Sunderland

Ryan Andrews' goal gave Watford victory over Sunderland in the Hornets' first match since Tom Cleverley was installed as manager on a permanent basis.

A dull end-of-season affair between two mid-table sides was settled by a moment of quality midway through the second half.

Ismaël Koné played a perfect pass in behind the Sunderland defence and youngster Andrews coolly slotted past keeper Anthony Patterson.

The breakthrough came after Jack Clarke missed a great chance for Sunderland when he fired wide.

What did you think of the result and the performance? Have your say here.

• Watford have won just two of their last 13 league games against Sunderland (D5 L6), with both of those victories in that time coming via 1-0 scorelines.

• Sunderland have failed to win any of their last five away league games against Watford (D4 L1), with three of those draws ending 2-2. Across their 20 visits to Vicarage Road in the EFL, the Black Cats have kept just two clean sheets in total.

• Three of Watford’s last four league games have ended goalless and the Hornets have more goalless draws than any other team in the Championship this season (6). If they draw this game goalless, April 2024 will be the first month the Hornets have had four 0-0 draws since March 1973.

• Watford defender Ryan Porteous has received 14 yellow cards in the Championship this season. In Championship history, only three players have been booked 15+ times in one season: Paul Robinson in 2013-14 (15), Jack Colback in 2018-19 (15) and Matt Crooks in 2021-22 (16).

• 16-year-old Chris Rigg has made 19 Championship appearances this season for Sunderland. He could become the fifth player to play 20 Championship matches aged 16 or younger, after Jude Bellingham (34), Ryan Sessegnon (26), Connor Wickham (22) and Theo Walcott (21).

Sunderland travel to Vicarage Road for a mid-table clash with little at stake against Watford.

Both clubs have had underwhelming seasons and are ending with no jeopardy of relegation or hope of promotion but Black Cats' interim boss Mike Dodds has repeatedly emphasised in press conferences that he wants to win every game.

Watford are winless in six games while Sunderland have been inconsistent too.

What are your general pre-match thoughts and score prediction? Have your say here.

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland have announced that Club legend Charlie Hurley has died aged 87.

Hurley captained the Black Cats to their first ever promotion and made over 402 appearances in red and white and was named The Player of the Century in 1979.

The iconic centre-back also had spells at Millwall and Bolton Wanderers alongside a managerial stint at Reading.

Do you have any memories of The King? Tell us your stories here.

Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini described the Black Cats as a 'Benidorm Man City' after their loss against Millwall at the weekend.

As a pundit on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, the former striker responded to a text criticising the Club's coaching staff: "Sometimes formations, I don't particularly care too much. This is a modern thing where coaches blow their own trumpet about.

"It's more about your attitude, your application to the game and Sunderland's problem on Saturday was that, one of the basic things you were taught when I was a young player was, if there was space in front of you, you ran into it.

"You ran into that space and you took that space from the opposition. So, if you picked the ball up on the halfway line and there was nobody in front of you, you travelled that 15 yards, as much as you could, as quick as you could, so then it caused the problems.

"Then they had to, someone either had to shuffle across the midfield or somebody had to come out from the back four to challenge you or they dropped off and marked all of the other players and let you have the ball. Then, when you get to the goal then that's a different problem because then they have to come in and gauge and stop you from having a shot.

"But every time we got the ball, all we did was look for the next pass. Every time.

"Now, that's admirable if...

"I had this analogy in my head at the weekend. You know when you go to Benidorm and you see the Elvis singer? You know what he's trying to do but he looks a bit like Elvis and he sounds a bit like Elvis.

"I think we're like Man City. We're the Benidorm Man City.

"We're trying to play this type of football, which we saw fail for Man City the other night by the way against one of the top teams in the world, because all they did was shut up shop.

"So, it doesn't matter how many passes you've had. If you don't get behind or cause danger or shoot at the goal and make the goalkeeper make saves or people block things, you don't get anywhere.

"And that's what our issue at the moment is that, we're trying to be something that we can't be because we haven't got the tempo, the passing speed, the leg speed to do those things but what can you do instead?

"Well that's the problem that the coach has got because for me, we might as well just try and play as much football as we can in the final third and get there as quick as we can but that goes against everything that this Club's been about for the last two or three seasons.

"That is for me what the issue is, is that Millwall were totally happy with us having the ball. We could have had the ball for 95% of that possession on Saturday if they could have let us do that because they just didn't care about it.

"They were just waiting for those opportunities and sadly it came from a little incident where I thought it was a freekick actually. The referee tried to play an advantage and we lost it straight away and then they were on us. But, it's bad."

Image source, Getty Images

Martin O'Neill has been appointed as the Chair of the League Manager Association to succeed Howard Wilkinson, who will be retiring at the end of the 2023/24 season.

The Irishman grew up as a Sunderland supporter and managed the Black Cats from 2011-2013. During O'Neill's tenure at the Stadium of Light, he enjoyed notable wins over Man City and Liverpool in the Premier League alongside knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

He was sacked after a run of eight games without a win left Sunderland just one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining in the season. Paolo Di Canio took over and the Black Cats survived the drop.

O'Neill also took charge of Northern Ireland, Aston Villa and Celtic among plenty others during his managerial career.

