What is left to say? Another game, another sense of trepidation or, if Pete Sixsmith was right in his clinical assessment of our plight after his bleak evening at Portman Road, another reason to be “largely past caring”.
Preston North End vs Sunderland. Fifth top vs second bottom. It seems beyond belief, whatever the level of pessimism that our deputy editor Malcolm Dawson and others experienced in the summer.
But that’s the reality; Mark, an Ipswich fan came to Salut! Sunderland to express solidarity with our supporters while noting that it was “clear right from the first minute that the confidence of the players is shot to bits”.
Simon Grayson was not SAFC’s first choice as manager and would not have been the choice of many supporters. He inherited a basket case of a club with an owner who has lost interest – and far too much of his fortune – and a chief executive whose job description must surely include an obligation to cut, cut and cut again. The players Grayson managed to pull out of the transfer window hat have largely failed to impress and the relics of our Premier League squad are playing as if football is a game they’ve just taken up.
That would change if only we could start winning and keep winning, at least sometimes. Automatic promotion is like a distant, unattainable nirvana, the playoffs are something that will happen only for others. But can we claw our way from the humiliating position we find ourselves in now and at least approach midtable respectability (actually not very respectable at all, but it would do for now)?
The pages of Salut! Sunderland are wide open for anyone from Messrs Short, Bain and Grayson to ordinary supporters who feel we need only time to reflect, rebuild and prosper again. Was that Peppa Pig I just saw flying past the window?
And the Guess the Score competition is once again declared open.
Roll up for a chance to win a wonderfully life-enhancing, er, coffee mug as your prize for getting the score right, posting it here before anyone else and satisfying any other quirky rules Monsieur Salut chooses to impose (eg you must have a UK delivery address).
PNE supporters are cordially invited to have a go, too.
The good news, if it can be called that, is that I am finally clearing the backlog of prize winners and ordering their mugs today.
In line with the new policy, the first entry is that of our Who are You? interviewee. Mark Collard, whose answers are a treat, reckons his beloved PNE will win 2-1.
Haway the Lads, our Lads.
Yeahhhh I WIN!!!!
I’d like to think we can grind out at least a draw. 1-1
2-2 to the lads
And the winner is …. Bill H. I will be in touch, Bill
The eternal optimist again have the faith it will come 2 for mcgeady 1 for watmore & 1 for Vaughn 4-0 to the lads
4 – 0 Preston. These are sad days
The Lads to win 2-1, won’t give up yet.
Hey, I got a thumbs down and grief for predicting a big defeat against Ipswich, as if I was happy to do so, now it’s the norm.
Opinions are, of course, subjective, but let’s look at some popular ones from the last few months:
Get rid of the deadwood…..we’ve got rid of most and replaced them with balsa wood;
To paraphrase our manager….Bring in players who want to come here and play for this club… you have, they’re crap.
Give him time to work with the new players….really? Did the season start 8 weeks before he took the job? Did he not bring in players he knew? How come they are clueless?
I said it last season and will say it again. ..Kone, you are a prat
4-1 to the lads by the way, Neil Martin with 2 assists from O’Hare, and a goal apiece for O’Hare and Mulhall.
Neil Martin, John O’Hare, George Mulhall, I’ve just wet my pants thinking about it!
Not so optimistic these days.
2-0 to Preston.
PNE 0 – 0 SAFC, finally we keep a clean sheet and gain the moral victory!
Aye right.
Of course, S/land will probably lose and that is why I
predict a 3-1 win to Sunderland.
Something to NIL.
Let’s say PNE 3 SAFC 0
0-2 Vaughan & Ndong.
One day, dear readers, one day…….
Mark Collard, our Who are You? candidate, reckons his PNE will make life harder still for Grayson and SAFC. 2-1 home win … https://safc.blog/2017/09/preston-north-end-who-are-you-grayson-thought-he-was-stepping-up/