Sunderland will certainly be up for the cup this weekend!
Today at 01:00 AM
Régis Le Bris could and should make a host of changes for the FA Cup tie against Stoke City, but it promises to be an interesting affair nonetheless, writes Paddy Hollis
A traditional approach to FA Cup matches is for fans to call on their side to 'play the kids' as a way of showing a club's focus remains on the league.
The sentiment is there for Sunderland, but we 'play the kids' every week, and most of them are a key part of the squad. The visit of Stoke City in the cup this weekend, therefore, is definitely on the 'bland' side, and it's a game where you'd imagine plenty of changes will be made.
Years ago, a cup game with a much-changed team would represent a chance to see youth players who would realistically never be trusted by the management. However, with Sunderland of today, there's a level of excitement surrounding the players who may get the nod, as this season has shown that youth prospects who are ready for the first team are coming through.
Tommy Watson was the best example of a player who earned his spot in the first team, and he looked fantastic before his injury.
He was able to thrive after the injury to Romaine Mundle, who in turn got his chance when Jack Clarke left for Ipswich Town. Other clubs would've given someone like Watson his chance in the cup, but we can now give even more opportunities to youth players.
Fans heading to the Stadium of Light on Saturday could well see a few players for the first time.
Zak Johnson, Trey Ogunsuyi and Harrison Jones have all featured in the first team squad in recent weeks, and it feels like a perfect time to give them minutes in the FA Cup.
One of the big selling points with Sunderland at the moment is that we have evidence of trusting youth players in the first team, and if one of them makes a good impression, the chances are that he'll get league minutes between now and May.
It's nice to head into a cup game without the feeling of needing a win to build momentum.
We've won five of our last eight, losing just once, and with players returning from injury and the excitement of others getting their chance from the academy, it feels as though we can really get up for this match and use it as a genuine development opportunity for fringe players who could be destined for long careers in the game.
Personally, I'm most excited to see Ogunsuyi get a chance in the first team.
His record for the U18s and U21s is fantastic this season and he has the makings of a top centre forward. Players in the academy need only look at Watson, Chris Rigg, Anthony Patterson and Dan Neil to see that the opportunities for first team football will come, and the FA Cup provides a brilliant opportunity for this to happen.
The cup game is a break from the league and after five games in fifteen days, we have a six-day break, and another six-day break after Stoke.
The changes made to the starting lineup will be interesting, and Sunderland playing fringe players no longer has the feeling of the club wanting to throw away a cup tie; instead, it's more a case of 'let's see what these lads can do against Championship opposition'.
