John McCormick writes: I watched on TV. I thought we were poor throughout, with our forwards and midfield struggling to link up, and as a result we created few chances. I’m not saying Charlton deserved their victory but they did manage to put the ball into the net three times whereas we didn’t manage it once.
But being there in person makes a difference. Pete Sixsmith may have a very different opinion from me and I’ll abide by his judgement, which we can expect in a day or so. For now, he has little to say, though the seven words he texted do enough to convey what we all feel:
Posts are coming thick and fast at the moment. Malcolm Dawson kicked off the season reviews less than 24 hours ago, then Pete Sixsmith sent in his pre-Wembley thoughts and Jake provided light relief with an excellent musical interlude. Now Lars Knudsen picks up where they left off:
One last shout-out for the Lads at Wembley tomorrow – or last but one since another piece, by Lars Knutsen, is now scheduled for later today – means, this time, one last sing-out (there’s no music from Lars).
Pete Sixsmith is ready for his latest excursion with Sunderland to Wembley. Will the Lads – without Monty or Ian Porterfield – make him a happy as he was on his first visit? …
HERE WE GO
Trip number eight to “Wembley, Venue of Legends” aka The National Football Stadium, is rapidly approaching.
It’s not a great record for me with one win, two draws (both ending in penalty shootout defeats) and four straightforward losses.
Each game has defining moments, so allow me to share them with you before discussing the runners and riders for Sunday.
Above, our illustrator Jake manages to adapt the late Jackson C Frank’s brilliant Blues Run the Game and create a song for Sunderland at Wembley. Bravo.
And now Salut! Sunderland kicks off its annual series of end-of-season reviews even before the season’s quite over.
Our deputy editor Malcolm Dawson wants to make the point that come what may on Wembley Way, Sunderland AFC is in a much better place at least since the short-lived spell of optimism after Big Sam’s great escape and probably since the glorious part of the Peter Reid era.
If you feel you have something worth saying by way of your own review of the season, follow the link in this piece …
OK, I know the season isn’t officially over until sometime after 5pm UK time on Sunday, but whatever the result I feel it appropriate to post my thoughts during the lead up to the game.
Many people live in the moment and events change those peoples’ perceptions whilst others look back to the past, reflect on former glories and perhaps have an unrealistic perception of where things are today.
Forget the conspiracy theories in the Daily Mail’s report on our owners’ intentions.
In fact, while the timing is rotten, the piece itself (as I have said at Twitter) is journalistically legitimate, thorough and reasonably balanced. Read it or ignore it as you wish. For now, just get behind the Lads for the final, utterly crucial game at Wembley this weekend.
Charlton finished the League One season in style and ended up two places ahead of us, writes Monsieur Salut. Until that poor return of four points from three successive home games, I was confident we would go up in an automatic top two place.
It wasn’t to be. We did not end the season in style and and now we start the playoff final at Wembley, after gritty semi-final displays against Portsmouth saw us through, technically as underdogs.
Before I invite readers to predict the outcome of Sunday’s Wembley encounter, I shall reflect on the 1998 version of this momentous tie in May 1998. That was for the greater prize of Premier League and we had, of course, finished above Charlton only to fail to overcome them in the playoff final.
Who would have thought? Wembley not once but twice and in the same season.
Monsieur Salut is old enough to have been at the famous Bob Stokoe/Jimmy Montgomery/Ian Porterfield FA Cup final on May 5 1973. Sadly, the promised ticket didn’t materialise so the game was watched with plenty of beer to hand in a first-floor flat in Uxbridge.
John McCormick writes: I watched on TV. I thought we were poor throughout, with our forwards and midfield struggling to link up, and as a result we created few chances. I’m not saying Charlton deserved their victory but they did manage to put the ball into the net three times whereas we didn’t manage it once.
OK, I know the season isn’t officially over until sometime after 5pm UK time on Sunday, but whatever the result I feel it appropriate to post my thoughts during the lead up to the game. 
