, I think we have plenty of depth compared to Oxford in order to field a strong side and get through.
Eliezer Mayenda, Wilson Isidor, Romaine Mundle, Habib Diarra and Chemsdine Talbi are all great goal threats — especially against opponents at this level — and many lads in here have picked them to open our account, but I’m backing Isidor to start us off in what I hope is a comfy 0-3 away win for the boys.
Get through (ideally in ninety minutes), get some good work into the legs of the lads who aren’t as prolific as others, pick up no injuries and we move back to the Premier League without too much fuss.
Jack Howe-Gingell predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 0 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Wilson Isidor
I’m expecting us to field a fairly strong team as we’re ticking along nicely in the league and this is a great opportunity to progress in the FA Cup!
The hard part is knowing who we’ll go with on the day, as we should have too much for Oxford even with a couple of changes. I want us to approach it seriously, however, because there’s no reason we shouldn’t have a go. It could turn a great season into an incredible one, and we shouldn’t pass that up.
I think Wilson Isidor will get some minutes to give Brian Brobbey a break, and will set us on our way in a comfortable win.
Will Jones predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 1 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Wilson Isidor
FA Cup weekend. We’ll rotate a bit but we’ll still be strong enough, and if we move the ball properly, we should have too much for them.
It feels like the sort of game Wilson Isidor starts in order to give Brian Brobbey a breather, and he’s lively enough to nick the first.
Not comfortable, but enough to get through. Haway the lads!
Matty Foster predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 1 Sunderland 3
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Nilson Angulo
Today’s game is a chance to put our two consecutive league defeats behind us, and get back to winning ways.
I anticipate a few changes, but an overall strong squad and we should have more than enough to get ourselves into the next round.
Oxford have struggled in the league, and only find themselves in the fourth round having beaten MK Dons on penalties. Hiring Matt Bloomfield hasn’t done anything to change their fortunes, with only one win in seven matches.
I anticipate a comfortable win today, with Angulo getting both himself and Sunderland off the mark.
Anthony Gair predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 0 Sunderland 4
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Nilson Angulo
I’m with Martin.
I think we’ll field a strong team — including those blooding into the side. Angulo will likely score and I’m tipping him to get his first goal for us this weekend!
I haven’t seen much of Oxford this season, but I am aware that they’re struggling in the Championship.
Here’s hoping we don’t embarrass ourselves!
Gary Winter predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 0 Sunderland 2
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Eliezer Mayenda
Sadly the unbeaten home record is gone but it was incredible while it lasted. Now we have to put that firmly behind us and ensure we get through to the next round of the cup.
It was less than ten months ago that we left the Kassam Stadium having been comfortably beaten 2-0. This won’t be easy at all against a struggling Oxford side, but I think away ties benefit us in the early rounds, generating top atmospheres compared with half-empty/closed stands at home.
I’m not sure if we’ll go completely full strength, as for me some players could do with a rest and by the same token, some need an opportunity to impress. I’ll take a stab in the dark and back Mayenda to net our first.
Hopefully we can kill off the game quickly — and certainly within the ninety minutes.
Brett Lyons-Davis predicts…
Score prediction: Oxford 0 Sunderland 3
Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Romaine Mundle
Hopefully this is a game we can get some minutes in the legs to those that need it, as well as resting those niggles.
With the majority of the “bomb squad” gone, there should still be a strong enough team at Régis Le Bris’ disposal to put a team second bottom of the Championship to the sword.
Romaine Mundle could massively do with a confidence boost, so it’ll be lovely to see him grab the first goal.
Last time out…
Sadly, the challenges of Arsenal and Liverpool in close proximity was too much for the Lads and we finally lost our undefeated home record to the Scousers on Wednesday night.
It wasn’t a terrible performance but it wasn’t our best, and you have to expect games like that when you’re taking on last season’s Premier League winners a few days after the probable champions of this season.
I don’t think the referee was particularly consistent and our home atmosphere was a bit less ominous than it can be, but I have to say the Liverpool fans were a credit to their side — despite them being far from where they want to be in the league just now.
We gave them a good game; we lost to a set piece only and 0-1, and the fact they were time wasting to protect their lead said a lot about how much we were respected as an opponent.
Today, we can forget about the Premier League and have some fun in the FA Cup.
Hopefully we can secure a decent win and put the spring back into the step of the squad after a tough series of fixtures, which started before Christmas and when half the lads were at AFCON.
Last game predictions…
Only Matty got anything from last week’s Liverpool predictions as he was the only miserable sod to call a loss.
Everyone expected us to get a goal too, so no points for no scorer, but hopefully the points haul can be more substantial this time.
Predictions table and standings
Minor movements in the table with the single point being won.
Matty makes fifth place his own rather than sharing it, and no other changes in the RR Predictions League other than that.
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.
