Preview: Bing, Bang, Stick It In, Thank You, Good Night!

Well after last week against Stoke, Norwich should be something of a walk over shouldn't it? Well lets not get too hasty, we all know fine well that the result and performance could be a fluke, and the visit to Carrow Road could be a little "After the Lord Mayor's show"...

Anyway, that's the customary worrying and doom-mongering out of the way, so lets move on to the preview, complete with team news, predictions and much more!

Sunderland Team News

Our team news appears to be straight-forward, would you change a team that wins 4-0? I know I wouldn't unless I had to, and it doesn't look as though we have any problems on that front. 

For those not paying attention, it will be 4-4-1-1 again. Simon Mignolet hoping to take his excellent form against Stoke to East Anglia. In front of him, Kieran Richardson, Wes Brown, Titus Bramble and new captain John O'Shea. The midfield see's David Vaughan lining up with Craig Gardner, flanked by Ahmed Elmohamady and Sebastian Larsson. Stephane Sessegnon sits in behind and generally around Nicklas Bendtner in attack.

So with all that fairly short and sweet, it looks like Lee Cattermole will miss out again. Bruce came out this week and suggested Catts isn't 100% fit. Sounds to me a little like excuse making. I'm a fan of Cattermole, but it can't be denied that he's been sub-par so far this season.

Not much more you can say than that really. For the first time in ages, the team picks itself.

Norwich City Team News

It's difficult to predict Norwich's team and formation as they've used a few this season, although they have veered towards a 4-3-1-2 in recent games. 

The danger man for us here will be Wes Hoolahan playing in 'the hole' behind Chris Martin and Grant Holt, or possibly James Vaughan. Hoolahan is an impressive player, tricky and the guy charged by Paul Lambert to make things happen between midfield and attack.

Sat behind Hoolahan is usually three very defensively minded players, so for me the key will be to hope that we can cut off that supply line, and allow them to hit things long towards Holt, who has the potential to dominate lesser defenders. Brown should be able to take care of Holt, but we'll have to hope Titus Bramble doesn't have a lapse in concentration.

Norwich's defence isn't the most mobile, and perhaps the movement of Bendtner and Sessegnon which was so evident last Sunday will cause them to give away yet another penalty, as they have done in every game thus far this season.

The Canaries are without any major injury problems, with defenders Zak Whitbread, Elliot Ward and Daniel Ayala the only major absentees.

Predicted Line-Up

Mignolet; O'Shea, Bramble, Brown, Richardson; Elmohamady, Vaughan, Gardner, Larsson; Sessegnon, Bendtner

Classic Encounter

For this week's classic encounter we go to waaaayyyy back to 1963, where over 42,000 crammed into Roker Park to see us destroy Norwich 7-1. With the lads being 3-0 up at half time, you might have expected them to take the foot off the gas a little, but no. A further four were banged in, with SAFC legends Johnny Crossan, Stan Anderson both grabbing one each, although it was local lad Nicky Sharkey who stole the show with five of the seven goals.

Get Rich Quick

Still a lack of winners, but who knows, this might be the week. If you don't buy a ticket, you'll never win the raffle. Anyway, this week we're aiming big again, with a punt on Stephane Sessegnon grabbing the first and only goal in a 1-0 win, priced handsomely at 50/1 (BetFred). Also us to just generally win at 7/4 looks pretty decent considering in all games against Norwich, we've won 42% of the time. 

Song For Whoever

Time for a tune, and we love to get your song suggestions, so make sure you start sending them in. Perhaps they have a poignant lyric, or they just get you pumped up one way or another. Either way, tell us what they are and why you chose it and you could get featured! Just like this kind-hearted soul...

Stepping up to the plate this week was @StreakyRudd or David Ruddock to his friends and family who suggested this corking tune...

"It's Getting Better (Man)" by Oasis. A hell of a tune, uplifting and bouncy. Love it. It should put you in the mood, and the reason it's been chosen? Well it's fairly obvious from the title isn't it?

Many thanks Streaky, and to everyone else - start getting your suggestions in now!

Prediction

Well whilst money is on the low scoring 1-0, part of me thinks there's a chance for goals. These 'drab' Monday Night Football matches are always the ones which seem to go mental and end up 4-4 or something. I hope it's not, my heart won't take it, but 3-2 to us sounds about right. Which obviously completely contradicts the Get Rich Quick, but whatever... Us by one. I'll take that. Get in and get out really. Or to quote Norwich's most famous son... Bing, Bang, Stick It In, Thank You, Good Night!...

Ha'way The Lads.