Just before we get on to the business of inviting score predictions for the monumental game at Villa Park on Monday, there’s a spot of housekeeping to announce.
Salut! Sunderland can hardly claim to be acting on popular demand since so few people expressed a view either way. Of those that did, the old design for the home page of the site – subject to the change forced by Martin O’Neill’s departure – was favoured, if I remember correctly, by all except one.
So one day soon – ie when our web guru Sam gets round to it – the oval banner will go and the montage will return with the none-too-subtle substitution of one defender for another, Charlie Hurley for his boyhood admirer O’Neill. I liked both of Jake’s offerings but came to believe the oval was more appropriate as an occasional illustration, in thumbnails accompanying the home page tasters for example, than as the image that presents Salut! Sunderland to the world.
Which means it’s farewell to …
Since that bit of spring cleaning could occur without warning over the weekend, when my access to the site may be limited, it seemed best to alert readers now.
Now for the match. Lose at Villa Park and we are still in a good position to ensure salvation. Win and the job will be just about done. A draw would – or might – leave work to do.
Say below what you think will be the result. The first correct answer received before kickoff will win one of Salut! Sunderland’s famous, unmarketable mugs, the design suitably modified if the winner supports Villa.
Over to you … and look out for the Villa ‘Who are You?’ in the next day or so.
Sample:
Salut! Sunderland: SAFC and Villa fans often squabble about which is the bigger club. Is it settled for you by Villa’s edge on league titles (7 vs 6), and being comfortably ahead on FA Cup wins and European competition, or does the long wait for renewed glory even it out?
Kevin Hughes, Villa-supporting ESPN contributor:
Villa all the way for me, obviously! I guess both clubs are living off past glories, somewhat, but I’m influenced by the last two decades, when Sunderland have been in and out of the Premier League a couple of times and Villa a permanent fixture. I might be wrong, but I always seem to think of Sunderland struggling at the wrong end of the table, traditionally, whereas Villa have had brighter more recent times. Obviously not currently…
Ha’way the Lads.
I would be devastated to lose because I always am!
For what it’s worth, the last 20 odd games between us have yielded an average of approximately 1.73 goals per game which means absolutely nothing of course as it all comes down to what happens on the night.
I’d already gone for the 1-1 before I even read this. I do have a feeling that if we score at all tonight (and I fancy us to do that), then we will come away with something from the game.
Looking at the league table and the upcoming fixtures, there’s a part of me that would not be completely devastated if were to lose tonight.
If that were to be the case then there could be a re run of “Only Fools and Horses” in a couple of weeks.
In that case: Villa 0.73-SAFC 1. What the papers might call the narrowest of wins.
But I would be happy with 0.885 goals each and a point.
Hey come on lads, I did wish you well plus you have had the pleasure of putting one over on the enemy and being able to gloat over yesterdays result. Its only fair that Villa get the win to put Newcastle in the firing line because I think they will implode and then its them and wigan, you know it makes sense.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure as our blog is regularly infested with them after not seeing the funny side of a bed sheet with who’s your next messiah painted on it when they got relegated. Having had to listen to them sneering at our plight how sweet it would be if the tables are reversed.
As a bonus if we win I will make a small donation to the Friends of Horses.
I really do not like this guess the score bit,its a no win situation.If you go against your club it’s defeatist,if you go for the win you look cocky and are open to crushing the fall of pride should the team get spanked,if you predict a draw you are sitting on the fence and being a little boring.
Sorry to spoil everyones fun btw ; )
Teeth gritted if I must……..Ill take inspiration from Phil…..Villa 0 SAFC 3
How’s it a no win situation when you get a mug (or two, and I’m going for the treble) through using your deep knowledge of football, ability to weigh up the two teams man-for-man, tactics used by each team, then take a wild guess at the score?
🙂
Villa 1 Sunderland 2
Graham scores (Larsson thumps it, its going wide but slams an oblivious Graham on the shoulder and rebounds in.) Our second goal is a Gardner penalty.
Benteke scores for them.
1-0 to Sunderland; clean sheet and revenge for the defeat at the SSoL earlier in the season.
I was there last time we won 1-0 at Villa in October, 2010, but Houllier and Bruce seem soooo long ago. Loved the piledriver from Bardsley; he can do that again if he wants to, as far as I am concerned.
It’s a WIN WIN WIN.
3-2 SAFC
A Benteke brace will see Villa complete the double over Sunderland.
2-0 Villa.
I’ll go 0-0.
Villa 1 Sunderland 3
Villa 3 Sunderland 1
SAFC 1 Villa 1
Villa to avoid the drop and the Horse Thumpers to go down.
1-0 to Sunderland,
Villa and Wigan to slug it out on the last day in a winner takes all nerve jangling match
Aston Villa 1 -2 Sunderland, but Villa still to avoid the drop.
2-2 for me
Villa 0 SAFC 2