Leeds Against The World: Q&A with Sunderland blog Roker Report

Thanks to Gav from Roker Report for taking the time to answer our questions before tomorrow’s match at Elland Road between Leeds United and Sunderland. Roker Report does an outstanding job of covering everything that goes on at the Stadium of Light, so if you’re curious about how the Wearside club is doing, check them out.

1. How has the season gone for Sunderland since we last met?

Spectacularly bad. I don’t think anyone was expecting Sunderland to pull up any trees this season but we at least thought that we’d have a comfortable, mid-table finish without really finding too many problems to contend with. Our season started fairly well actually and we were unbeaten right up until we played you lot, so you could say that our defeat to Leeds at the Stadium of Light was the day that the wheels began to fall off for ourselves and Simon Grayson!

Although the table doesn’t quite say it yet, we are down. For only the second time in this club’s history and for the first time in 31 years this football club will be playing third tier football, and you can largely attribute our downfall the the negligence of our owner.

2. If Sunderland do go down, will Chris Coleman stick around, or will he be off?

Well... he says he’ll be staying and that he sees this as a long term project, but I personally think his future depends upon whether or not we have an ownership change over the summer. I think we will, but if we don’t that means Coleman will have to continue to work under limitations that just don’t seem fair on him. Just to put into context how badly ran we are, our manager has been here five months now and hasn’t had one single conversation with our owner. He was brought on board by our CEO Martin Bain, who has been effectively given the keys to the castle and is Short’s hatchet man.

3. Who has been a surprise player for Sunderland this year, and who should Leeds fans look out for?

Surprise player - George Honeyman. He’s got his detractors but for a lad in his first season, playing in about four different positions for a struggling side, I think he’s done well and he’s got six goals to his name.

It totally depends on whether he starts or not, but Joel Asoro has been a real breakthrough star this season and has the pace, workrate, trickery and movement to cause tiring defences problems. If Sunderland are going to win I think it might hinge on his inclusion in the side.

4. Predict the score.

It would be typically Sunderland for us to win once our fate looks sealed. We’re far better away from home and I hear you’ve got a few injuries... I fancy a 1-1 draw.