Sixer’s Sevens is Pete Sixsmith‘s pithy summing up of each Sunderland game. Sixer does not mince his words; his seven-word verdict has not always made for pretty reading. Let’s hope for a run of upbeat Sevens inspired by Steve Bruce’s much strengthened squad. The verdict is posted as soon as possible, but be tolerant of any delay. An asterisk denotes a “holding” preview/verdict pending arrival of Sixer’s own or one from a supersub (Colin Randall or Malcolm Dawson). …
Since the mini-run started …
May 9 2010 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (1) Sunderland (1) 1 Deeply disappointing finale lacking quality and determination
May 2 2010 Sunderland (0) 0 v Manchester United (1) 1 Good performance bodes well for next season
Apr 24 2010 Hull City (0) 0 Sunderland (1) 1 Good to win away but a horrible game
Apr 17 2010 Sunderland (2) 2 Burnley (0) 1Comfortable win but edgy at the end
Apr 10 2010 West Ham 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) Yet another disappointing away performance. Deserved nothing
Apr 3 2010 Sunderland (2)3 Tottenham Hotspur (0) 1Absolutely tremendous game and a great win
Mar 28 2010 Liverpool (2) 3 Sunderland (0) 0 Well beaten by a far better side
Mar 24 2010 Aston Villa (1) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Excellent performance from a well balanced side*
Mar 20 2010 Sunderland (2) 3 Birmingham City (0) 1 Magnificent Gordon’s heroics ensure three vital points
Mar 14 2010 Sunderland (1) 1 Man City (0) 1 Very frustrating: this performance deserved a win
Mar 9 2010 Sunderland 4 (1) Bolton 0 (0) Comfortable in the end – what a relief
Feb 28 2010 Sunderland (0) 0 Fulham (0) 0 Well, at least we got a point
Before the mini-run …
Feb 20 2010 Arsenal (1) 2 Sunderland (0) 0 Seen worse, but the slide goes on
Feb 09 2010 Portsmouth (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Self destructive challenges mean still no win*
Feb 06 2010 Sunderland (0) 1 Wigan Athletic (1) 1 More endeavour still fails to conjure win*
Feb 01 2010 Sunderland (0) 0 Stoke City (0) 0 A game that defines the word ‘turgid’
Jan 27 2010 Everton (2) 2 Sunderland (0) 0 Hard to find the good in Goodison
Jan 23 2010 FA Cup 4th round: Portsmouth (1) 2 Sunderland (1) 1 Defensive clangers set off the Pompey chimes
Jan 16 2010 Chelsea 7 (4) Sunderland (2 (0) Embarrassing? Not quite as good as that*
Jan 02 2010 Sunderland (1) 3 Barrow (0) 0 A competent performance but lacking clinical finishing
Dec 28 2009 Blackburn Rovers (0) 2 Sunderland (0) 2 Brilliant Bent should be furious with defenders
Dec 26 2009 Sunderland (1) 1 Everton (0) 1 Incapable – again – of closing a game down
Dec 19 2009 Man City (3) 4 Sunderland (2) 3 Third rate defending leads to dismal defeat
Dec 15 2009 Sunderland (0) 0 Aston Villa (1) 2 Competed, but well beaten by superior opponents
Dec 12 2009 Sunderland (1) 1 Portsmouth (0) 1 A horrible game that exposed our weaknesses
Dec 6 2009 Fulham 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) Blustering fightback insufficient after wretched first half
Nov 28 2009 Wigan 1 (0) Sunderland (0) 0 Complete failure to show last week’s qualities
Nov 21 2009 Sunderland 1 (0) Arsenal 0 (0) A compelling, absorbing and absolutely wonderful win
Nov 7 2009 Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland Ref’s inability to apply rules costs dear
Oct 31 2009 Sunderland (1) 2 West Ham (2) 2 Fabulous fightback foils Hammers and rotten ref
