Salut! Sunderland is looking this week at Kenwyne Jones, whose performances seem to have the power to divide Sunderland fans between unwavering admirers and serious detractors. Will today’s two goals, in the 5-2 home win against Wolves, settle the argument? Don’t bet on it, says Colin Randall …
Take a look at the Premier top scorers’ list tonight and you’ll see that Sunderland have two strikers riding high: Darren Bent on six, assuming the decisive deflection rules out his claims to a second goal today, Kenwyne Jones on four.
That’s a healthy showing. But Kenwyne has still not won his way back (after last season’s decline in form) into the hearts of all fans and, if paper talk has any basis in reality, has – or, maybe after his two goals today, had – some convincing to do for Steve Bruce.
This was written a few days ago, by as passionate a Sunderland fan as you are likely to encounter (I shall call him Mackem 1), at a sensible and reflective SAFC supporters’ forum:
I’m content to rely on the witness of my own eyes, because he’s as slow as old nick, has the first touch of a pit pony and a crap attitude most of the time.
I am writing a few minutes before Match of the Day and therefore know only that he scored twice in a game that, according to Sixer’s Sevens , was not the doddle the scoreline suggests. I missed all but the last 15 minutes and saw only the fifth goal.
Very soon, Pete Sixsmith will – on these pages – deliver his own verdict on the Kenwyne debate. It will be worth reading.
For now, I will simply pass on this wonderful riposte from Mackem 2 to Mackem 1:
Did anyone see Jones’s celebrations in front of the West stand after
his 2nd goal? I’m sure he said “That one was for Mackem 1”!
Watch this space …
* PS Post MoTD … Mr Bruce was distinctly unhappy with Darren Bent for letting Kenwyne step up and take the second penalty. Is this just a case of a manager’s reasonable expectation that rules he lays down – in this case: Darren takes penalties – are observed? Or does he have reservations, even now, about Kenwyne? I hope the former is true. KJ’s second goal was a cool reminder of his class, and we need class if we are serious top 10 contenders.
Usual thanks to A Love Supreme for permission to reproduce the image.