After the draw that should have been a win at Upton Park, I said that much as I hoped for a win against Chelsea, I was more concerned about the league game at home to Norwich City. It is a tired old cliché (as is “tired old cliché”), but this had much more of a cup final feel to it than Wednesday’s league cup game.
This is where all the excuses about a tough opening home programme run out.
The top six contenders – five plus Spurs if they’re now, logically, out of it – have been and gone, leaving us with three points from 18. Now, at the Stadium of Light, we begin to face only teams we should feel able to beat.
Have a go for fun at saying how things will go on Saturday. We need a win like a condemned man needs a stay of execution. Drawing or even losing would not change things irrevocably, but would certainly batter morale going into a difficult Christmas away to Everton and Cardiff. From these three games, my own guess is that a minimum of six points may be necessary.
I must be fair to our Friendly Final opponents and say that they are very welcome to enter this prizeless competition.
Ha’way the Lads.
*** And for good measure, catch one of the best Who are You? features – maybe the best so far this season at https://safc.blog/2013/12/safc-v-norwich-who-are-you-the-worst-keeper-ive-ever-seen/
Extract:
Salut! Sunderland: Who are the greatest players you’ve seen – or wish you’d seen – in Norwich colours and who should have been allowed nowhere near them?
Melissa Rudd, from talkSPORT:
Some of our greatest players like Chris Sutton, Ian Crook, Martin Peters, Steve Bruce etc all had their day before I could remember watching them. In terms of watching players in the flesh, when I first started going to games Craig Bellamy and Darren Eadie were in the first team and were great players. When Darren Huckerby joined us though the excitement in the stadium when he had the ball at his feet was like nothing I’d ever experienced, he ran defences ragged.
Iwan Roberts was also a hero – a good old fashioned centre forward as was Grant Holt. The worst player I’ve ever seen was Michael Theoklitos – a goalkeeper we signed from Melbourne Victory. He made one appearance for us – the infamous 7-1 defeat to Colchester in 2009. I’ve never seen a goalkeeping performance like it. It was like watching a schoolboy game where the ‘keeper had been sent off and all the subs had been made so an outfield player who’d never played in goal before was in between the sticks.
It got to the stage where a cheer erupted every time he touched the ball other than retrieving it from the back of the net. And that wasn’t very often! Worst signing ever.
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Why don’t you just bugger off Smog. You are about as funny as terninal cancer.
Come on Tim! Give the Smogster a break. Preferably both his f*****g legs.
Both sides to score twice so that’ll make it 4 nil to Norwich
I’ll go for 5-0 to the lads, first goal Altidore
I think this is going to be really close. Norwich are [ almost ] as desperate as us. 1 – 0 to SAFC
I’ll go for 3-1, now that we’re scoring for fun .. ahem…
I posted on the wrong thread so I’ll repeat myself. So not everyone at TalkSport looks like Alan Brazil? 2-0
SAFC 4 – 0 Norwich
All guns start firing eventually, but I expect Norwich to sit back and try to frustrate us.
Sunderland 3-0 Norwich.
Giacc (1) Borini (1) Johnson (1).
I don’t think Poyet will play Gardner again. Why not stick Cabral in there? He’s played at Champions League level. In any case I am thinking that Poyet will sign a dynamic MF in Jamuary. I am thinking Bridcutt will do well.
I don’t think its Larssons best position. We need to buy.
I was going for 3-0 too and will stick with that even though you beat me to it. He won’t stick Cabral in because Ki will start instead of Gardner. Larsson did OK on Tuesday I thought and with Ki alongside him and Cattermole behind he does a job in that more central role in my opinion.
The only time I’ve seen Cabral was against Fulham and he is perhaps too similar to Catts and Ki to get the balance Poyet is looking for. Colback might start and N’Diaye might be recalled. I’d also like to see some incomers next month but I will repeat myself by saying that this squad is good enough to stay up as it is – though a bit lacking in depth.
Sunderland 4 Norwich City 0.
We turned the corner against Chelsea and this has been coming for a while.
2-1 again , worked last time