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Sixer Says: two cheers for Watmore as Under 23s lose to West Ham

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Sleek Sixer now …

Monsieur Salut writes: in fact there were many more cheers for a decent 70-minute outing for Duncan. The crowd watching the Sunderland Under 23s against West Ham appreciated his running, his passion and the mere fact that he’s back. If Pete Sixsmith offers two cheers not three, it is because he also noticed a familiar Watmore failing: what to do at the end of one of his bursts of speed that leave opponents trailing behind. But it will be good to have his flair and his commitment back in the side.

I wrote recently about the death of a friend and former colleague Charlie Whebell, a West Ham supporter of the old school. He’d have enjoyed watching his young ‘uns remind everyone of the importance of taking chances (and been impressed by the willingness of the subs to chat to spectators) …

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Sixer’s Cardiff City Soapbox: ‘where we go is a matter of debate’

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Sixer by Jake

John McCormick writes: I’ve been unwilling to criticise Ellis Short in the past. I’ve held back where others haven’t. But now I am firmly of the opinion that the sooner he divests himself of our club the better it will be be.

I came to that conclusion before I read Pete Sixsmith’s match report. Having read it, I see no reason to change my mind

 

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Sixer’s Sevens. Sunderland 1 Cardiff City 2. The worst team ever?

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Jake: ‘it won’t always be pretty’

Pete Sixmsith is back on duty after a midweek break, during which time he put together his thoughts about his visits to Ipswich.

They will be with us shortly, but first we have his match report to come and, by way of a warm-up, his instant seven word verdict, sent from the Stadium of Light before the echoes of the final whistle, and perhaps some boos as well, have faded into the night.

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The First Time Ever I Saw Your Team: Cardiff City

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Sixer keeping cool

The first post-war season saw Cardiff become champions of the Third Division (South) and they continued to climb as we began to struggle. They achieved Division One as the 195os began and they played us during most seasons of that decade, with a gap year when they were relegated 12 months before us.

Then came the Sixties and fortunes appeared to reverse, but only for a while, which brings us to the Seventies and Pete Sixsmith‘s  chance to remember some inauspicious meetings and one great day:

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Cardiff City Who are You?: SAFC ‘always seem in Newcastle’s shadow’

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Mike Morris: sympathy for the genuine fans, disdain for the walkout brigade

Colin Randall writes: The last time Mike Morris* shared his thoughts with Salut! Sunderland, it was mid-season (2013-14) and he was expecting a 14th top finish for City, bottom place and relegation for us. We drew at their place and then hammered them at home during the marvellous escape act orchestrated by Gus Poyet. They went down.

Mike, editor of the CardiffCity.com fan site, returns now with his team riding with along with Leeds and Wolves at the top of the Championship. He’s made his peace, emotionally, with the owner previously known as Public Enemy Number One, has a sharp dig at Sunderland fans who desert the stadium when things go wrong (music to Wrinkly Pete‘s ears, though his main gripe is with people leaving before the end of any home game) and offers an unwelcome view of the Wear-Tyne pecking order …

Salut! Sunderland: I honestly didn’t expect this to a top-bottom clash but it’s close. Despite the setback at Preston, you must be relishing change to join the Stadium of Light scalp-hunters

Mike Morris: As an eternal pessimist my gut feeling is that we will be come the first side not to get a result at the SoL this year. But my head says that we should be good enough not to lose the game.

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SAFC vs Cardiff City Guess the Score: who thought this would be a bottom-top clash?

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Jake introduces Guess the Score

Monsieur Salut writes: sincere apologies if you tried to come here last night and could see only a message saying the database could not be reached. Our contract is with GoDaddy – as I was reminded yesterday when the bill for another two years landed with a painful thud yesterday – and proudly announced this morning that maintenance work had been carried out. If this was the cause of the unannounced interruption in our service, they’ll be on the receiving end of a choice rebuke later on (update: it probably was, but GoDaddy says WordPress does the work and therefore causes the disruption  …


Still no win at home this year (and still no mugs for the winners of previous Guess the Score competitions). I am working on the latter and can but hope Mr Grayson has a viable plan to correct the former.

As things stand, Cardidd fans have every right to be licking their lips at the distinct prospect of yet another smash-and-grab job for visitors to the Stadium of Light. OK, it is not quite bottom vs top but we start just one place above the drop zone whereas City are up there on the same points as the leaders, Leeds and Wolves.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Everton 3-0 SAFC. A challenge way too far

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Jake: ‘it won’t always be pretty’

Monsieur Salut writes: Pete Sixmsith wrote – with his customary command of detail, style and humour – on the delights of Goodison. But he wasn’t there to send his traditional seven-word instant verdict. In his absence, the task fell to our associate editor John McCormick (we use asterisks to signal a supersub for Pete). John will doubtless have more to say about our 3-0 defeat, dumping us out of the League Cup. An Everton fan site mentioned beforehand that our team had players totalling more Everton appearances between them than their own. That, it could be argued, is why those players are now with us. As Gary Bennett put it (Barnes & Benno, BBC Radio Newcastle), the plus side for Simon Grayson was probably limited to ‘no injuries’ (there was something else, maybe about a rare goalscoring chance, but it’s now been forgotten). The home side, he said, “won at a canter” …

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Everton vs Sunderland prize Guess the Score: a brief return to the big time

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A little piece of history, courtesy of our Everton Who are You? interviewee Bernard Walker

Monsieur Salut introduces another prize edition of Guess rhe Score and promises belated movement on the backlog of winners …

 

As we hover just above the relegation zone despite ending the losing run, there is just one consolation: it’s a different relegation zone with names like Brentfor, Burmingham and Bolton instead of Palace, Bournemouth and – would you believe it, Jordan? – Everton.

Another heavy defeat leaves them third bottom.

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