Sunderland vs Blackburn Rovers - Match Preview

New manager breeds a new start for what almost feels like a New Year come early for Sunderland as Martin O'Neill takes charge of the Black Cats today for the 1.30pm kick-off against Blackburn Rovers. They will be pleased as punch to see the calendar tick over to 2012 in a few weeks after an abysmal year where they dropped what was a promising campaign heading for European contention to almost sinking out of the league and carrying a dreadful home form into this season. They have only won two out of their last 16 in all competitions on this ground. 2011 did start ever so brightly with a 3-0 win over Blackburn on this ground and it will be that kind of result that O'Neill will be desperate to see from his new boys today. Though it is interesting to note that Danny Welbeck, Asamoah Gyan and Darren Bent were the goalscorers today, all of whom have left and their new crop of forwards (or lack of them) look pale in comparison. For Blackburn boss Steve Kean, well he must look at the now unemployed Steve Bruce and see his potential fate if results don't improve. He knows he can't have long left if they don't get out of the bottom three by Christmas and he will be cursing the fixture list somewhat that a fixture a few weeks back that probably looked winnable, now looks like a dangerous place to visit with the uplift a new manager brings. But one thing Blackburn have that Sunderland don't is a striker in form. Yakubu achieved the very rare Premier League feat of scoring four goals in one game against Swansea and has netted seven in his last five league games. His tally for the season is 10, more games that we has started the field and many more than any Sunderland man has achieved this season. A cracking game is predicted at the bottom of the table today, live on Sky Sports.

Team News

A yellow card picked up by Lee Cattermole last week means Martin O'Neill will start life as Mackems boss without their club captain. Craig Gardner will come in to replace. Nicklas Bendtner, who was pretty woeful last weekend and seems to have an aversion to get into the box, hasn't trained all week with a groin injury and could miss the game. That won't be good news for O'Neill at all as Sunderland have a major striker shortage with Connor Wickham definitely ruled out with a knee injury. They also have goalkeepers Simon Mignolet (fractured nose and eye socket) and Craig Gordon (knee) on the treatment table though neither would probably move Kieran Westwood out of the position between the sticks who has been magnificent in recent weeks. Phil Bardsley also has an ankle knock and is a doubt. Blackburn's Ruben Rochina and Martin Olsson are late fitness tests on hamstring problems. Midfielder Steve Nzonzi serves the final game of his three-match ban and defender Ryan Nelsen is also still sidelined.

Line-ups from;

Sunderland (from): Westwood, Carson, Brown, Bardsley, Richardson, Turner, Laing, Gardner, Vaughan, Larsson, Colback, Elmohamady, Meyler, Sessegnon, Bendtner, Ji, McClean, Cook, Egan, Noble, Bramble. Blackburn (from): Robinson, Bunn, Olsson, Samba, Lowe, Dann, Salgado, Givet, Hanley, Rochina, Pedersen, Petrovic, Dunn, Hoilett, Yakubu, Goodwillie, Formica, Roberts, Vukcevic, Slew, Blackman, Henley.