Our Everton “Who are You?” candidate, Hannah Myers (interview coming tomorrow), does not want Sunderland to get that vital win at Goodison. As an Evertonian, she’d be disloyal to her own club in thinking otherwise.
But she does believe our victory over Southampton may set us on course to get the points needed and says she’d be sorry to see us drop to the Championship.
There is really not much more we need say. We all know what is at stake. We know our team’s weaknesses, and also its strengths on the good days that have been so rare in recent times. Defeat will not send us down, just make survival look ever more elusive.
And we’ll need to keep a beady eye this weekend on:
Aston Villa v West Ham
Hull v Burnley
Leicester v Southampton
Newcastle v West Brom
(Sunday) Man City v QPR
As it stands (see our ‘Can we survive?’ and Who’s going down?’ polls at https://safc.blog/2015/05/sunderland-1-0-everton-just-the-under-21s-but-can-this-victory-be-an-omen/:
CLUB P W D L GF GA GD PTS14 Aston Villa 35 9 8 18 29 50 -21 35
15 Newcastle Utd 35 9 8 18 36 60 -24 35
16 Leicester City 35 9 7 19 39 54 -15 34
17 Hull City 35 8 10 17 33 48 -15 34
—-
18 Sunderland 34 6 15 13 28 50 -22 33
19 QPR 35 7 6 22 39 61 -22 27
20 Burnley 35 5 11 19 26 53 -27 26
So just get cracking and Guess the Score. Usual rules: first to post the correct score before kickoff (1245 Sat) wins the mug from Personalised Football Gifts providd he or she has a UK postal address. Evertonians are warmly welcome as competitors; a Toffee-flavoured winner would receive an appropriate alternative mug.
Hannah, one of John McCormick’s Liverpudlian finds for “Who are You?”, has given some fascinating thoughts on matters ranging from Moyes and Martinez to Gazza and Ginola and the Grand Old Club’s proposed move from its Grand in Crumbling old Goodison. She also assures us, with commendable loyalty but surely erroneously, the Mersey derby is as intense as the Wear-Tyne equivalent.
Here is an extract pertinent to Sunderland:
Salut! Sunderland: I take it you’re far too young to remember the time we played Goodison in the last game of the season and only a defeat for us and a draw at Coventry v Bristol City would send us down (both happened!). Be as brutal as you wish but have we simply not been good enough this season to deserve a third successive Great Escape? What thoughts do you have on Sunderland: the club, fans, city, region, Dick Advocaat?
Hannah: Sunderland always seem to have all of the ingredients in place to be a successful Premier League side but something always seems to thwart them. They often spend well on players, have a modern stadium and passionate fans but it just never quite succeeds. It was a vital win at the weekend and hopefully, after Saturday, you can get the points you need as it would be a shame to see you go down.
And, from wherever in the world Sunderland supporters find themselves, from Liverpool L4 4EL of the North East to Down Under, the Americas and elsewhere, Ha’way the Lads in Red and White.
Nowts each.
Never fear Jeremy lad, we’ll get you a mug yet lol No I’m not a secret mackem perish the thought but I like entertainment out of football and for good or bad you lot provide plenty of that, laugh a minute sometimes. I’ll still be following Boro every week even if we don’t get promoted cause we might still just chuck it away. Some good football played at Riverside all the same, doesn’t matter what level and if we do stop down we might get some derby matches with the magpies lol, queerer things have happened
A few scares and near misses last night but the Smogmonsters did what all good teams do, prevailed in the end. Must be Leadbitters influence – send him back!
I’m still mugless after several weeks. Neiher of us are any good at this Smoggie even if you are generally more optimistic about our chances than we are.
I get the constant feeling that you are at hear a real Mackem who grew up secretly supporting us as a bairn, but you were always frightened to tell your Dad.:-)
Many years ago I worked with a lad from Peterlee who followed your lot. On the day before a Tees-Wear derby I got talking to him and he told me that he was going to the match on the same bus as us. My response was that it would soon be known we had a Boro fan amongst us. I was only kidding the poor lad. When I got on the bus there was no sign of him, but I did bump into him outside Ayresome Park. I asked him “Where were you? Did you miss the bus?” and he told me that he’d got the service bus because he was scared to get on it after what I’d said to him the day before. I’ve felt bad about it ever since as I’d never have dropped him in it.
I’ve nothing whatsoever against the Boro. That’s a lot more than I can say about the horse punchers up the road.
I’ve also always liked ‘boro. I watched them a lot in the 50’s when they had just about the most graceful footballer that ever lived [ Wilf Mannion ] in midfield, and the extravagantly named Rolando Ugolini in goal, and Lindy Delaphena on the wing [ this was when most teams were full of Smiths, Browns and Clarks ]
You have to search hard for a name like that now.
3-2 to safc……
2-1 to you lot, jeremy gets the mug
2-0 to The Lads, but again will be more than delighted with any win.
Two weeks running for Mike! He’s welcome to this last chance saloon!
2-2
going for a draw 1-1
November 30th 1996, Sunderland beat Everton at Goodison Park. The score was 3-1 and that is my prediction this time round, 3 -1 to Sunderland. You just never know and they will have to have a go.
1-1 draw but hoping for a win.
Apart from the Leicester game, this is our best bet for points.
I think we will try to keep it tight, and look to score on the break. 1-0 to Sunderland.
Defend, Defend, Defend, DEFOE followed by a lot of squeeky bum time…but an incredible 3 points away from home…1-0 to Sunderland
3-0 to Everton, I am an Evertonian. We are still smarting from last week’s game with Villa.
Sunderland will deservedly get the points in other games and stay up.
The skunks WILL get relegated.
Disagree with the score mate but thanks for the support and belief we will stay up.
Who are the skunks?
Newcastle! I’ve had a couple and clocked on as soon as I sent you a reply. I live in Hong Kong, so i’m 7 hours ahead of you. We call them the scum or barcodes, most times even worse. Wouldn’t that be sweet if they went down. But, we wouldn’t have a derby and I want to beat those f*****s 6 times in a row! Anyway better them than us.
We can’t rely on the scum losing their last three games. What’s more, with the other teams in the relegation scrap picking up points, I reckon we need at least 39-40 points to stay up!
Forget Arsenal but possibly we could get a point at Chelsea. That being the case, we need to beat Everton and Leicester. 2 – 1 to Sunderland. It’s wishful thinking but you never know.
The other teams do not have easy games, for example, Leicester at home to Southampton? Hull at home to Burnley? They all have something to play for, Everton not much. It’s very, very tight for Hull, Leicester and Sunderland, and, perhaps Villa. Newcastle? Defeat this weekend and they are really in the mire, regardless of other scores. I think 37 will be enough, just.
Fair point but recent results have been so unpredictable lately. Anyway, Saturday is going to be one hell of a day and a win for any team in trouble would really mix it up. I hope all Sunderland supporters are smiling after the game.