Ex-Sunderland boss fires 'no fear' warning plus Mel Reay on why new Women's signing missed Newcastle game
All of the latest Sunderland-related news and speculation
Sunderland are back in action on Saturday afternoon, and will host Millwall at the Stadium of Light in the Championship.
The Black Cats will be hoping to bounce back from their disappointing 3-0 defeat against Coventry City last time out, but will face a tough task and a familiar face in the form of ex-head coach Alex Neil and his play-off chasing Lions squad. Before that match, here are a couple of the Sunderland stories that you might have missed over the past day or two.
Alex Neil addresses ‘great’ Sunderland challenge
Millwall boss Alex Neil has admitted that side will have a “task on their hands” when they travel to Wearside to face Sunderland this weekend.
The Black Cats have only lost once on home soil in the Championship this season, but despite their admirable form at the Stadium of Light, former head coach is relishing the challenge of taking his new side to his old stomping ground. As quoted by Southwark News, he said: “It’s a great challenge for us. They’ve had a great season. The Stadium of Light is a really difficult place to go, only Hull have won there this season. That just shows the task that we’ve got on our hands. But our away form has been very good.
“We certainly have no fear going into any of the games, and there’ll be more of an expectation, certainly from the home fans, for them to bounce back from Coventry. I think it’s a great game for us.”
When asked if his prior experience at Sunderland gave him an advantage heading into the clash, Neil continued: “Probably more so when I initially left. I think less so now. A lot of the players have changed over as well. They’re a few years older than what they were then when I had them.
“I do understand the Stadium of Light, I understand the club, I understand the expectation of the fans. I loved my time there. We managed to get promotion, which they’ve been trying to do for five or six seasons at that point. I think it was a successful period for them and for me. I got the job done that I was hired to do.”
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Mel Reay reacts to new signing Marissa Sheva
Elsewhere, Sunderland Women’s boss Mel Reay has reacted to the arrival of new signing Marissa Sheva, revealing that the Republic of Ireland international was supposed to be part of her plans for last weekend’s Tyne-Wear Derby against Newcastle United, only for her flight to be cancelled due to a fire at Heathrow Airport.
Speaking about the 27-year-old in a press conference this week, Reay said: “We first spoke to Marissa just before Christmas, so it has taken a long time to get the deal done for one reason or another, but we’re absolutely delighted that we've secured her for the remainder of this season and next season.
“She's a fantastic player, real exciting midfielder who's got loads of energy. We're hoping she can contribute in the next 3 games. For what she lacks in height, she's certainly got the ability with her feet. “We were hoping she would be here for the Newcastle game, but because of the fires at Heathrow, her flight got cancelled - which is typical - but she's here. She's integrated well, obviously familiar face with Jessie Stapleton - they both represent Ireland together. And yeah, we're excited to see her play for Sunderland.”