Oct 27 2009 Carling Cup: Penalty shootout: Sunderland (0) 1 Aston Villa (0) 3 Two glorious chances spurned equals penalty misery
Oct 24 2009 Birmingham (1) 2 Sunderland (0) 1 Not even beachballs would have helped today
Oct 17 2009 Sunderland v Liverpool :Fabulous team performance personified by superb Cana
Oct 3 2009 Manchester United (0) 2 v Sunderland (1) 2 Take your pick:Feels like a defeat but it shouldn’t or Jammy, jammy Manchester United in injury time
Sept 27 2009 Sunderland 5 (1) v Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (0)Not as easy as the scoreline suggests
Sept 22 2009 Carling Cup: Sunderland (2) 2 Birmingham City (0) Ninety minutes for once free of stress
Sept 19 2009 Burnley (1) 3 v Sunderland (1) 1 Outfought and out-thought in dismal second half
Sept 12 2009 Sunderland (1) 4 Hull City (1) 1 Slick second half show as sun shines
Aug 29 2009 Stoke City 1 (1) Sunderland (0) 0 Squeezed out too easily by determined opponents
Aug 24 2009 Norwich City (0) 1 Sunderland (3) 4 Pleasant day out followed by comfortable win
Aug 22 2009 Sunderland (1) 2 Blackburn Rovers (1) 1 Hard game, deserved win: Jones, Cana outstanding
Aug 18 2009: Sunderland (1) 1 Chelsea (0) 3 Started well but outclassed by superior opponents
Aug 15 2009 : Bolton Wanderers (0) 0 Sunderland (1) 1 Deserved victory with many positives to take
How it looked in season 2008-2009
May 24 2009 Sunderland 2 (0) Chelsea 3 (0) Better performance but Villa are the heroes
May 18 2009 Portsmouth (0) 3 Sunderland (0) 1 Another defensive horror show threatens another relegation
May 9 2009 Bolton (0) O Sunderland (0) O Effort and commitment but still need point
May 3 2009 Sunderland (0) 0 Everton (0) 2 Another defensive shambles, another nail in coffin
April 25 2009 West Bromwich Albion (1) 3 Sunderland (0) 0 A performance so bad it defies description
April 18 2009 Sunderland (1) 1 v Hull City (0) 0 Vital win in a truly awful game
April 11 2009 Sunderland (0) 1 v Man United (1) 2 Better performance than result gives some hope
April 04 2009 West Ham United 2 (1) v Sunderland (0) 0 Dreadful result and performance enhances relegation credentials
March 22 2009 Man City 1 (0) v Sunderland (0) 0 Battled away bravely. Just not sharp enough
March 14 2009 Sunderland (1) 1 v Wigan Athletic (2) 2 Clueless, brainless, disorganised, pathetic, pitiful equals relegation
March 7 2009 Sunderland 1 (1) v Tottenham Hotspur 1 (0) Robbed of vital points by shocking referreeing
March 3 2009 Liverpool (0) 2 v Sunderland (0) 0 Predictable defeat. Makes a Saturday win essential
Feb 21 2009 Arsenal (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 0 Outstanding performances from Fulop through to Jones
Feb 7 2009 Sunderland (0) 2 Stoke City (0) 0 Stoke make us work for crucial win
Feb 4 2009 FA Cup 4th round replay: Blackburn Rovers 2 (1) Sunderland 1 (1) AET Good performance, but again we lack punch
Feb 1 2009 Newcastle Unitd 1 (0) Sunderland (1) 1 Another poor decision, but disappointing second half
Jan 27 2009 Sunderland(0) 1 1 Fulham (0) 0 Three vital points. Now for the Mags
Jan 24 2009 Sunderland (0) 0 Blackburn Rovers (0) 0 No cup magic in this dismal offering
Jan 17 2009 Sunderland (1) 1 Aston Villa (& Mike Dean) (0) 2 Total frustration as valuable points slip away
Jan 10 2009 Middlesbrough (1) 1 v Sunderland (0) 1 A game we clearly should have won
Jan 3 2009 FA Cup 3rd Round: Sunderland 2 (0) v Bolton Wanderers (0) 1 Decent showing puts us on Wembley trail
Dec 28 2008 Everton 3 (2) Sunderland (0) 0 Pathetic, against a team with no forwards
