Even as I wrote last week that we would remain masters of our destiny and go up automatically provided we matched our rivals’ results, I was riddled with doubt, says Monsieur Salut.
A quick look at the fixtures at the top end of League One table showed there was no room for the least slip. Even when I saw that Coventry were ahead at Portsmouth, it seemed too much to hope that this would remain the case (if the spirit of Jimmy Hill has any influence, his old club’s two games involving us and Pompey could not have gone better).
As for Barnsley and Luton, did anyone seriously expect other than comfortable wins at Plymouth and Accrington Stanley.
The Sunderland Echo‘s excellent Phil Smith is a glass half full man …
#SAFC clearly the outsiders now but don’t think for a second automatic promotion is gone.
League has been super competitive all season and Barnsley have not been so dominant of late that they’re incapable of slipping up
This was a decent performance and Sunderland can get…— Phil Smith (@Phil__Smith) April 22, 2019
to 93 points.
Do that and you’ve got a chance.
Balance of the side is fine atm.
The defensive frailty isn’t suddenly going to go away and that’s one big concern, it was a soft one to give up late on.
But think there’ll be at least one more shock. Been that way all season.— Phil Smith (@Phil__Smith) April 22, 2019
… but I cannot say I share his optimistic outlook.
Barnsley have indeed stumbled but rarely for long enough for it to stop them looking marginally a better bet for automatic promotion than us. We have seemed to labour throughout the season, throwing away leads or going behind too often for comfort. Phil’s predecessor at the Echo, Graeme Anderson, identifies the same issue:
I think @SunderlandAFC don’t pose a constant enough goal threat @salutsunderland and for that reason every draw, every win has tended to be hard-fought.#safc https://t.co/Otmt2uI4XY
— graeme anderson (@sunechograeme) April 22, 2019
So to Pompey at home. There’ll be the usual prize mug for anyone who is first to predict the result. You must have a UK delivery address unless you can persuade me you are such a great person that I should dig deeper and pay for overseas postage.
Earlier in the season, my Pompey-supporting pal in Paris, Peter Allen, was talking of this game being the championship decider. It was a great interview and can be seen at this link. I am hoping Peter will be back with fresh thoughts ahead of SAFC-Pompey.
But I hope he is an unhappy man at tea-time on Saturday. And that Barnsley fans are scratching their heads at points lost to Blackpool. Nurse, nurse, nurse …. where are my pills?
Ha’way the Lads …
Just getting ready to go to game but interesting developments with Bolton’s game being postponed because of a failure to pay their players for March.
They will no doubt be some sort of points deduction penalty imposed but as they are already relegated it’s not going to affect us so nothing’s changed regarding today’s game.
Interesting article, but no mention of Roker Park. The bounders!
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48028660
The Lads to win 2-0, still hopeful, a bit to go yet.
1-1 honours even and we’ll settle it at Wembley. :-O
Hi Monsieur,
I do declare I am still one of those that believes and hopes we can still gain automatic promotion.For too long I have taken stick from my fellow South African followers of british football ( for not supporting either Liverpool or United or Arsenal). Those are the uninformed masses that do not realise what Sunderland afc is all about!.I for one firmly believe it’s a 3–1 to the lads on Sat. onward and upward. Ha’way the lads!!!!!!!!!!!!
4-1 to Sunderland. Remember a similar result when Butcher
was manager, Jim Smith was his opposite number. Pompey were pushing for promotion, Sunderland fighting to avoid relegation to the old Third Division.
1-0 to the lads.
Will it be enough? I’m not optimistic.
3 – 0.
3-2 to the lads
We have only lost three games all season yet sit in 4th place.
If we had won half of our drawn games and lost the other half we would have had 93 points with 12 defeats.
On the one hand we seem to play better against the higher placed teams but we also seem unable to find the win when expectations are at their highest.
I’m at Fleetwood on Tuesday and will still be hoping that we can be in the automatic promotion spot come May 4th but I’m not confident about Saturday. I hate to say it but 2-2 is my prediction.
PS if anyone can interpret dreams any idea what this product of my REM means? I dreamt that Max Power was having to change his shirt on Saturday, but instead of putting on another with 27 on the back his new one was number 14 with the name Coates above it.
Malcolm – A latter day Ralph Coates would be okay.
Cheers. With both of us being from Hetton it was obviously Ralph Coates in my subconscious – I just hadn’t spotted it and it was the latter day Sebastian who sprang to mind. What is worrying though is not only was I dreaming about Saturdays game, I was having to tell Sixer who Max Power was. Must be time for my medication. ?
Stick a score in Adam – you might win a mug which will reflect your allegiance.
We (Pompey) won comfortably at Fratton Park back in December and then struggled at Wembley so I think you will win on Saturday. Pompey are not playing well at the moment. Lucky to get wins at Wycombe, Burton and Coventry. However a win for you will suit Barnsley who will claim the second automatic spot. Don’t discount the possibility we have to do it all over again at Wembley in the Play Off final. Play Up Pompey!
You comfortably beat a 10 man Sunderland back in December so i”ll go for a 2-1 home win.
Hmmmmph. My emojees failed to appear, the most important being my heart.
It will be tense. Our fans will be superb all around the stadium. It will – finally – be 4-3 to The Lads and I will be there, singing ? my ? out for them. Yippee? ?
3-1
Wyke, Catts, Grigg. In that order. 2-1 at half time.