We went to one Man City site for views on Saturday’s match- and there’s broad agreement it produced a great piece – and another came to us. Bluemoon put Pete Sixsmith – star of Salut! Sunderland, the teaching profession and the admirable By Far The Greatest Team site – on the spot and got a loyal prediction of a Sunderland win …
Bluemoon: What are your expectations for this season?
Not to be anywhere near the bottom 6; to take at least four points off our Tyneside neighbours; to beat Everton at home; to win one of the cups (ok, that’s hope rather than expectation).
Are you happy with the manager?
I think that most Sunderland fans are happy to have a grown up manager who knows his way around the game, after a novice in Roy Keane and a man whose limitations became more obvious as the months rolled by in Steve Bruce. And O’Neill is a Sunderland fan – it’s rumoured that Bruce wasn’t.
Who are your key players?
Steven Fletcher, seeing as he is the only player to score for us in the league. He is a good centre forward who fits in with the style of play that O’Neill favours.
Stéphane Sessegnon. He hasn’t played brilliantly this season, but if he does, watch out.
John O’Shea. He marshals the defence very well and is a sound and positive captain who manages to stay on the field for 90 minutes.
Simon Mignolet. Potentially a very good keeper. He may need to be on Saturday.
Were you happy with the business conducted during the transfer window?
After some of the distinctly average signings over the last few years, to bring in four established PL players in Fletcher, Johnson, Saha and Cuellar is a sign of the quality that O’Neill gives the club. We also reduced our wage bill by moving on a number of fringe/never going to make it players. So, yes, a good window.
Are there any rising stars in the squad that we might not have heard of?
Not much in this category. David Meyler, a 22 year old has recovered from a long term injury and is potentially a very good player. He has a Gaelic sports background and will run all day – sometimes with the ball.
Your Achilles heel?
Not a great deal of flair or imagination in the centre of midfield and we can be overrun here. Lack of scoring options as well; Fletcher or Fletcher or Fletcher – that’s it for goals.
If you could have any City player in your team who would you choose?
We got him in the window and hope that he will perform consistently for us. YaYa Touré looks as if he could improve with a stint on Wearside.
What is your perception of City as a club?
Still “one of us”, like Everton, Villa and the like. Not yet in the obnoxious group of clubs who seem to think that they run the game (Manchester’s other team, Chelsea, Arsenal and my least favourite club, Liverpool), but you need to be careful. Fans still solid but don’t get too far up yourselves. Take those silly banners down as well; it reminds me of Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. Bring back the woman with the bell.
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Likely starting XI for the game, and score prediction?
Team. Mignolet; Gardner, O’Shea, Bramble, Rose; Johnson, Larsson, Colback, McClean; Sessegnon; Fletcher.
2-1 to us with Fletcher and Saha (on as a sub) getting the goals. No point in going if I don’t think we can win, is there!!!
Ha’way
*haway
What banners? And unfortunately the lady with the bell Helen Turner died 7 years ago. I remember her all my life, The bell at Maine Rd was always sounding, she also was always outside the Manchester Royal infirmary selling here flowers for charity a great women and a City legend in her own right. I’m surprised others supporters remember her!
Ha’way please.
And I remember the lady with the bell even back in the days when you could get a tanner bag of monkey nuts from a bloke in an umpire’s coat.
I was over the moon not blue though I hope city and there fans are good to our team and supporters after we taunted there enemy after they lost the league in the dying seconds last season back to us though we got three points against Wigan and we needed them thanks Howard Webb you owed us that bad bit of referring after last year against Everton not a good performance but the points is what we needed hope we kick on now HOWAY the Lads