Dec 26 2008 Sunderland (0) 0 v Blackburn Rovers (0) 0 No Christmas cracker as Blackburn sit tight
Dec 20 2008 Hull City (1) 1 Sunderland (1) 4 Brilliant second half show to tame Tigers
Dec 13 2008 Sunderland (3) 4 West Bromwich Albion (0) 0 Comfortable win puts smiles on our faces
Dec 6 2008 Man Utd (0) 1 Sunderland (0) 0 Cruel defeat after disciplined if negative performance
Nov 29 2008 Sunderland (1) 1 v Bolton Wanderers (3) 4 Embarrassing and humiliating. Major changes needed now
Nov 23 2008 Sunderland (0) 0 v West Ham (1) 1 One-dimensional approach cannot break down opposition
Nov 15 2008 Blackburn (1) 1 v Sunderland (0) 2 Great second half brings end to slump
Nov 12 2008 Carling Cup: Sunderland (0) 1 Blackburn (0) 2 Shoddy defending has those bells really clanging
Nov 8 2008 Sunderland (1) 1 Portsmouth (0) 2 Alarm bells ringing after woeful second half
Nov 01 2008 Chelsea 5 (3) v SAFC 0 (0) Never has a bubble burst so quickly
Oct 29 2008 Stoke City 1 (0) v SAFC 0 (0) Not one chance created against limited opposition
Oct 25 2008 SAFC 2 (1) Newcastle 1 (1) Absolutely bloody marvellous. Mags beaten at last
Oct 18 2008 Fulham (0) 0 v SAFC (0) 0 Foiled by woodwork and bewildering referee’s decision
Oct 4 2008 SAFC (0) 1 v Arsenal (0) 1 Disciplined performance that deserved a famous win
Sept 27 2008 Aston Villa (2) 2 v SAFC (1) 1 Played well but couldn’t force deserved draw
Sept 23 2008 Carling Cup: SAFC (4-3 on penalties) (0) 2 Northampton (1) 2 Thoroughly undeserved, after a truly shocking display
Sept 20 2008 SAFC (0) 2 v Middlesbrough (0) 0 Old boys win well in second half
Sept 13 2008 Wigan (0) 1 SAFC (1) 1 Little pleasure in watching this scrappy showing
Aug 31 2008 SAFC 0 v Manchester City 3 Suicidal defending gives us harsh reality check
Aug 27 2008 Notts Forest 1 v SAFC 2 Embarrassment avoided, but not a great performance
Aug 23 2008 Tottenham Hotspur (0) 1 v SAFC (0) 2 Strength and determination laced with real quality
Aug 16 2008 SAFC 0 v Liverpool 1 Cruel, but couldn’t sustain great first half display
* Sometimes there is a delay at Pete’s end and an emergency substitute is pressed into service. Sometimes there are technical difficulties. Sometimes Salut! Sunderland is caught napping. Preview seven-worders are also usually mine, not Pete’s. Between us, we do our best………
Here is a question for everyone
Has Andy Reid put back on some of his lost wait? And why do his crosses remind rugby up and unders?
The truth is i don’t actually want to pick on AR, I really rate him…
but it does somehow mean that it will take the team a few more days (probably weeks) to get over the month and a half of undertraining (snowy pitches and injured players for 2 months now).
And lets overdo it and ask another one
Why does everybody get injured in Sunderland? For goodness sake, McCartney went to West Ham and missed one match the whole season, he comes back and you never know if he ‘s playing unless you see it with your own eyes.
Oh.. and dear FA please don’t forget to exclude mr Webb from future SAFC fixtures, me really feel he has something against us.
Haway lads, do us proud even if it is a bit late on.
Where is the half time magic Steve, that is the question that needs asking, no half time response shocked me somewhat.
A step to soon for Jordan IMO, Zenden’s name is on that vacant spot. WHAT sensible comment, Ha ha ””””’
Unfortunately I got to watch this mornings debacle. More work to do and some fine tuning needed.