This was not the beautiful game in action. There was passion, heroic endeavour and controversy, but it was not a day for footballing artistry. All the same, Martin O’Neill, by some distance the more dignified of the managers (Pardew was an utter disgrace), tells in his post-match e-mail of coming away with an awful lot of pride to go with the point that was so nearly three. See also Sixer’s Sevens: heroes and villains …
Click here for the Martin O’Neill ‘Team of all Talents’ mug: £9.50, post-free for UK buyers, from the Salut! Sunderland Shop
Dear Colin,
I’m very proud of the players for the way they defended today. It was bitterly disappointing to concede so late in the game after having held out with 10 men for the last half an hour.
I’m very proud of the team and very proud of the supporters; in turn I think the supporters will be very proud of their team too.
Taking into consideration the atmosphere of the game, I think we played splendidly in the first half.
We got ourselves in front in the game and we weathered the storm as Newcastle threw a lot of men forward and gave us a few tough moments.
The sending off changed the complexion of the game and Newcastle threw caution to the wind after we went down to 10 men.
We didn’t have control of the game at that point, although we were still passing the ball around quite nicely.
It was a tough penalty for [Nicklas] Bendtner to take but he stuck it in brilliantly – I’m delighted. I thought he played well today until he ran out of steam in the second half.
Simon Mignolet pulled off a fantastic save for their penalty.
After last week I felt we owed something to the supporters. We didn’t play well last week, but I have to put it in the context of the last couple of months.
Once the dust settles, had we been talking about winning the game, I would have said it would have been thoroughly deserved.
All the best,
Martin O’Neill
* See Kartun Malaysia’s Flickr images at this link
Jak, you are a typical Mag who reads what he wants to see, and not what is actually there in front of you.
You lot have the monopoly on delusion.There’s none left for us to indulge in.
??? I’m reading that Tiote is getting a lot of stick for something that had absolutely no impact on the game whatsoever. Sess deserved to be sent off, end of story. Doesn’t matter how Cheick reacted. There’s a lot of talk on here about how Cheick should have been sent off, but no-one is willing to back it up and explain why. At the end of the day, I think enough happened in the game from a Sunderland point of view whether it be condeming the actions of Sess and Cattermole or praising the play of your defenders, for you to be concentrating on that rather than anything any of our players did. And yes, I think your comment is dilusional and bias; but so are probably too, along with 99% of supporters atound the country.
Tiote spent the game committing offences and tackling in a way that saw others booked for their first infringement. By the time Sessegnon’s reaction got him sent off Tiote could easily have had two yellows and been sent off and joined your goalkeeping coach in the early bath.
Having said that, although this wasn’t the sort of game to get neutrals purring isn’t the kind of derby we want where it actually seems to matter to the teams, few of whom are actually from the region?
tiote was booked for persistant fouling, none of his challenges were that dangerous unlike cattermol’s tackle. he made a meal of getting hit in chest but i bet any sunderland player would’ve went down after that (but probably not as dramatically).
you bossed the first half and we dominated most of the secong half, even before the red card so i’d say a draw was fair.
both teams can be proud of a point but also we should both be dissapointed with some players behaviour.
So your telling me that Tiote went round putting challenges in all game that were similar to the ones that saw Cattermole, McLean, Cabaye (even though he didn’t catch Bardsley) and Ba??? I think we’re just gonna have to agree to disagree; but its good that i could come on here and put my opinion across without just getting abuse back, thanks.
For the record, Tiote is an outstanding footballer, he challenges for every ball he can, which means he does get a few yellows, but he’s an honest player, trys to play football in the right way, he doesn’t dive or go out to deliberateley injure opponents. Yes, he was a little over the top when Sess hit him, but it would still of hurt and it was still a sending off.
Haven’t seen anyone disagree that the sending off was justified. None of Tiote’s challenges may have had the ferocity of Cattermole’s – no dispute over that booking either – but Tiote got away with several mistimed tackles from behind which although not in themselves were maybe not straight yellows he surely should have had one under the totting up process.
I wasn’t sure about Tiote being deserving of a red myself; play-acting sadly isn’t a bookable offence. Having seen his first tackle on Cattermole again however I’m certain it was a yellow, leaving him walking a tightrope for the rest of the game as well. Being sent off for persistent fouling isn’t uncommon either, wether they’re bad tackles or not.
No Sunderland fans are defending Cattermole’s antics.The difference between him and Tiote is that the first is an honest to goodness thug without a brain, wherease Tiote is a slimy digusting cheat who had three nibbles at Sess kicking him in the heels, smacking the back of his head and then going down like JFK after the sniper shot from the “grassy knoll.” Sess should probably not have put his hands up but was provoked. Krul raised his hands twice, not once and didn’t get a yellow even.
