With 7343 SAFC fan invading Blackburn on Boxing Day, we thought it would be nice to catch up with the folk at BRFCS to find out their craic...
You guys are 5th in the league, six points behind us with a game in hand and playing us next! What's been the story of your season so far?
Making the absolute best of what we have... all hail John Eustace, leader of men, organiser of defences! After the freeform jazz experiment of JDT, Eustace has us playing like a regimented marching band.
We are higher than almost anyone predicted pre-season and the concern is that having almost banished the relegation spectre so soon in the first half of the season, the board will be satisfied with that and the second half will prove to be something of a damp squib. The Venkys talk a great game but their actions over recent years suggest “words and figures differ” – this will be lost on anyone too young to know what a cheque book is... let’s go with “actions speak louder than words”.
What do the fans think of manager John Eustace?
We all think he’s doing a sterling job in circumstances that have broken many a strong man before him... that said, he hasn’t yet managed a full year under the Venky’s, so there’s still time for the owners and the board to break his spirit.
Yuki Ohashi and Andreas Weimann are your joint-top scorers with four each, what kind of player are they both?
At the risk of being accused of casual racism, Yuki Ohashi can possibly be described as a “budget Son Heung Min” type of player – we do know they are from different countries, but like Son, Ohashi is busy, industrious and has a deft touch. If he was half the finisher that Son is though, he wouldn’t be with us. He hasn’t scored since mid-September so his initial impact is waning and it’s rapidly approaching the stage where we are starting to question where we play him as having two non-scoring forwards (Gueye is the other) in the same team is a luxury we absolutely cannot afford.
Andi Weimann has been there, done it and got the T shirt. He was a shrewd squad-filler signing at relatively low risk. He’s already acquired legend status by the simple expedient of thronking one in from 25 yards away at Burnley..! If he does nothing else all season he’s been worth it! He’s a handy stop-gap, versatile player who knows the Championship. If he ends up being our top scorer, that will probably be the reason why our promotion push failed. We ought not to be relying upon him, he should be back-up.
Other than Ohashi and Weimann, who are your best players?
For absolute clarity, they aren’t currently our best players. Our strength this season is in central midfield where Sondre Tronstad and Lewis Travis have really dovetailed quite beautifully to form a highly effective partnership in front of the back four. Tronstad is probably our player of the season so far, if not him, then Travis must be there or thereabouts. Our loan signing of the season this year is Owen Beck who has come in from Liverpool to cover the left-hand side. Given Pickering’s injury, he will line up at left back for the next few weeks and frankly, we should enjoy him whilst we can. Getting sent off at Preston for being bitten by Osmajic has cemented his cult status in this season’s team. Cantwell is the one we hope will blossom. He’s shown enough in patches to demonstrate his technical capability, he just needs to add the consistency.
Which Sunderland player worries you the most?
Predicated entirely on snatched highlights of the Championship on ITV on Saturday nights, that lad Bellingham seems quite handy – he reminds me of someone... Can’t say I’m disappointed you sold Clarke, he was always a pain in the posterior to us, so Roberts will probably assume that mantle now. Browne enjoys scoring against us, Rigg will arrive at Ewood with a reputation.
What's your score prediction for the match? Goalscorers?
Think we’re due a draw, WBA at home on 23/10 was the last one and 1-1 is possibly the diplomatic prediction! Let’s go mad and say Owen Beck will ping one in at the end of a mazy left-wing dribble. You can choose the Sunderland scorer.
Where do you reckon both sides will finish this campaign? Will either of us go up? Will we meet in the play-off final even?
If I had to bet a tenner on either you or us to finish top six, Sunderland would get the money. Rovers are over-achieving thanks largely to Eustace’s alchemy and if he isn’t backed in January then the fear is we will do what we’ve done consistently in recent seasons and fade away as the New Year unfolds. At the season’s start, the prevailing concern around Ewood was how we could avoid a relegation scrap so we are well ahead of the curve...for now. Given the resources available to Sunderland and the power the huge fanbase gives you, play-offs really ought to be the least of your aspirations.
Finally, where is the best place for the 7,000 travelling Sunderland fans to have a pint before the match?
Well if all 7,000 want one at the same time, that could overwhelm the pub nearest the ground, The Fernhurst, 466 Bolton Rd, Blackburn BB2 4JP. The more discerning away fan tends to park a little way away from the ground (but nearer to the motorway avoiding the post-match traffic – local knowledge there...) and takes in refreshments at The Golden Cup - 610 Blackburn Rd, Darwen, Blackburn BB3 0AJ. There is a sort of fanzone at the ground as well but it gets quite busy and we aren’t used to 7,000 away fans.
