Sunderland

SGE's pre-match comments seem more downbeat than usual. In saying:

"There is a danger the season could amount to nothing...the danger is that we go 'on holiday', and that would be a pity because we have had a good season, and we can't finish it in a bad way"

He is almost acknowledging that this is true. I'm not sure that this is a particularly bad thing; he's tried inspiring the players in the last few weeks and it plainly hasn't worked. Perhaps the best solution is just hard work in training and a gentle reminder that the players' futures are at stake. The impending returns of Bozhinov, Richards and Castillo will hopefully have an incentivising effect.

In terms of selection, Ball-Dunne-Corluka-Sun is the certain back four. I'm not sure Kenwyne Jones is quite as good as people say, but even if he is we should have enough to deal with him. Beyond that I don't envisage many changes.

Disrupt the youthful Gelson/Johnson/Ireland triangle with Hamann? Keep Elano on the right, or replace him with Vassell or Ireland? Give Caicdeo a start?

Unfortunately, I can't really make myself care about these details this evening. We seem to have tried almost every possible combination in midfield, with roughly similar results. The fact is that the whole squad is tired, and lacking motivation. It's not so much about finding the right combination any more, as it is crossing the finishing line with as many points and as few injuries as possible.

It's a credit to Keane that Sunderland are where they are. Their squad is shockingly bad - comfortably the second worse in the league. We could beat them heavily tomorrow. But given our form, and theirs, I'm predicting another away defeat.