Sixer’s Sevens: Bolton’s Happy Wanderers finish a dark year for Sunderland at the Stadium Of Light

John McCormick writes: if anyone asked what my worst Sunderland game ever was I’d have to say it was the 1-0 loss at Bolton when we were last in the championship.

Pete Sixsmith was there, so he’ll know how bad it was, but judging from a text sent just before the ed of today’s game he appears to have found this one even worse, although we did manage to keep a clean sheet this time. In his judgement today’s game was “undoubtedly the worst game of the decade”

That wasn’t his final word, though. Pete looks forward just as much as he looks backward and his post match seven words send a January message to our owners, our new directors and our rapidly-ageing manager.

 

Monsieur Salut adds: listening to Barnes and Benno describe what seems to have been an apology for a football match, it was impossible to miss the loud and edgy singing of songs about Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn. This was not because Super Phil Parkinson doesn’t scan very well however you compress the syllables.

I used to love attending Boxing Day games. Ones like the debacle at Bramall Lane two years ago, which I watched with Sixer, and today’s, to which I effortlessly gave a miss, make me grateful Dec 26 offers options. Salut! Sunderland‘s days are numbered as we prepare to hand over to the new regime on New Year’s Day. We’d rather hoped the last Sixer’s Seven from the Stadium of Light would not coincide with SAFC’s descent to another low point in the 140-history of the club: an unthinkable 15th place in the third tier …


26 December Sunderland 0 (0) Bolton Wanderers 0 (0) So many weaknesses to address in January (If you wish to leave a comment of your own please visit the bottom of the page)

Jake: And so the SoL decade ends with a deafening whimper (and probably some booing)

14 December Sunderland 1 (1) Blackpool 1 (1) * A slight improvement on grim recent displays

7 December Gillingham 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Robbed, but only of a single point

and from Bob Chapman who witnessed the whole thing: This has to be the worst yet

26 November Sunderland 1 (1) Burton Albion 2 (1) Rubbish from the first to last minute

23 November Sunderland 1 (0) Coventry City 1 (1) Not great but got a deserved point

Courtesy of safc.com

19 November FA Cup 1st Round: Gillingham 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) AET *Come back Danny Graham¹, all is forgiven.

(¹choose your own, it doesn’t have to be Jozy)

12 November, Leasing.com Trophy. Scunthorpe United 3 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Pete Sixsmith got it right first time / Another game and yet another embarrassing performance.

9 November FA Cup 1st Round. Sunderland 1 (1) Gillingham 1 (0) We are getting worse game by game / Relegation looks likelier than promotion after this

5 November Leasing.com Trophy. Sunderland 1 (1) Leicester City U 21 2 (0) Experienced players humiliated by far superior teenagers / Trafalgar Square shenanigans cancelled for this season.

2 November Sunderland 1 (0) Southend United 0 (0) Where would we be without Luke O’Nien?

29 October Carabao Cup: Oxford United 1 (1) Sunderland 1 (0) Oxford win on penalties *No clean sheet, no surprises, no Wembley

26 Oct Shrewsbury Town 1 (0) Sunderland 0 (0) *Frenzied fightback fails to paper over cracks

22 Oct Sunderland 5 (3) Tranmere Rovers 0 (o) Performance and win impressive with Maguire outstanding

19 Oct. Wycombe Wanderers (1) 1 Sunderland (0) 0 No chance of promotion this season whatsoever

8 October Leasing.com Trophy Sunderland (0) 3 (a) Grimsby Town 2 (0) Hardly a resounding triumph but will do or The Wembley train is leaving the station

5 October Lincoln City 2 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Cannot offer any defence against this embarrassment.

27 September Sunderland (2) 2 MK Dons (0) 1 Hung on: something we don’t always do or Good first half but shakier after break

24 September Carabao Cup: Sheffield United (0) 0 Sunderland (1) 1 Everything we want from our Sunderland team or A very impressive performance; clean sheet too

21 September Bolton Wanderers 1 (1) Sunderland 1 (1) Apathetic performance which exposes our weaknesses.

17 September Sunderland 1 (1) Rotherham United 1 (0) Decent half hour, very poor sixty minutes

14 September Accrington Stanley 1 (1) Sunderland 3 (3) Scrappy and stuttering, result better than performance

31 August Peterborough United 3 (1) Sunderland 0 (0) Not a single positive from this shocker*

28 August Carabao Cup: Burnley 1 (1). Sunderland 3 (1) I just love a midweek in Lancashire/ Loads of effort and plenty of quality.

24 August Sunderland 3 (1) AFC Wimbledon 1 (1) Comfortable win which should enthuse American visitors

20 August Rochdale 1 (1) Sunderland 2 (1) Ecky Thump, that were a tight un

17 August Sunderland 2 (2) Portsmouth 1 (1) Up and running. Committed rather than classy

13 August Carabao Cup: Accrington Stanley (0) 1 Sunderland (1) 3 Had to work hard with McGeady outstanding
or this second 7 which came in as the draw for round two sends us back over the Pennines: Could just as easily have said McNulty

10 August Ipswich Town 1 (1) Sunderland 1 (0) *Decent recovery from absolutely shocking first half

3 August Sunderland 1 (0) Oxford United 1 (1) Looks like a repeat of last season

 

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