Sixer’s Sentiments: Calm Down, Calm Down

The Horan dog and  settee may not have recovered, but Pete Sixsmith has, and is urging caution with regard to Monday night. How boring is that??   

Never let it be said that I will not invoke stereotypes if desperate for an opening line. A day at Bootle means that I am perfectly qualified to use the Harry Enfield gag from, oh, twenty years ago about Liverpudlians uttering the above words in high pitched voices.

But I do think that some of us need to. The impact of the excellent win at Stamford Bridge has really hit the region as red and whites have been able to stick their heads above the parapet after the disaster at SJP.

After that hideous experience, some folk went overboard, demanding the defenestration of the entire team and management. Bruce should be sacked, suspended, sent to live in West Cornforth etc. The players were a disgrace and the lot, apart from Bardsley and Bent should be made to play for Brandon United for a month.

Reasoned debate – no; hysterical overreaction – from a handful; understandable lashing out after a humiliation – yes.

 Two weeks, and 7 points later, some are hailing this as the result that went around the world. It isn’t. People in China are no more talking about the excellent performance by Nedum Onuoha than they are about the engagement of posh Prince William and working class Hetton lass, Kate Middleton. It barely registers for most people and although we are loving every minute of it (I have watched MOTD 2 at least 456 times!!) it was one game on a relatively quiet weekend.

What we have to do as fans is to treasure it, file it in our memory banks and make sure that, should our next opponents, Everton, refuse to be as lethargic, lazy and lacklustre as Chelsea were on Sunday, we don’t become over-critical.

There will be a good crowd on Monday night. The Greek brother is going, Mr and Mrs Horan will be there, there will be fans of Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers, Blackpool and Manchester United (all one person!!) attending. All will have expectations after the excellent show on Sunday.

Football is not an exact science. It depends on so many variables – the attitude of both sets of players, the fine tuning by the managers, the weather, the phases of the moon and goodness knows what else.

Everton will be fired up for this one. They often do well at the Stadium and they have the best manager in the Premier League in charge. As fans we need to be patient and not expect to go galloping through Distin and Jagielka as easily as we did through the wretched Ivanovic and Ferreira.

Should it be harder, the last things the players want to hear is moans and groans and howls of derision. Mags have been accusing us of being fickle and of not sticking with the team. I can take most things, but having Black and Whites lecture Sunderland fans on loyalty is not one of them.

We supporters showed our quality in the 15 point season. Not once in that annus horribilis did the fans turn on the team or the manager(s). We knew that we were rubbish but we maintained an average of 30,000+. Not many would do that.

Let’s revel in Sunday’s wonderful performance, but let us be equally aware that there are some difficult games coming up. There are no easy games in this season’s Premier League, that’s for sure.

As for me, I am off to put some more water on my woollen bed coverings.

4 thoughts on “Sixer’s Sentiments: Calm Down, Calm Down”

  1. Is this the same Pete Sixsmith who was “over the blue moon” after we managed a last minute winner over Man City? There was a game we could have lost – maybe should have lost – but the team battled on after a poor first half and turned things around. Yes it was a great three points but in my opinion, hardly cause for great optimism. I was berated as a self confessed pessimist (though I had actually referred to myself as a pragmatist) for suggesting that a back up strike force of Welbeck, Campbell, Waghorn and Healey was no cover for an injured or out of form Darren Bent and that few others in the side looked like getting a regular supply of goals.

    Fast forward a few weeks. The display against Chelsea was confident and polished. Whilst I agree that we need to keep our feet on the ground for Monday’s match, last weekend showed signs of real progress. Gyan is proving the threat we all hoped he would. Will he and Bent gel in as effective a way as Quinn and Phillips did or will they be too similar to form a lethal partnership? I feel that they are both good enough to compliment each other. I hope I’m right.

    Meanwhile other players are coming up with the goods. Welbeck seems happier in the role he had at the Bridge than playing as a fifth midfielder. Bardsley is a revelation. Richardson in midfield instead of left back gives SB options. Zenden’s nous is an asset. Cattermole seems to be thinking about his challenges despite what ‘Appy ‘Arry and Moaning Modric would have the media believe. Steed, Elmo, and a rapidly recovering Andy Reid and David Meyler, not to mention Riveros looking for a midfield slot. Bramble – has put my doubts to bed about his ability.

    A back to form goalie, with a young lad who has proved himself as back up. Turner, Mensah, Da Silva even Ferdinand giving options at the back when all fit and a still decent back line when one or more is injured or suspended. All cause for optimism.

    Finally, now that goals have come from players other than DB there will be a confidence spreading through the side. I fully expect us to finish 7th or 8th and maybe even higher.

    OK let’s keep our feet on the ground, (I am a pragmatist after all) and I don’t expect us to dominate the Toffees in the same way we did Chelski, but the signs are looking better than they have for SAFC as a Premiership club than they have for almost a decade.

  2. This is what I love about being a Sunderland supporter, one week disaster, the next euphoria almost as if we all have bi-polar disorder! and I for one wouldn’t change it for all the Manchester Uniteds in the world.
    What happened at Chelsea was nothing out of the ordinary it happens every week somewhere, the best team in the country allegedly was beaten by a weaker team allegedly, but actually all that happened was that we played to our full potential and the others didn’t, no big deal but what it did was give us the supporters a taste of what we CAN do, now all we have to do is do it week in , and week out that of course won’t happen and that is what makes this team the best team in the world! allegedly!!
    Sunderland I salute you , it truly is a love supreme.

  3. I certainly feel confused, from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of a fortnight, from the depths of despair to narcotic elation. Wher does that leaves us? Where do our expectation now bed themselves in and has anything changed?. More questions than answers go around and around in my head. What did we expected as the season commenced, comfortable midtable without the anxiety of the often tasted relegation battle would have been heaven. Do we now believe we can push for Europa I don’t know. Changes of power are taking place in the EPL and the time is ripe for investment as returns could be high. Not the ridiculous Man City Robhino type that is wasteful, but the Jordan Henderson type ensure he stays and buys into the future. Forward and upward lies in wait

  4. Let’s be honest:
    1. We reduced Chelsea to a disorganised, uninterested rabble.
    2. We aren’t going to do that to any Moyes team especially as they lost at home last time out.
    If we take a point from Everton we are doing well and we should recognise that. I see it’s a Monday game? Excellent – that gives us an extra 2 days to get back down to earth where we belong.

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