Colin Randall 
Monsieur Salut writes: no Pete Sixsmith at Home Park for Sunderland’s fifth league win on the trot, Aiden McGeady claiming both goals and more crucial saves from Jon McLaughlin, plus some solid defending, keeping another clean sheet before 1,300 travelling fans. And Sunderland are now second top. Sixer’s supersub, John Marshall, provides the seven-word verdict and will be followed by a full report.
Monsieur Salut writes: Mike Arthur* is a salt-of-the-earth Cornishman, so much so that we can forgive him for being not only the president of the Plymouth branch of the Argyle Supporters’ Club but also a supporter of Manchester United. As many will know, I don’t really hold with having a second team (unless it’s Shildon in my case). But Mike’s attachment to the Red Devils dates from the same horrific event that drew so many of us, if most only briefly, to the nation’s United love-in: Munich.
Mike, a retired police superintendent, is recovering from a hip injury sustained when some oaf reversed into him as he crossed a road. But despite advancing years – he’s 76 – he’ll be there for our match and also hopes to travel up to Sunderland for the return towards the end of the season. Now why is it that his own pessimism – optimism as seen by us when anyone says we’re going to win a game with ease – has me worried? …
Having hobnobbed at the SoL on Saturday, Monsieur Salut is nowhere to be seen (unless you, too, are in a small French town where Salafists allegedly took over one area).
He remains skint. So no question of a prize Guess the Score for Plymouth Argyle. Another multiple winner collects the latest mug, having gone for 3-0 versus Southend. Heaven knows when we’ll get around to sending it but it shall be done.
Monsieur Salut writes: I thoroughly enjoyed my first game of the season and the warm welcome given to three members of the Salut! Sunderland team – aka the codgers who pull together the site – by SAFC’s executive director, Charlie Methven. He said nice things about the site; we said nice things about the progress and changes made by him and, of course, the owner Stewart Donald.
The one member of the editorial team not able to make it, John McCormick, was there in more than spirit. Anyone who bought a programme may well have read what follows: a contribution from John that has attracted praise on Twitter. I intended to reproduce all Salut!’s programme pieces – and SAFC readily consented to this – and will get round sooner or later to posting the ones that have gone before. But here’s John on the issue of safe standing ….
John McCormick writes: As the only member of the Salut! brigade not at the match it’s left to me to mind the store. No doubt M Salut will provide details of his trip in due course, and Pete Sixsmith will provide his normal match report, while Malcolm’s observations might come a little later but be all the more trenchant (look it up like I did) for that.
In the meantime, to keep us going, here’s Pete’s instant post match summary, in a seven word text that really says it all.
John McCormick writes: Southend, nope, I don’t think so. I’ve not seen them. This week’s Who Are You guest, Rhys Ellingham, wrote about us playing them in 06/07 but the only time I got to the SOL that season was on 11th November, when we drew with Southampton, so I missed them by a good three months, just as I missed them on all their previous trips.
But, then, even Pete Sixsmith has missed one of their visits:
Monsieur Salut writes: it is not often we get a club official to sit in the ‘Who are You?’ hot seat but Rhys Ellingham*, head of commercial for Southend United, immediately agreed to answer our questions. Rhys says Sunderland won’t be the last big club to tumble through the divisions but predicts a rosier future – with a possible playoff place for his own club, which he believes will be capable, with a bigger new ground, of matching the rise of pre-relegation Swansea City. Read on …
Should I offer a prize for the SAFC vs Southend United Guess the Score? Monsieur Salut asks himself the question and cannot decide. The prizeless Donny edition still attracted a healthy enough batch of entries and I am not yet recovered from my bout of skintness, a feeling many readers will know.
I think I shall keep you guessing, not only on the score in Saturday’s game against the Shrimpers but on whether the winner will get a mug.
If the game goes well for us, I may well relent; if we lose or only draw, only a mug should expect a gift in the post. That should serve as a tip for any Southend fan minded to enter: you’re most welcome but go for a home win scoreline if you actually want even a chance of winning a prize. Life can be unfair.
Another away day (or night), another significant win for Sunderland. Pete Sixsmith expects to see quite a few victories this season as Jack Ross’s resurgent squad continues to impress. There’ll be disappointments along the way but three away wins in a row, if it represents a trend that can be maintained, is automatic promotion form …
Our service could be a bit delayed tomorrow. Not only has Pete Sixsmith to get home, he’ll probably have to compose himself before he can compose his report. And if he does manage to send it early he will find we’re all otherwise engaged.
But we will get there in the end, which is what our team appears to be doing according to Pete’s post-game seven word text: