Score Predictions: Wayne Rooney’s Brum at home… surely we cannot fail to score again?

Predictions League - Latest Result

Sunderland somehow managed to only draw the last game away in South Wales, despite having an extra man for an hour or so, and doing everything apart from stress the strands of the onion bag behind the Swans’s goalie.

On reflection, we were also one great save by Anthony Patterson away from losing that game by a goal to nil despite being against ten men, after an EFL ref finally decided to award a penalty for in-box wrestling, when such antics have been ignored by many a ref for the whole season so far.

Thankfully our outstanding young keeper saved our blushes with a fine stop, and were it not for their keeper playing well too, and the woodwork being very firm, we would have still come away with a decent win.

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The Roker Report lads were very positive ahead of the game, with nobody calling the draw as their predicted outcome.

All of the first goal scorer candidates had chances, but none of them could convert, meaning the Predictions Collective came away with very little, as SAFC only took a share of the result when all three points were begging to be brought home.

As a result of the poor predictions quality for Swansea away, there are no points to add to the tally for the boys.

Due to poor time keeping by a couple of the Roker Report lads in terms of submitting predictions for the visit of Birmingham City, the table is a little changed from last week.

Taking their turn on the yellow card naughty step this week are Bomber and Matty, who both missed the predictions cut off, and take a wee hit on their points accumulated to date.

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Predictions League - Table

Martin continues to boss the table from Down Under, and his understudies are now Malc and Jack, though they are a full 7 points in his wake.

All the lads will be hoping to make some progress this week against a Birmingham team who haven’t won since the start of last month. They did score 7 goals in two games (conceding only 2) in the victories they gathered in early October however, though both were at their home ground rather than away.

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How the points are awarded...

Just a quick reminder on how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:

• Correct score = 3 points
• Correct outcome (but not correct score) = 1 point
• Correct first Sunderland goalscorer = 1 point (no goal scorer is a valid call)
• Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = 2 point deduction

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Malc Dugdale predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 4 Birmingham City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Rusyn

Both Southampton and Norwich won against Brum by two goals when facing them at home in the past month. We are way better than both of those sides, so I am going for a 3 goal win. With the forced changes in defence we are unlikely to be seeing a clean sheet our side for me, but I’d be happy to be wrong there.

I’ve come up to the NE from the East Midlands to take this game in live while helping some family members with a few odd jobs. If the lads walk away with 4 goals and 3 points, I will be an extra happy boy, and won’t mind at all about the 7 hour round trip.

Rusyn was very unlucky not to score in the last game, and his movement and work rate deserved a goal (I think he could have stayed out longer too, by the way), so I am backing him to open our account today.

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Matty Foster predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 Birmingham City 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Rusyn

There’s going to be a few enforced changes, with both Ballard and O’Nien suspended from their yellows last week.

It represents an opportunity for those on the fringes to try and seize the opportunity.

Birmingham have yet to win under Rooney, with last week being the closest they’ve come. However, they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw against high-flyers Ipswich.

It still baffles me they sacked John Eustace to bring in somebody who hasn’t exactly set the managerial world alight.

So it would be sod’s law (and very Sunderland of us) if he claimed his first win against us.

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Bomber Davies predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 Birmingham City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Jobe

We’re playing well just not getting the rub of the green at the moment. Swansea was frustrating but a prime example.

For me, Rooney is no manager, Birmingham don’t really want him and their away form is pretty bad… so I really can’t back anything other than an SAFC win.

Our defensive personnel issues for the game makes me think we won’t keep a clean sheet - but we’ll have enough to win the game.

And while Jack Clarke seems to be the only one who can score for us at the moment, but I’ve gone with Jobe because… well it’s a much better narrative him scoring against his old club!

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Martin Wanless predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 3 Birmingham City 2

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Rusyn

While we seemingly couldn’t hit a barn door on Saturday, I fancy us to be involved in a pretty high scoring game on Saturday.

With our two first choice centre backs our and former target Jay Stansfield scoring a few, I expect us to concede, but I’m hoping Rusyn gets off the mark in an entertaining win against Rooney’s team.

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Will Jones predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 2 Birmingham City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Jobe

After what feels like a missed opportunity at Swansea last week, the lads will want to go into this (yet another) international break on a good note.

Game management feels to have been lacking these last few weeks and despite us looking up for games for the most part, it seems we cannot do enough to really show the dominance that we seem to show for large parts of games.

I am desperate to give someone a hiding, I hope it's this weekend, but I'm fearing another close affair.

Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images

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Jack Howe-Gingell predicts...

Score Prediction: Sunderland 3 Birmingham City 1

Sunderland’s first goalscorer: Clarke

Why is it that games like the Swansea one feel worse than a loss? I’m hoping we can bounce back strong, and get an early afternoon boost.

Mowbray needs to get a handle on his substitutions. When we need patience, he throws the kitchen sink at it, but when we need an impact, he waits. It’s becoming a bit of an issue, both in terms of timing and personnel choice.

Losing both Ballard and O’Nien for one game is a massive blow. I know it’s “en vogue” to criticise O’Nien currently, but they are a good pairing and will be sorely missed. It’s a big opportunity for one of our new centre backs to impress, however, and I think it will be only one, with Cirkin returning and Hume taking up central duty.

We will be tested as Wayne Rooney will be desperate for his first win, and a new centre back pairing is not ideal in those circumstances. I think our quality will shine through, and we will capitalise where we were blunt last time.

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