We start at Old Trafford where our weakened side (young Jordan Cook, below from his Facebook page, got on as a sub, and showed promise) were no match for Man United and Berbatov. Never at the races, as Gary Bennett put it on BBC Radio Newcastle. This, then, is Sunderland AFC in snapshot, the most recent of Pete Sixsmith’s inimitable seven-word verdicts on each of our games. The full archive – see link below – encapsulates the matchday experiences, from darkest gloom to sublime elation, of a fan who is usually there …
Dec 26 2010 Manchester United (1) 2 SAFC (0) 0 United simply miles better than we were
Dec 18 2010 SAFC (1) 1 Bolton Wanderers (0) 0 Marginally the better team. Merry Christmas all
Dec 11 2010 Fulham (0) 0 SAFC (0) 0 Unambitiously scrappy draw, but Mensah was immense
Dec 5 SAFC (1) 1 West Ham United (0) 0 Made hard work of beating relegation certainties
Nov 27 Wolves (0) 3 SAFC (0) 2 Points thrown away by totally inept defending
Nov 22 SAFC (1) 2 Everton (1) 2 Fair result but should have held on
To see Sixer’s Sevens in full, click here. If an asterisk precedes the comment, the words that follow are the work of someone else because Pete is for once absent from the game or his verdict has been delayed …
Last season I would have preferred to see PDS ahead of the likes of Kilgallon and Nosworthy in the games that they played Martin. At times I would certainly have preferred to see him in ahead of Turner and most definitely Ferdinand.
I’m uncertain which particular “turn of phrase” amused you, but my sole purpose is to entertain, Martin.
This season the back four has required reshuffling to extraordinary lengths moving Onouha to CB from RB etc. Wouldn’t it have made sense to move Bardsley back to RB which is his natural position and leave Elmoshowaddywaddy out altogether? In that scenario I would have had PDS in at LB. I would certainly have preferred PDS there or at CB in preference to Ferdinand, although some of his recent displays have been considerably improved. The proximity of the door marked EXIT seems to have woken him up. You aren’t seriously suggesting that Bardsley is a better left back than right back are you? You could be the first to make the claim!
You made me chuckle Jeremy. I’m beginning to grow quite fond of your turn of phrase!
Would you and Bill just contemplate this for a minute. Bruce being the manager sees a shit load more of the players than we do. We don’t see them in training. We don’t see how their morale is, or how they have settled into a completely new country. We don’t know how they interact with other players, and we don’t know who shows more mettle on the training ground. Who would you leave out of central defence to accommodate PDS. You have often criticised SB for playing players out of position, yet you would play PDS at left back despite Bardsley’s phenomenal performances of late?? Onuaha also plays just as well at centre back – he’s a genuine class act and he would die for the cause. Would you leave out Ferdinand and Onuaha in favour of PDS?? Honestly?
When we have seen PDS play he’s had a couple of decent games, but to me he’s looked a tad vulnerable. You know I am guilty of wearing the rose specs, but I do see weaknesses in Paulo. He was solid at the world cup, but I’ve never seen him replicate that for us.
I will concede though that you have cast doubts in my mind. Let’s hope he gets picked and we’ll see how he does. I’ll buy you a pint if I’m wrong.
If Bruce isn’t going to play PDS then why take him and leave him sitting? Leave him at home.
If we accept that it was a mistake signing him (and Bruce’s comments suggest that he thinks it was), then ok. I’m just not sure that I’m happy with him giving up on a player of his undoubted quality as readily. For example, if Bruce is concerned that he can’t hack it against big target men then give him a game at LB and put Bardsley back in his natural position. Or, alternatively what about trying him in midfield.
There are some options and issues here. Bruce’s comments now relate to how it’s all ‘tippy tappy” football in Mexico etc. as if they were a bunch of girls from St Trinians. Well, ok Steve but what about the football they play in Honduras and Columbia? Are they all pansies as well? I don’t see the likes of Palacios and Rodallega struggling to compete. The fact remains that we haven’t seen him struggle, despite what Martin says.
