John McCormick writes: I watched the opening game of the season at a pub in the Lakes and thought we did OK. I watched this at home, courtesy of Will’s Sky-linked tablet. As the match opened I thought we didn’t look as good as we did in August and that Derby were well organised, which only goes to show that I need to get out more.
Pete Sixsmith does that and is consequently in a much better position to judge. His report on this game won’t be here until Sunday as he’s groundhopping on his way home, so we’ll have to do with his instant seven word reaction for now.
30 March 2018 Derby County 1 (1) Sunderland 4 (2) And we were singing in the rain
17 March 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Preston North End 0 (2) Worst performance yet in a dismal season
10 March 2018 QPR 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) Lack of Steele leads to inevitable defeat
6 March 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Aston Villa 3 (2) Brown, Stokoe, Smith, Keane – watch and weep
3 March 2018 Milwall (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 * a) Unable to defend a lead, paid price … b) Oviedo superstrike not quite enough for win
24 February 2018 Sunderland 3 (1) Middlesbrough 3 (0) Rousing finale brings hope and a point
20 February 2018 Bolton Wanderers (1) 1 Sunderland (0) 0 No lack of effort; just lacking quality
17 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Brentford 2 (2) Gets worse by the week. Relegation certs.
10 February 2018 Bristol City 3-3 Sunderland The most unlikely point of the season [but see what he was saying earlier]
3 February 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Ipswich Town 2 (2) Comfortably beaten by an ordinary Ipswich side
30 January 2018 Birmingham City 3 (2) Sunderland 1 (0) *worked hard but just not good enough
20 Januaury 2018 Sunderland 1 (1) Hull City 0 (0) Young players give us hope. O’Shea magnificent
13 January 2018 Cardiff City 4 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Nothing positive in yet another shocking performance
6 January 2018 Middlesbrough 2 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Our many weaknesses exposed far too easily
1 January 2018 Sunderland 0 (0) Barnsley 1 (0) Brand new year but same old rubbish
December 30 Nottingham Forest 0 (0) Sunderland (1) 1 Huge win which shows the players care
December 26 Sheffield United 3 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Comprehensively beaten by a far superior side
December 23 Sunderland 1 (1) Birmingham City 1 (1) * Ten-man Brum hang on for a draw
December 16 Sunderland 1 (0) Fulham 0 (0) * Home win hoodoo over as Maja strikes
December 9 Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 0 Sunderland (0) 0 *Tremendous defending earns a point at leaders
December 2 Sunderland 1 (0) Reading 3 (0) * Another day when basic errors prove costly
November 25 Burton Albion 0 (0) Sunderland 2 (0) Two goals, three points, and draught Bass
November 21 Aston Villa 2 (1) Sunderland 1 (0) Encouraging signs but need to be stronger
November 18 Sunderland 2 (1) Millwall 2 (2) An awful game compounded by comical goalkeeping
November 5 Middlesbrough 1 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Bottom of the league and deservedly so.
October 31 Sunderland 3 (1) Bolton Wanderers 3 (3) Neither the result nor performance good enough
October 28 Sunderland 1 (1) Bristol City 2 (1) Hopeless and clueless. Add embarrassing to that.
October 21 Brentford 3 (1) Sunderland 3 (3) * Two in front yet lucky to survive
October 14 Sunderland (0) 1 Queens Park Rangers (1) 1 The elusive home win seems miles away
September 30 Preston North End (0) 2 Sunderland (1) 2 * Seriously entertaining and well worth the point
September 26 Ipswich Town 5 (2) Sunderland (1) 2 Sunderland’s defending plummets to unheard of depths
September 23 Sunderland 1 (0) Cardiff City 2 (1) Undoubtedly the worst Sunderland team I’ve watched
September 20 League Cup 3rd Round: Everton (1) 3 Sunderland (0) 0 * Never looked like scoring, let alone winning
September 16 Hull City 1 (0) Sunderland 1 (1) Hung on but not a sparkling performance
September 12 Sunderland 0 (0) Nottingham Forest 1 (o) Some improvement but we lack any punch
September 9 Sunderland 1 (0) Sheffield United 2 (1) no tactics, appalling team selection,
total embarrassment
August 26 Barnsley 3 (2) Sunderland 0 (0) Alarm bells clanging after a dreadful performance
August 22 League Cup: Carlisle United (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 2 Classy finish by Gooch masks scrappy performance
August 19 SAFC 0 (0) Leeds United 2 (1) Weaknesses exposed by a solid Leeds team
August 16 Sheffield Wednesday (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 1 Looked tired in second half. Decent point
August 13 Norwich City 1 (0) Sunderland 3 (1) Very well organised and three cracking goals
August 8 League Cup: Bury 0 (0) Sunderland (0) 1 Hardly convincing but a win’s a win
August 4 2017 Sunderland (1) 1 Derby County (1) 1 Encouraging second half. Something to build on
Great result and suddenly there is hope again, both of staying up (still faint) and a takeover (hopefully less faint). Monday is absolutely key to both and we are going to need SUPPORTERS in numbers. If you are one of the morons who booed Fletcher on to the field last week, I urge you to stay at home because you do not support your club.
Similarly, if you booed O’Shea and Cattermole for not trying, your presence is not required. Both of them are struggling with aging bodies but I would never accuse either of them of not trying.
All did well last night and it is clear that a fit McNair makes a big difference but we got major effort and key moments from regular targets of booing:
Fletcher missed a sitter and poor touch early on when put through BUT, great goal, fabulous ball that Gooch nearly scored and really unlucky to hit the post after running round a number of defenders.
Love – decent and positive but the value of his fabulous tackle to stop us going behind in ropey opening 5 minutes cannot be overestimated.
Kone – immense last night. Tight but for me he was man of the match.
Each one of the above is one mistake off being booed at home (in Fletcher’s case no mistakes, though he really has been poor up until last night).
Lets all turn up in numbers and try actually all supporting the team, even if we go a goal down. It might even work.
Fantastic performance and a wonderful result. We need the same on Monday and for the rest of the season . The Sky commentator stated that the club will be ran by a North East consortium of businessmen come next season. Please let this not be yet another false dawn on and off the pitch.