A very rushed posting but a very warm bienvenue to Sunderland’s latest francophone recruit, the Gabon international Didier Ndong from Lorient, for a fee of 16 millions euros, however many pounds that converts to post-Brexit.
Safc.com tells us he has joined on a five-year deal as David Moyes’s seventh arrival of the summer. That he came from the same club as Lamine Kone does not mean he’ll be demanding a transfer or new contract by Christmas.
Malcolm Dawson writes…..I’ve no doubt the powers that be are working their socks off trying to rationalise the playing staff …
This is an article Hayley Penman, then aged all of 10, wrote for Salut! Sunderland back in February of last year. It was warmly received, and rightly so. Recently, another supporter of Sunderland AFC, Jennifer Lowery, though not of Hayley’s generation, asked that a prize mug due to her for coming up with the title of the manager’s post match e-mail “Moyes on the Boys”, should go to a deserving young reader of our choice. We invited suggestions and Hayley’s name popped up in the replies. The mug that is on its way to her is well deserved. It will not change her life but I hope it will encourage her to write over and again for this site and to develop what is clearly a real talent …
Bill Taylor remembers someone says football becoming like watching their Italians play your Italians. If he is right about the authorship of the quote – he thinks Len Shackleton may have said it – and a quick internet search did not help – imagine what Shack would have made of today’s Premier League. Bill wonders whether it’s time to acknowledge that when we shout for our team, we’re really shouting for ourselves …
Too much is never enough – songwriter Jim Steinman
Whore (verb): to compromise oneself for money
Perhaps we’ve been doing this all wrong…
A popular question for visiting writers of Who Are You is, “Club or country?” [It was a stock question but you remind me I have not asked anyone in ages – Ed]
I don’t remember anyone ever putting country first. This might, I’m beginning to think, be a mistake.
Malcolm Dawson writes…..Pete Sixsmith is slipping. His trip to the south coast last week meant he missed yesterday’s Under 23 …
Rob Hutchison is driving back and it will be a while before he reaches home. So he phoned his daughter and she passed on his one-word verdicts:
John McCormick writes: I’m frequently surprised by stats showing how little possession we have when we look untroubled for long periods. Today was another example. Saints pressed but rarely bothered our keeper and when they did he rose to the challenge on every occasion but one. Unfortunately that one time gave Southampton a point – I was going to say gifted a point but, in reality, our attack was poor and we didn’t threaten much ourselves.
Looking untroubled must mean our defence is improving, mustn’t it? I thought it not only looked solid in the centre but also coped with wide balls and tricky wingers, so I do think things are looking up.
But does David Moyes? The letter he sent to M Salut (and perhaps a couple of others) immediately after the game is a little short on optimism:
A point at Southampton is always a good return. But for the third time in four seasons – the odd one out leaving us a little humiliated – Sunderland lost out on an important win because they could not defend a lead. SAFC were the better side in the first half, recovered from a second half loss of dominance to take the lead through Jermain Defoe’s penalty but could not keep the Saints out for the remaining minutes … Pete Sixsmith will fill in into more detail about his trip down south in due course but this is his instant verdict ..
Monsieur Salut writes: I loved this tweet, drawn to my attention by Joe Hughes, a Barnsley-based SAFC fan and a new member of our Facebook group
Is this the way to Javi Manquillo
Every night I've been thinking of Djilo
Crying over Yann M'Vila
But Donald Loves been there for me— j (@Adnanuzaj) August 22, 2016
Now we need to extend the customary Salut! Sunderland welcome to Javier Manqillo – and the hope that Google Translate was up to the task …
Alan Copps* is one of Monsieur Salut’s valued former colleagues and his fine writing – as opposed to M Salut’s basic reporting – graced the pages of The Daily Telegraph and later The Times. Late in his career, he moves significantly upmarket to offer various thoughts to the thinking man’s football site Salut! Sunderland ahead of Saturday’s game. Oh, and as I write, Salut! Sunderland is seven followers short of 2,000 at Twitter …