We know we had to win against Crystal Palace and didn’t. We know we needed at least a point at West Ham and threw all three away.
Now even Big Sam’s meagre target of four from three games depends on a frankly improbable win at St Mary’s.
Or is it so improbable? Will one of you loyal optimists for once be right when predicting a Sunderland victory over Southampton to remove some of the pain of last season and keep our survival ship afloat?
Over to you. Guess the Score has, of course, been reduced to just-for-fun status – blame George Osborne’s cuts if you wish – but have a go anyway. Saints fans are welcome to join in this curious example of “fun”. Remember, no one predicted 1-0 at Upton Park or 2-2 versus Palace.
Pete Sixsmith’s Soapbox from the Palace game has yet to land so this is a little out of sequence. His original seven-worder, sent with a couple of minutes of normal time to go, was “Wretched second half banks nails in coffin”.
Then came the blast from Borini and the mood improved, if only a little. His measured appraisal of the game will not make for comfortable reading.
Come back tomorrow for another fine Who are You? interview from Tom Williams, who describes himself as a “primary school teacher, pretend Buddhist and ageing Indie boy”.
Sample:
I think Allardyce is an overbearing, self-serving boor, but he’s good at what he does. Sunderland are the one club in the current PL I’ve never visited, but I like the North East, I admire the atmosphere your fans generate, and my mate Bert’s from Sunderland, and he’s a cool dude.
He thinks we’ll stay up and fears Spurs might win the league title.
Ha’way the Lads on Saturday.
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Southampton in a dip, a stop start season for them. I go for 1 a piece.
I was almost right last night so I am sticking with my 3-2 win for The Lads
I will also stick with my offer of a tenner to chosen charity.
I’m not optimistic, so it’s only a 3-0 win to the lads.
A disappointing result against Pardew the butler’s team. We need to keep clean sheets if we have a chance of avoiding relegation.
A 1-0 win for the lads. I am feeling optimistic.
I’ll predict we won’t lose 8-0. Further than that I’m not prepared to hazard a prediction. I’m not hopeful of us getting anything if SA persists with Defoe as a lone striker. The tactic of trying to play him in behind the defence is not producing the goals we need. We need another runner (Borini?) who can drag defenders out of position or a strong CF (N’Doye?) who can win Manone’s hopeful punts.
If the Mags get anything at Stoke tonight (though I don’t expect them to) surely Sam has to be more adventurous at the weekend.
It’s beginning to look like the game at Sid James could determine who stays and who goes.
Have to win. Have to, have to, have to. So 2 – 1 to us then, with all the freebie green shirts having another airing.
2-0 away win and a balti ginsters please
Goalless. Would that suffice? Probably not.
0-0.