Southend United v Sunderland AFC Preview & Match Thread

I've gone for a draw - it's what we do best.

Unfortunately the team don't seem to either

Gone for Southend, they are fighting for there lives, think we will have a few squad players and probably not wanting injuries before the playoffs.

www.safc.com/news/team-news/2019/may/ross-demands-more-ahead-of-southend



Ross demands more ahead of Southend

Jack Ross has admitted there's no shortage of motivation for his players to perform on Saturday at Southend United.

Sunderland round off their league campaign at Roots Hall, kick-off 5:30pm, before taking embarking on the play-offs the following week.

A 2-1 defeat at Fleetwood Town on Tuesday left Ross with a sour taste in his mouth after his players failed to capitalise on missed chances and squandered their lead at the death.

Now without a win in their last three and having recorded just one victory in their last six games, Ross has urged his players to rekindle their ruthless edge at either end of the pitch ahead of the play-offs.

“It’s not good enough,” he said.

“We can’t keep having spells in games and creating opportunities but not taking them. We can’t get ourselves ahead in games and not capitalise on that.

“I have been protective of the players all season, but we have to be stronger. We have to cope with things better and there has to be a really quick and sharp understanding of that if we want to get out of this league this season.

“The results over the past five or so games have cost us that opportunity to go up automatically.

“They have to be stronger physically. You can’t be aggressive in parts of your play or when it suits. You have to be aggressive all the time.

“You can’t pick or chose your moments to be aggressive and we didn’t do it well enough in the second half.

“The group of players who travel with us to Southend United better be at it. We are going to have some big games coming up and if we win them, we achieve promotion.

“That’s the simple reality. There will be no shortage of motivation for every single one of them on Saturday.”

IF we played 90 mins like we did for the first 35 mins at Fleetwood, we would be going up as champions, without any doubt.

Jack Ross has made four changes ahead of Sunderland’s League One season finale at Roots Hall.


Denver Hume and Adam Matthews both start against Southend, replacing Bryan Oviedo and Luke O’Nien.

Charlie Wyke has recovered from the knock he picked up earlier in the week to play up front alongside Will Grigg, with Grant Leadbitter also coming into the side in the absence of both George Honeyman and Lee Cattermole.

Leadbitter also takes the captain’s armband for today’s clash.

Chris Maguire starts this afternoon, he’ll be hoping to replicate his performance against the Shrimpers from earlier in the season, where his rocket sealed a big win for the Lads on Wearside.

Nineteen-year-old striker Lee Connelly is named on the bench, he made his first team debut in the Checkatrade Trophy earlier in the campaign. He’s scored four goals for the under-23s this season.

That's quite an attacking line up, why couldn't he play something similar against Pompey or Fleetwood, mind boggles