Kick the Black Cat

Howe, Carrick, Le Bris and Iraola will be frantically Whatsapping each other, brows furrowed over a magnetic tactics board.
Calum McFarlane has not yet been added to the group.

That would do nicely, thank you.

For me the next two games are key. Get 4 points and we are safe. Our away form over last 6 away games = 7th in league. Sunderlands home form, lost 3 out of 4 and their only win was v Spuds. Chelski haven't won at home for 6, haven't scored for last three home games.

Something something Charity FC...

Murillo out tomorrow night.

His birthday? Or does he just fancy a couple of scoops?

I read somewhere that Sunderland are something like 16th in the form table since the beginning of the year, and that it's the first half form that's keeping them where they are. I don't think they're too daunting a proposition, we should go there in the belief that we can absolutely get a result.

They went on a shit run after they were basically safe but have picked up a bit lately - winning at Newcastle and home to spurs but maybe those are special cases and they revert to relaxed.

I think at least some of that was down to AFCON and players coming back injured.

Matt Davies has been chatting on the last Forest Focus to a fella who does a Sunderland podcast and he said the opposite.

Thought they'd be chasing hard after a European spot because nobody thought that would be in play for them this season and so, like Forest last year, no pressure but potential huge reward.

I'm quite relaxed about this one - which is probably a bad sign as I thought we would lose to Totteringham and the shy moor folk

I'll go 1-1

Losing half your first team to AFCON was not fun. 2 years ago, eh? How time flies.

He started off fine, then came across as far too smug. “We’re the blueprint for any club coming up.” “We’re looking up” “You lot are fighting for your lives* so can’t be taken lightly”

• can this phrase be banned from football parlance?

Buy an entirely new squad with some existing top young talent? Astonishing blueprint that no-one has tried before.

Yes, that did occur to me. Running before walking and all that. Next season is going to be tough for them because expectations will have massively increased.

He was talking as though they've cracked this Premier League lark, which has a nasty habit of biting you on the arse.

Quite. Not a huge amount of self-awareness there, certainly in terms so the podcast he was on.