Portsmouth v Sunderland THE VERDICT
MUST WIN. Massive game.
Turning point or crisis point?
Eleven league games without a win is shocking and there's no little irony in how the run started and how its latest episode unfolded – away and home to Steve Bruce's former club Wigan.
Four points from the last two home games would have been the least most Sunderland fans desired from the contests with Stoke and Wigan. But the Wearsiders managed only two points and one goal.
Bruce should do his half-time team talk before the game starts because he is getting better quality and application from his players in the second half.
The recent exception was the FA Cup fourth round tie at Portsmouth just a couple of weeks ago – where they started fairly brightly only to concede the momentum to Avram Grant's troubled side.
If he was offered a win from just one of his visits to Fratton Park, I'm pretty sure Bruce would have gone for league success every time.
Sunderland's worries will not be over if they win tonight, but at least it would feel like a start and ease a little pressure.
Maintaining an adequate supply line to Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones will of course be critical and it's a huge shame that Sunderland will now have to plot a way of doing that without Jordan Henderson.
I think his partnership with Alan Hutton looked quite promising. Hutton has still got to get his match fitness, I would think, but would there be many fitter and willing right flank pairings around than Henderson and Hutton?
Bruce might have gone for Fraizer Campbell's speed and energy as a replacement tonight, but injury has ruled that out.
If Steed Malbranque gets the nod, he will need to up his game.
If they play to their potential tonight, Sunderland should win. But life, and certainly football, is not as simple as that.
Prediction: Draw.
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