How do you remember O'Neill's time at Sunderland? Have your say here.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentary duo Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett have been immortalised as Lego figurines after a season of milestones for the pair.

Saturday's loss to Millwall marked Benno's 1,000th game commentating on the Black Cats, a feat Barnesy achieved earlier in the season away to Stoke. This is also the duo's 20th year together.

Sharon Cutter and family have created replicas of the commentary team in Lego form with former Sunderland captain Benno in his iconic Vaux-era red and white stripes and Barnesy showing off his signature tweed.

We asked for your reaction to Sunderland's 1-0 loss to Millwall. Here are some of your comments:

Paul: This guy Dodds has got to go. Since he took over they have gone into virtual free fall. Like most after last season we had high hopes and the management has gone from average to poor. At 66 I can’t wait much longer!!!!

Jim: Par for the course ex-player returns and scores the winner! Sooner this season finishes the better.

Malcolm: Over 40,000 paying customers every home game and the management serve this tepid fare. The decision, if it can be dignified thus, to make do with Mike Dodds until next season is a bit of an insult to fans who turn up, home and away, in vast numbers. The aim, surely, is to win every game rather than just “get through” to the end of a season?

Stan: 6 points from last 27 is a season average of 31 points for 46 games, so on current form down to league 1 in April next year. Sorry days.

David: Just typical Sunderland, two ex-players on the opposition’s team sheet one of them scores against us. It’s a joke. Seriously has anyone ever run any stats on this.

Colin: I just want this season to end, it has been an absolute disaster, a team that lacks quality, skill, experience, a sense of direction, leadership and guidance, the sooner KLD & Speakman are out of this club the better.

Richard: Inept. Muddled selections led to poor play. We have excellent defenders, when fit. Except for Neil, Clarke, Rigg and disappearing Roberts the remainder are very poor. I hope for a major change in Management at the end of season.

Jeff: I will go as far as to say this team simply cannot play at their own Stadium. You can blame the fans, the refereeing and even the opposition because they turned up. Sheffield Wednesday will be playing for their lives, another defeat is likely.

Gary: Yet again no penetration in the final third and caught on the break, then away team simply sit in and defend, this has to be addressed before next season or we will be relegated it’s that simple.

Nigel: Limping into the end of the season. I hope the club hierarchy have plans in place for a new manager and plan to fill the obvious gap(s) in the squad. The status quo is doing the young players a disservice.

Johnny: Just end the season. KLD and Speakman have a big summer ahead.

Duncan Watmore came back to haunt Sunderland as the former Black Cats forward scored the deciding goal in Millwall's 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light.

It puts an end to a recent upturn in form and a good run of clean sheets from Mike Dodds' side.

News of Dan Neil's injury broke before the game but Corry Evans made his first appearance after a long time sidelined.

What did you think of the result and the performance? Have your say here.

Image source, Getty Images

An ankle injury picked up in training means Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil will miss the rest of the season.

In a statement on the Club website, The Black Cats say: "Sunderland AFC confirms that Dan Neil will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

"The midfielder has enjoyed another stellar campaign in the Sky Bet Championship, but an ankle injury sustained in training rules him out of the Club’s final three league fixtures.

"Neil will continue his rehabilitation throughout the summer and he is expected to return to action in pre-season."

Nick Barnes has completed his commentary notes for Sunderland v Millwall.

The BBC Radio Newcastle commentator for the Black Cats' beloved colourful books have been published and been part of exhibitions in the past.

You can hear commentary from Barnesy alongside Gary Bennett for Sunderland v Millwall on BBC Radio Newcastle on Saturday from 15.00 BST.

We asked for your predictions and general pre-match thoughts ahead of Sunderland v Millwall. Here are some of your comments:

Linda: Sunderland's last several games hasn't been very good. I therefore think if not a 0-0 draw, Millwall may win by 1 goal. Sunderland, pull your act together for next season!

Darren: This season sees me err on the negative side of things. Since Mowbray left the performances have been mostly poor. Yes, we've found some solidity at the back, but our strikers are sadly lacking. I'm going for another. Having said that I'll say we'll scrape a 1-0 win in a pretty dour game, though watch Honeyman and Watmore spoil the party.

Richard: Scrappy 1-0 (own goal) win.

Colin: Another clean sheet but will we find the net? I think we will, so 2-0 win.

• Sunderland are unbeaten across their last five league games against Millwall (W1 D4), with three of the last four meetings between these two sides finishing 1-1.

• Millwall have won just one of their last ten away league games against Sunderland (D3 L6), whilst two of the Lions’ losses in that time have seen them concede exactly six goals.

• Sunderland have failed to win any of their last five home league games (D2 L3); the Black Cats haven’t endured a longer such run since a run of six matches which ended in January 2021.

• Millwall have lost each of their last three away league games and will be looking to avoid recording four in succession for the first time since September 2019.

• Former Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore has scored two goals in his last three league appearances for Millwall, after only netting once across his first 28 Championship outings this season.

Mike Dodds has spoken to Nick Barnes ahead of Sunderland v Millwall.

The interim head coach has given an update on the returns of Dennis Cirkin and Corry Evans alongside a reflection on the Black Cats' recent form and an assessment of Saturday's visitors.

You can also listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds here.