Dean Cruddace

Sixer’s Sevens: Stoke City 2 Sunderland 0 – with a Friend like this!

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Jake's one -word verdict: 'speechless'
Jake’s one-word verdict: ‘speechless’

It all started as brightly as the yellow shirts which the Lads were wearing. The Poyet approach had seen some crisp passing moves and it is fair to say that Sunderland were beginning to outplay the team in red and white before the home side took the lead against the run of play. The influence of Wes Brown since his return from injury cannot be underestimated and he was showing his quality in this game until a preposterous decision from referee Kevin Friend to show the red card for a perfectly executed tackle, saw him off down the tunnel to test the waters of the Stoke City showers.

This was the second away game in a row where Gus Poyet’s half time team talk was directed at a depleted side. Against Hull the nine men came close to salvaging something. It was the same today when Begovic’s challenge on Fletcher might have been a penalty, but our “Friend” the referee didn’t deem it worthy. Eventually Stoke got a second and at the risk of sounding like Arsenal fans we are left bemoaning the performance of the man in the middle. Pete Sixsmith was there and as usual sums up the day in just seven words …..

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Sixer’s Sevens: Hull City 1 SAFC 0: Sunderland architects of their own downfall

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Pete Sixsmith - or supersub - does it in seven words
Pete Sixsmith – or supersub – does it in seven words
Jake's graphic reflects the score not the relative sendings off!
Jake’s graphic reflects the score not the relative sendings off!

When you’re one down and your goalkeeper is injured in the first half, limiting the manager’s options to change things from the bench, the last thing you need is for one of your senior players to slip back into old habits and get himself sent off for a needless and reckless challenge in the middle of the field. Unfortunately Lee Cattermole has previous and once again proved that his qualities as a combative midfielder are negated by a total lack of self control and an inability to consider the bigger picture. So what does that say about Andrea Dossena? Perhaps he was worried that the bathwater would get cold. What other reason could he have to follow up the former skipper’s lunacy with his own moment of madness. Whatever qualities Gus Poyet is trying to instil in the team common sense obviously hasn’t been one of them. Pete Sixsmith wasn’t one of the 200 fans who left at half time – he stayed till the bitter end – but his seven word summing up accurately reflects his anguish …

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Sixer’s Man Utd Soapbox: De Gea de difference

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Came second again, says Jake
Came second again, says Jake

Malcolm Dawson writes…in all honesty I’m not sure many of us in our heart of hearts expected a win but as always most of us will have wished for a performance that would produce an upset. We always go in hope, even when we don’t go in expectation and for a while on Saturday, it looked as if our hopes and dreams just might come true. It was a gutsy first half followed by the down to earth reality which is part and parcel of being a Sunderland fan. As usual Peter Sixsmith was perched on his eyrie, high in the East Stand and as usual he brings us his version of events on the pitch.

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