Newcastle were very fortunate to get the draw and all you Mags posting on here know that for a fact.
You must be completely deluded if you think you can defend Cattermoles character against Tiote’s. Tiote picks up a lot of yellow cards, but all this criticism of him from Sunderland supporters is over the top, completely unjust and unfounded. I think you guys should be concentrating on the behaviour of your club captain and Sess. You could say both teams were lucky to come away with a point.
To be fair, Nic, nufc.com doesn’t allow anyone to comment on their posts. You could always try Leazes Terrace or, as geordiedoonsooth suggests, nufcblog.com.
Anyway, good to see people can occasionally disagree without hoying three-letter acronyms around.
Now then, let’s sum this up. It was a feisty hard-fought match, that’s what we want from a Mags v Mackems derby isn’t it? Cattermole’s first minute tackle merited a yellow, he got one. I would say the ref was correct with all of the bookings, although I think Speedy McClean got a bad deal and the B&W retaliation should have been punished but all in all the ref got most things right. Sess was daft and Tiote’s writhing laughable, ’nuff said. The Mags shouted for a lot of none-penalties and the ref was strong enough to resist, the one he gave was a correct decision. Pardew acted like a twat, and so did Cattermole at the final whistle. A draw a fair result? I think so although conceding late on feels like a defeat. Bring on the Scousers!!
Have to say my reaction on seeing Sessegnon’s challenge was that he’d struck Tiote directly on the throat. Would have to see it again, but if he did fling himself down needlessly then that’s every bit as indefensible as Sessegnon’s initial action. No matter the extent of the contact players surely know by now that you can’t raise your hand.
What’s more clear cut was Cattermole’s intention to smack into Tiote the first chance he got. We can debate the other challenges – fairly even on both sides, I’d say – but none of them were pre-meditated. A dangerous liability. And, yes, Barton was the same – though he never risked ending anybody’s career but his own.
Most gifted player on the pitch? That, twice a year, will be Shola Ameobi.
salutsunderland Try http://www.nufcblog.com set up by Ed Harrison he’s an expat living in the US as on any blog you get prats who can’t see past the end of their noses. But it’s a good blog (obviously NUFC biased). As I said earlier I don’t mind your lot doing well as long as we are above you and don’t lose in the derbies. Here’s to next season and another 4 points at least for the Mags.. 🙂
Most players today got their yellow cards for their FIRST misdemeanour, except for some reason Tiote who was booked after his 6th foul.
Why isn’t everyone treat equally?
If the ref had given him an earlier yellow then Sess wouldn’t have had the continuous fouling from Tiote to put up with , it was the frustration at the lack of protection which caused him to lash out and get sent off.
In the McClean/Simpson incident Krull should have been off for holding McClean by the neck and pushing him.
Not sure of the exact figures but I believe there were more Newcastle players booked in the first half than Sunderland yet Pardew criticises us, very strange.
Then he takes praise for his substitution which he says got them back in the game, no way, if Sess had stayed on we would have won by a couple of goals, we’d already had a couple of really good chances and could have been two up.
While Newcastle looked better coming forward in the second half we were in control at the back until the sending off.After Bendtner went off we had no one up front to hold the ball so it was just coming straight back all the time.
The end of it all is that we are no longer pushovers and any Newcastle fan who thinks we are an easy 6 points now is seriously deluded. But then again they already are.
bla bla blah-4 points from u last season-and 4 from u this one-and next one and so on, and u well know it !
The thing about Catts, Barryfromdurham, is that he isn’t a bad player. He’s not great either but, between his yellow-nearly-red at the start and the red-for-what’s-said after the final whistle, he played well. He also keeps his cool much better than many (eg Sessegnon, the most gifted footballer on the field) when fouled. But we cannot afford to have as our “leader”, or anyone on whom we place reliance, a man who has absolutely no control over the impulse to “get stuck in” regardless of the rules of the game or likely consequences. We know he will be unavailable for weeks on end because we know his next card is always just around the corner.
The Geordies who comment here, Nic, are usually decent, partisan supporters of their club who become as passionate (and occasionally deluded) about the game as us. Many are surprised to find standards of literacy and quality of argument unavailable to them at their own sites. They are welcome. I usually manage to weed out the neanderthals who come here, too, before their comments can appear.
Jim: I am sure you can see the world of difference that exists between a man collapsing in simulated agony, clutching his face after suffering no contact with his face (and not much with any lower part of his body), and a man falling in the bustle of the penalty area as an opponent tries to take custody of his shirt.
Was Tiotes reaction any worse than Turners for the penalty? Someone swings an elbow at you, you go down; someone tugs your shirt, you go down. It’s what modern day football is all about, conning both refs, fellow pros and the supporters. But at least Tiote was actually struck, unlike turner who feel to his knees like he ‘d been shot.