I’d be a lot happier if, as Martin says, Da Silva was given a couple of games (or half games or maybe the last 20 minutes of a game) if only to prove Bruce right. At least then we’d know!
But it still wouldn’t answer the question of why PDS was added to the team in the first place. He’s certainly not the only player who’s physically not equipped to deal with some of the opposition’s bigger forwards. But they bring other worthwhile skills to the game and earn their keep. What’s to say Da Silva wouldn’t do that, too?
Elmo has, as Martin also says, had his good games. It’s been a while, though, but Bruce keeps picking him.
I’d love to know what SB saw in Da Silva when he signed him that he suddenly stopped seeing and obviously no longer sees.
I have no problem with Bruce’s judgement on da Silva’s suitability for the Premier. He is either right or wrong on that and most would, correctly, take Bruce’s word for it a long way before mine.
But as has been suggested here tonight and in the past it seems a crass waste, not only of money to pay PDS his very generous wages but of subs’ bench space since he seems destined to occupy a place throughout every match whoever is injured, having a stinker or needs to come off for tactical reasons. it just seems utterly pointless.
I think there’s a double shame here — If Jeremy’s right, and I suspect he is, that Da Silva’s career at Sunderland is over before it even began, that’s a shame. Given the chance, he could have been a real asset to the Cats. But Bruce’s piss-taking (and that’s the perfect way to express what’s happening) could have a terrible effect on Da Silva’s self-confidence and affect his future career with whatever club he goes to next. And that’s an even worse shame. I hope Paulo’s inner strength is enough to carry him past this but it must be so hard for him to sit there, game after game, and watch lesser players let loose on the pitch to make a mockery of football. Talk about a stranger in a strange land — he can’t have the first idea of what’s going on.
Elmo has showed some ability, but he seems to be a shrinking violet when we’re under the cosh – namely Man U and Newcastle. But nobody can deny that he’s had his good games. He was pitiful today though.
As for PDS – I almost hope he gets a chance so that he can prove SB right. He’s not physically able to deal with some of the Premierships bigger forwards. Have you guys not seen that when he played??
Man U were different class in the first half, but I wish we’d had our strongest team, and we might have come away with something.
If we get 2 wins out of 2 at the SOL we’ll be fending off altitude sickness again!!.
Regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves PDS sits on the bench, never getting of it. If he isn’t going to play him, then why doesn’t he leave the lad at home. Today we had cameo debuts from Cook (who looked to have quite a bit about him) and Angeleri, but still no Paulo. Bruce is doing little other than take the piss out of the lad from where I’m stood.
The sun has set on Paulo’s Sunderland career, through Bruce’s stubbon attitude. Would it not have made more sense to include PDS at LB and let Bardsley move back to the RB slot today?
I’m not going to comment further on the Egyptian. Thinking about him raises my blood pressure.
I was just glad that Bardsley was there.
Once again, Da Silva didn’t get a look in. What’s the point of having him?
I don’t for the life of me understand what Bruce ever does with substitutions. Today was another example of it. Riveros was just by passed by the game for the full 90 minutes. As for the “Egyptian Beckham,” he can’t seriously be going to turn this buffoon’s loan into a permanent deal can he? He’s hopeless. He has fifteen years on Ryan Giggs and still gets left trailing. I’ve seen way more than enough of him. He brings nothing to the team. Can’t tackle, can’t and won’t even attempt to get past the full back and can’t shoot. He’s beyond an embarrassment and should be sent packing.
It’s difficult to go into a game like this one with a patched up side. Brucey has given them a bonus by putting Riveros in for this one. I feel sorry for the lad. He hasn’t had a look in and then gets thrown in the deep end at Auld Traffud. He’s well off the pace and contributing very little.
Elmo, Elmo, Elmo……………… Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear!