Lord Snooty

I thought the referee had a superb game. I was slightly surprised when Neill subbed him off for Matete.

"Any news on Sunderland, Stubbs?" "Mr Neil is remaining tight lipped in regards the fitness of their striker, Broadhead, Sir" "Well they are aren't they" "Who are what ,Sir?" "The Scots. Tight lipped. Probably something to do with poor circulation. I reckon it's the cold you know. That or the booze" "Well, Sir. So far he's given nothing away in regards the boys fitness for the second leg. I'll keep my ear to the wire though." "I wouldn't bother if I was you. You'll get nothing from him. He'll keep things under wraps. The mans got all the signs of being a sneak. I'll tell you who he reminds me of, scuttling around the technical area. Gollum." "Well, now you say it ,Sir, yes. He's got Sméagol written all over him" "I don't doubt it. Love tattoos these modern football types." "No, no, Sir it's a figure of speech..." "What?" "Nothing ,Sir. Would you like the Wednesday team news?" "No point. Doesn't matter who plays. We're going to win." "There's talk of Hunt coming..." "No ,no. Don't bother. Doesn't matter. We'll do it whoever is picked. Listen well, Stubbs. WE WILL WIN." "You seem, very sure ,Sir" "I've never been as sure about anything in my life and when I feel like this . I'm never wrong." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY -V- SUNDERLAND May 9, 2022 Kick off : 7.45pm Hillsborough Stadium ------------------------------------------------------------------ Wednesday boss Darren Moore has good availability... as his team go into this second leg encounter and will have a couple of questions to answer in terms of his team needing to overcome a 1-0 deficit. Jack Hunt maybe recalled to the right wing-back position to give Wednesday more attacking impetus in the home leg. Whilst there remains a question mark still about the best strike partner for top scorer Lee Gregory. Saido Berahino has been the man in possession of the shirt, but Callum Paterson offers a different kind of threat. In the league game between the two sides earlier in the season, which Wednesday won 3-0 it was a front pairing of Gregory and Kamberi which the Blackcats failed to contain. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alex Neil must decide to stick with the 4-2-3-1... which gained his team the advantage in the first leg or whether to switch back to the 3-5-2 which has seen them finish the season so strongly. Much of this will depend whether he decides to try and hold onto that lead and try and play on the counter, and also on the fitness of second top scorer Nathan Broadhead. The Everton loanee has 10 goals in 20 league starts for the Blackcats and has proved a hit on Wearside alonside partner Ross Stewart. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUNDERLAND -V- WEDNESDAY May 6, 2022 Kick off : 7.45pm Stadium of Light ------------------------------------------------------------------ Alex Neil's side will bring a long unbeaten run into the semi-final first leg their last loss coming at home to MK Dons in the middle of February, and they ended their regular League One campaign with a 1-0 success over Morecambe on April 30, with Nathan Broadhead netting the only goal of the contest. Sunderland will be looking to use home advantage to claim a positive result ahead of the second leg, and they have been excellent at the Stadium of Light this term, picking up 51 points from 23 games, which was the second-best home record behind Wednesday (53). Aiden McGeady returned to the Sunderland squad against Morecambe last time out, so the experienced attacker is in line to play some part in the first leg of the semi-final. Broadhead is a major doubt due to the issue that he picked up against Morecambe, though, which could open the door for Jack Clarke to feature in an advanced area in support of Ross Stewart. Carl Winchester will be unavailable for selection on Friday night, but Dennis Cirkin could be in the squad for the Black Cats, while Leon Dajaku might be involved following illness. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Owls won 24, drew 13 and lost nine of their 46 league games this term to sit fourth, one point clear of fifth-placed Sunderland, but they suffered a 5-0 loss when they travelled to the Stadium of Light back in December. Darren Moore's side also only won eight of their 23 away league matches this season, with much of their success built on their home record, which as mentioned, was the best in the division ahead of Sunderland. Wednesday suffered a 1-0 defeat at Wycombe on April 23 but will enter this fixture off the back of successive wins, having recorded a 3-2 victory at Fleetwood Town on April 26 before beating Portsmouth 4-1 last time out. The Owls have won three of their last four league games against Sunderland, including a 3-0 success on home soil this term, so a positive result on Friday would leave them full of confidence ahead of the second leg on May 9. Josh Windass was back in the matchday squad against Portsmouth, while Harlee Dean should be available, with the defender recovering from a calf problem. There are not expected to be any major surprises in the away side's XI for this match. Indeed, the visitors should line up in a 3-5-2 formation, providing that Barry Bannan is passed fit, with Saido Berahino and Lee Gregory, who have 24 league goals between them this term, operating in the final third of the field. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------

Brilliant news.

Calf injury. Though Moore says he's looking OK. "Harlee is fine. We just felt he wasn't quite ready. As the days go by, he is getting better and better. We will see how he is for Friday. It will be another opportunity for him to stake a claim."

And that is why 'goal music' shouldn't ever be a thing.

A year with no football will have set his development back. The Belgium escapade won't have helped. Often playing left side in 4-2-3-1 in a second rate league. Look how long its taken Berahino to get 'English league match sharp'. He'll make a decent career for himself, of that I have no doubt.

For everyone the game 'clicks' at a different stage, no matter what their potential. Owen Clicked early. Ian Wright clicked late. I wouldn't be writing him off just yet. I think I'm right in thinking his father was 23 before he'd hit double figures in a season?

Well , there's one thing to come put of the whole fiasco. Hopefully it'll be a lesson learnt to approach things differently in future with the talent rising through the ranks. I actually think the distant echo of the death knell was was the 24hr spendageddon on Rhodes and Winnall. But that's another thing.

"So, final game of the season tomorrow, Sir. Are you looking forward to it?" "Well, there's certainly an excitement" "Excellent, Sir" "Well not really. It's a bit like the excitement one used to get when the home-time bell rang at the end of term and you knew that smasher Jenkins would be lurking somewhere on the route home, ready to pounce out and rattle the back of your egg with a plaster-of-paris infused conker." "But a sense of achievement and relief when you did make it safely home,Sir" "Yes. I suppose there's that. But the nerves jar don't they. I mean, this is it. A whole season and it boils down to this game. For all the football played, it all comes to this. What a season it's been. The top 7 has had more changes than outfit changes at a Kylie Minogue concert" "Something you want to tell me, Sir?" "No why?" "No reason,Sir" "Well, an early night for me. It's an early start. You better get off to bed soon" "Me ,Sir? I was going to go down to the Nuns for a bit of after-bird" "Oh no. You need your sleep. Big day tomorrow. Big day. And you're coming with me. Moral support." "Sir, how kind. In all the 20 years I've been at your service, this is the first time you've ever bought me a match ticket." "Oh, no. I've not bought a ticket. Have you seen the POTD prices down there. Good grief, no. I've bought you an outfit though. Pop it on in the morning and I'll simply carry you in" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY ~V~ PORTSMOUTH EFL LEAGUE ONE KICK OFF 12:30 HILLSBOROUGH ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEDNESDAY Moore said he will leave it as long as possible to make a decision on Harlee Dean. The Birmingham City defender has not featured in the last three matches due to a knock sustained in the win at Milton Keynes Dons. Dean has returned to full training. Saido Berahino is pushing for a recall. Berahino could be given the nod over Callum Paterson. Josh Windass is likely to be on the substitutes bench for the second match running. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PORTSMOUTH Kieron Freeman (ankle), Reeco Hackett (knee) Denver Hume (back) and Jayden Reid (knee) are all still sidelined for Pompey. Danny Cowley has settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation, but noticeably did play a 3-5-2 when Wednesday played at Fratton Park earlier in the year. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scored 48 goals for Portsmouth that season when they finished 3rd and lost in the play offs. 12 points ahead of 6th spot