As for Cattermole, the kid is just a f**king prick and a liability, and I don’t even care. In the same class as Barton for self righteousness and thuggery but some way below when it comes to footballing ability. And at least Barton has half a brain to go with his half an England cap.
Good website though lads, drown your sorrows tonight and look forward to taking another point off us next season.
Loving the fact that there are so many Geordies on here tonight. Shame NUFC.com doesn’t allow the same courtesy to Sunderalnd fans to comment on their [necessarily] biased material
ballet*
Okay Here comes mister unpopular…
I’m a bit of a cattermole fan and i’m very happy he’s our captain! *tumbleweed roles on*
Under brucie it was getting to the point where i would’ve happily seen him shipped off to the UAE Pro-League. But under MON i’ve been converted. His talent is there for all to witness, his effort is sometimes monumental reminds me of gerrard in his finer days, under MON he has shown far greater restraint and intelligence. and someone pointed out earlier, he never seems to make a fuss about a challenge, you wouldn’t see him on the floor like tiote’s dignity today.
And today! I thought it was an interesting idea (that is if it was an idea as keown considered) The derbys are always gonna be brutal and catts drew first blood which totally threw newcastle psychologically and we destroyed them in the first half. Tiote in particular went fairly bezerk and was fairly close to being sent off. Having said that if it wasn’t planned then it was a shame but under the circumstances i’m okay with it as long as the general pattern of control that we’ve seen so far contiunes. but if it was planned, it was an interesting idea after all although there are a few bally dancers out there (modric) and long may there be. It’s also a tough physical and mental sport. And i will always prefer an honest tactic (draw first blood) than a dishonest one (tiote’s trauma from little sess’ chest thump)
it was a shame we didn’t win 🙁
If Sess’s contact had hurt Tiote why was he still standing when the hand moves away from his CHEST (clearly shown by slo-mo). Tiote then throws himself to the ground clutching his face and writhing in agony, pathetic! Next season? I honestly can’t see the mags getting more than a point off us. This season finishes, pre-season and some players brought in under O’Neill and I think we’ll come at these games with a real passion and plan that’ll see us victorious. Having said that, I also think we’ll have a sights set on bigger things than just beating the mags.
Much more to the game than a couple of tackles and a swinging elbow. I thought the ref did a fine job today and did his best to keep the game 11 a side until Sess`s moment of madness. As an SAFC fan I felt hard done by at the final whistle but having had time to calm down a draw was probably fair. On the Cattermole issue he leaves his own fans frustrated by his yellow and red cards, but that is a part of his game. Up and down the country I hear opposition fans complaining and saying he is a disgrace, a thug and should be put out of the game. In all the years I have watched football those sentiments are a sure sign that we have a more than useful footballer. Most teams in their time have had a player that everyone else hates – long may those players exist.
Salut sunderland I think I reeled you in today 🙂
Here’s to next year and 6 points for the toon HWTL
I have to say that if Tiote was playing for Sunderland you lot would be singing his praises unlike Cattermole he doesn’t go out to maim players while I think that Cattermole does and has always done it at Boro & Wigan before Sunderland. And I for one am pleased to see the end of “players” like Harris & Hunter and his 45 second tackle would definitley been a sending off in the Northern League or any other league in the pyramid.
I am a newcastle supporter but cant believe the agro for cattermole and tiote when gardiner was the man who should have had the early bath..if he connected the guy ends up with a briken leg …however the sessinion (sorry about the spelling) elbow wont really hurt anyone…typical FA miss tthe real dangers….
I have seen no one say that of Sess, Jak. He went off because he hit out, albeit flabbily, at one of the three Newcastle players surrounding him, and the dismissal – as has been admitted here since it happened – was right. The card was out of pocket even as the appalling Tiote was clutching a part of the body that had not been struck and writhing in fake agony.
I respect you opinion, but I don’t agree with it. If you watch it back you’ll see Sess swings his forearm back at Cheick and catches him in the neck. Slow mo replays have a habit of making things like this look less worse than they are. Though I don’t think it hurt Tiote as much as he was making out, it still would have hurt.
Personally I don’t think Tiote did anything to warrant a sending off. You say that had Tiote not went down, then Sess may not have been sent off. But if he wasn’t sent off then it would have been a massive injustice, Tiote made sure the right decision was made.
Tiote eventually got booked for persistent fouling, but if you could think of any challenges he made that were deserving of a yellow on there own, I’d be interested to know which?
Oh and by the way even though he played for us Waddle is a Sunderland fan and though he was a great player he talks complete rubbish. Sunderland set the tone with Cattermole’s tackle after 45 seconds 🙂
Waddle presumably wasn’t talking rubbish when he
* repeatedly praised Newcastle’s second half pressure,
* said Cattermole could well have gone had it been later in the game,
* judged Turner guilty of handball (“a definite penalty”)
* said Sess had to go
* quickly agreed with your penalty
Only, according to you (normally a little more rational on visits to this site), when he
* condemned Tiote
* said you “came to fight” in the first half
* praised Mike Dean for giving the penalty to us
* deplored Simpson’s response to McClean’s tackle when he, Simpson, had just got away with as bad if not worse
It was an ugly game but Newcastle’s players, and their manager, contributed in full measure to that ugliness and – Catts apart (almost as, not more, unworthy of our support as was Barton of yours: as well as being the off-the-field thug you describe, he freely admitted to cheating to make sure of Gervinho ‘s dismissal) – showed infinitely more cynicism and nastiness throughout. Even Tiote’s antics in trying to push, restrain or otherwise impede the goalie at corners are disreputable. I am not proud of Catts, think he should lose the captaincy and would not be sorry to lose him. If Tiote were to come in, I would be thoroughly ashamed that my season ticket money was helping to pay the wages of such an unsavoury character.
Tiote is a combatitive midfielder, he is in no way malicious. He picks up a lot of yellow cards, but he always goes for the ball. I don’t think I’m being bias in saying that any criticism you guys have Tiote is unjust. If you can point out any instances either in this match, or any other where he has deliberatley hurt an opposing player then I’d be interested to know when? The same can’t be said of Cattermole, almost seriously injuring Tiote today and previously putting Habib Beye and Joey Barton out of the game for a number of weeks.
And why can’t Waddle pronounce “penalty”
Pelanty indeed.
Lost count how many times he said pelanty.
Such amusement helped calm the tempers!
it doesn’t matter if Tiote stood up, fell over or did a triple somersault style cart wheel … Sessegnon raised his hands and had to go – forget the Tiote reaction; the problem was Sessegnon – he cost 5under1and the win!
I haven’t seen anyone defending Sess’s reaction. You are right he cost us two points with his only misdemeanour. Tiote was lucky to have still been on the pitch at the time,
Why was Tiote lucky to have been on the pitch? I can’t think of any of his challenges that were worse than any of the Sunderland yellow cards?
I will not defend Cattermole. The yellow was close to being a red and this shows stupidity as well as a gross lack of leadership and judgement.
However, the thuggery was not one way. Chris Waddle was right to say in the first half that apart from a bit at the beginnng and a bit at the end, we came to play and Newcastle came to fight. Tiote is also a thug and, worse, a cheat and coward, too. He might have had four yellow cards! His playacting to ensure Sess was (rightly) sent off was embarrassing and an insult to manhood. And Pardew needs the book thrown at him.
Sorry mate I agree Tiote went down easily but Cattermole is a disgrace not only to Sunderland but to football he is 10 times worse than Joe Barton who was a thug off the field not on it, and we gtot rid of Barton. You need to do the same with Cattermole. I am a long time Toon fan (1955) but I am very happy that you lot are now able to make a game of the derbies it makes it much more interesting than beating you every game. I wouldn’t mind seeing you 2nd top of the league as long as we are top of course. :-). Today’s game wasn’t a great game but it was what Tyne Wear derbies are all about. Passion, blood & thunder. But there is still no place for thugs like Cattermole get rid of him.
Cattermole and Barton have both been idiots on and off the field. To say Cattermole is ten times worse is ridiculous, despite Barton’s attempts to prove his philosophical intellectualism and his anger management counsellor’s advice to prove his new and improved credentials. I am not going to defend Cattermole’s challenge which could have seen us playing with 10 men for 89 minutes and 18 seconds but that is the legacy of the Ron Harris, Norman Hunter, Kevin Ball school of defending which says make your challenge early and impose yourself. It wouldn’t even have been a booking in the first minute of a Northern League match, but Cattermole is paid enough to learn the difference. I thought that MON had cured him of that stupidity but it seems not. I expect he’ll have had (or will be having) words.
And this from the team that bought, played and put up with Joey Barton!
And don’t forget that paragon of virtue they employed Dennis Wise. Stupid tackle from Cattermole no doubt but at least he gets up and carries on with the game when he gets fouled – I have yet to see him make a meal of a challenge on him,
4 points from you lot this season should have been 6 if we hadn’t missed a penalty. I agree Pardew didn’t cover himself in glory with his reaction to the penalty but he did admit it it in the BBC interview. The real disgrace is Cattermole he should have been sent off after 45 seconds he shouldn’t be allowed to play football he is a thug. If I was a “real” Sunderland fan which I know you guys are I would be ashamed to have him in my team. In one word (politely) he is a PRAT