Michael Robinson is always happy when cricket returns, not least because it means Sunderland’s woes are over or close to over for another season. He contributed a review of last season and returns with some whimsical thoughts on this year’s winning race to avoid the drop …
Everything is OK at Sunderland
Another season finished and another great escape completed, but a least this time it seemed that our manager had a plan.
Although it did take me a while to work out what it was though. I considered the various tactical formations, you know 4-4-2, 4-2-4,4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, and eventually decided it wasn’t anything to do with them. Sam’s strategy was much simpler. Just go out and buy players whose surnames began with K.
I am sure you will all have realised that Kone, Kirchhoff and Khazri gave us the shot in the arm we needed to stay up, plus we got some great performances out of Kabul.
And if you look back over the years we have had some success using a similar approach, so much so that I am surprised that previous managers never cottoned on.
Just think about these names who either played of managed us ..… Harry Kirtley and Don Kitchenbrand, Bobby Kerr, John Kay, Darius Kubicki, Kevin Kilbane, Kevin Kyle, Alan Kennedy, Ken Knighton and Roy Keane.
Of course if we include players whose first names begin with K we get Kevin Phillips, Kenwyne Jones and Kieran Richardson. I almost forgot the greatest of them all, King Charlie Hurley.
So in the forthcoming transfer window it will be no surprise to me if our targets include Harry Kane, Andy King, Ngolo Kante, Ki Seung Yueng, Laurent Koscielny, Robbie Keane (again), Kaka, Toni Kroos ,Aurna Kone, Vincent Kompay and Aleksandar Kolarov. I suppose if we can persuade Jurgen Klopp to come in as Sam’s deputy the Premier title will be ours by Christmas. It all sounds perfectly logical to me.
By the way have I mentioned the links between the letter M and our goalkeepers?…..you know Monty, McLaughlin, Mannone, Myhre ? No. Maybe another day when I have time. Best leave it at that for now, the nurse says I need my sedative.
