Trust it to be on an especially dismal weekend for Sunderland supporters for this site to work just as it should: loads of readers, strong comments from our fans, appreciation from opposing supporters and, so far as Monsieur Salut can tell, no sign of the Turkish hackers.
It will hardly cheer up Pete Sixsmith to know “Clanford”, at this Lincoln City fan forum ensured a lot Imps fans would read his brilliant if depressing account (see it here if you missed it). Another City fan, Brendan Bradley, added this comment: “If there’s one sentence that applies to 100 per cent of football supporters though it’s this one: ‘as often happens, the game spoilt a pleasant day’.”
Another game looms before the international break and you will see if you read on that your thoughts are invited on how it will go. It is only the EFL Trophy, uninvitingly entitled Leasing.com Trophy for sponsorship reasons, but remember that as the equally mundane Checkatrade Trophy last season, it did get us one of those losing outings to Wembley we seem to specialise in.
But as we now prepare for Tuesday night, wondering if our well-paid, deeply under-achieving and maybe badly led team (or whichever fringe players take their places) can actually overcome Grimsby Town at home, it is worth looking at what one Lincoln-supporting Down Under exile (which I assume him to be), PerthImp, had to say about the Sunderland he saw when watching the game on i-Follow:
I thought Sunderland were awful and really didn’t live up to expectation. I especially thought they were dirty at times- twice Eardley was shoved in the face and the ‘referee’ gave nothing.
Were they that bad because they’ve decided they don’t want to play for Jack Ross – certainly some of their supporters don’t rate him. We they expecting to just turn up and we’d roll over after the last two or three weeks. Maybe Ross is a ‘dead man walking’. Apart from the strike that Vickers brilliantly saved they really didn’t cause us any problems at all …
Surely Posh [Lincoln’s next opponents] won’t be as bad as Sunderland? Will be a better test maybe.
For the more philosophical of Sunderland fans – broadly the older ones – messing up games we’re expected to win comes naturally. Lincoln supporters had a lot to cheer about last season, when promotion was won, but not much since their three straight wins at the start of this one; their joy at beating us is flattering in its own way and reminsicent of how we felt with those successive home wins against mighty Man City. One Lincoln fan remembered when they, too, beat Citeh – then in the second tier – in the League Cup, winning both legs, in 1996.
On to Tuesday. Most of it will be more concerned with our next League One game, the visit to second-placed Wycombe Wanderers a week on Saturday, by which time we will almost certainly be out of the top six thanks to the postponement of Saturday’s scheduled home game vs Fleetwood Town.
But have a go in any case. There’s no prize but tell us how the match will end.
It is a northern group stage game – our first with Scunthorpe currently top, having four points from two games after beating Grimsby and drawing against the group’s other side Leicester Under 21s before losing on penalties. The losing side in a shoot-out still picks up one point for the draw at 90 minutes.
Ha’way the Lads …
Absolutely disgusted by this move, totally gutless caving to a vocal minority. So by extrapolation, any future manager who loses two games in the opening 11 will be terminated. I reckon that means bearing in mind the drudging’s we normally get in the Premiership we will go through 26 managers a Season once we reach the promised land!!!!
Not even half way through his contract, just think if Man Utd had sacked Ferguson in his first three seasons, beggars belief and the new owners have just taken a big step down in my estimation and support.
It’s all academic now. Jack’s gone and, as usual, we’re left behind to start our new journey. Not as if we aren’t used to it so onwards and upwards. Carry on rewardless. Plus ca change.
3 0
New manager bounce
3-1 to The Lads. Still no clean sheet.
Jack Ross has said the match is meaningless or words to that effect since we have lost more ground in the league and will lose more before we play again.
Typical of us to win 5-0 on Tuesday night and then lose at Wycombe. If we cannot win both, let Grimsby do it on pens after a 1-1 draw tomorrow … as long as we beat Wycombe 3-0 …
The message coming out of the club since Saturday is that its a “one off” or a “blip”. Ross accepted resonsiblity in his post match interview which is fair enough,but he must know that he needs to put this right and quick. The team is playing pretty poorly most weeks I have seen, depsite not losing many games.
Mid table is not accpetable,not with the budget we have in this league,pressure is on,we need a reaction fast or else we could struggle all season like this.
Providing a fillip for everyone else’s season will be put on hold as we fight out a 2-1 unconvincing home win. Yes. I am depressed.
3-0 to the lads