For those who feel results are the only statistics that matter, we just had a great week...
...however, a large number of fans continue to air concerns about the wins being “ugly”, “lucky”, or in places “undeserved”. Me? I’m a bit on the fence on this one.
The primary objective for SAFC since coming into this league has been to get back out of it. The longer that takes, the more we become a League 1 team, similar in more ways in both staff and playing style than we are to the teams in leagues above. When you become more like league 1 teams, you play like them. The owners sacked Ross and hired a manager who knows how to get out of the league by doing what he knows. Using that theory, this will carry on, and we will go up. Will we stay up? Good question!
With another 30-odd games to go, we could still end up way worse off than we are now, so there really isn’t much point getting over excited or super concerned just now. Most Sunderland fans would give a couple of their “iffy-streaming-tenners” to see a decent performance which results in a convincing win.
Let's hope we see that soon, but in the meantime lets keep the points rolling in.
The Rolling Table Week #8: Season 2020-2021
In the Riches crew, we had some decent results last weekend. Good wins of over 50 quid for Paul and Phil, as well as smaller returns for myself (Malc), Matty, and former table topper Gary. Most importantly, our Reader rep last week Peter Taylor (@PAJTaylorWriter) brought in a not so huge but welcome £1.75 profit for the Readers... enough to lift them off the foot of the table, thanks in part to several yellow cards this week for poor bet submission protocols.
Can the Readers and the Riches lads continue with winning ways along with the lads in the FA Cup vs Mansfield? Let's see what we all think this weekend away from league action brings.
Here is the table prior to the cup game.... still only 2 members with a net profit from the starting allocation of £200, but this many even minor winners out of 7 betting lines is a good place to be.
Yellow card update...
Tenner fines for Danny, Gary and Matty (which for the latter meant a bigger net loss) for late bet placement this week. Sort out your admin boys, a lack of commitment cannot be tolerated anywhere near the glorious red and white stripes.
Banker’s Bonus...
Parky failed to play our youth options last weekend Vs Gillingham, so no extra tenner for a bet this week.
As we are in the cup this weekend and even Phil is likely to give the bairns a run, the agenda changes again. A win with at least one goal scored by any of our youth players (Diamond, Dunne, Embleton, Hackett, Neil, Taylor or Younger) and we give away a tenner free bet for our next weekend match.
Come on Parky, excuses are running a bit thin, even for McGeady’s aged ears. Get the kids out or get the expensive experienced talisman back in the mix. Yeah, right....
This Week’s Bets:
Matty Crichton says...
Danny Graham to score first against Mansfield: I have a feeling Will Grigg will be shunned in favour of Graham and Aiden O’Brien, so I will back Graham to end his baron run of late with a goal. £5 returns £22.50
FA Cup fourfold: I am going to safe-ish bets here due to my consistent failure to select good accumulators... Salford, Blackpool, Northampton and Exeter all to beat opposition from inferior leagues. £5 returns £35.09.
Gary Morris says (rather late hence the yellow)...
SAFC to win, and keep a clean sheet. I couldn’t find any value with not knowing the quality of the side we will put out. Fiver returns £10.25.
FA cup quad - Grimsby, Gills, Lincoln and Peterborough to win is a nice handy fiver bet, returning £64 if it comes in.
Phil Butler says...
Sunderland to Win both Halves, and BTTS in the Match. £5 returns £65.
I have no idea what team Phil Parkinson will play, and if in to get any odds over 5/1 I’m going to have to get creative.
Sunderland should win comfortably, and if our ~Checkatrade~ ~EFL~ Papa John’s trophy games are to go buy there will be goals at both ends.
Sampdoria, Millwall and Crewe all to win. £5 returns £64.58.
Probably the only time you’re going to see that list of clubs is in a FA Cup weekend accumulator.
Claudio Ranieri’s Samp have been in great form since he called his team a bunch of cowards, Millwall travel to bottom of the table Sheffield Wednesday and Crewe are one of those teams likely to finish mid table, so should play a strong enough team to beat League Two Bolton.
Paul (PJ) Fletcher says...
Sunderland to win 5-1. This is a bold bet without knowing what kind of side Phil Parkinson is planning to put out. Whoever he selects, we’re bound to give away a soft goal somewhere but we should have enough going forward to make it irrelevant. £5 returns £205.
Safe Saturday Sixfold. I’m going for six big European clubs to win their home games today - all are huge favourites with the bookies - Barcelona, Chelsea, Fenerbahce, PSG, RB Leipzig and Sunderland. £5 returns £30.
Malc Dugdale says...
SAFC to beat Mansfield and more than 3.5 goals in the game. I’d like to see the young lads get a run out and a decent game, ideally 3-4 goals to nil despite the rotation. Fiver bet returns £16.25.
4 fold acca - BTTS and wins for Everton (more pressure on OGS), Brentford (adding to the Toney double figures he already has), Norwich (unbeaten in the last 6 but only 2 clean sheets) and Forest (playing Wycombe, after a promising win over Coventry in the week). Fiver returns (I had to double check this) .... £1421.90!
Danny Roberts says...
Sunderland to beat Mansfield and over 2.5 goals: it would be nice to actually score a lot of goals in a game again and this weekend gives us a nice platform to do this. £5 returns £20.
7 Fold Acca: Chelsea to ease past Sheffield United, West Ham to beat Fulham, Watford to get three points against Coventry, Nottingham Forest to just have enough to get a victory against Wycombe and FA Cup wins for Lincoln, Salford & Wigan. £5 returns £146.94.
Riches Readers...
Our Readers option this week comes from “Tuesdaymate”, who claims to be more of an armchair fan now than ever before due to the streaming service being used by her other half a couple of times most weeks.
Her prediction is as follows:
“I think we will win, but as the team is likely to change a lot I think it may be closer than people think. 2-1 to Sunderland”
On Sky Bet, this attracts odds of 8/1, resulting in a return of £90 is this prediction comes in.
Good luck Miss Tuesday, and to all our readers and followers.