Jake: catch Sixer’s instant seven-word verdicts throughout the season
John McCormick writes: We do make it difficult, don’t we? But have we made it impossible? Results elsewhere may mean we haven’t but, really, we can’t live in the Premiership with a team that provides, to quote Pete Sixsmith, in exactly seven words:
“Another embarrassment that sorely tests our patience”
John McCormick writes: The weekend starts today, with the bike pump coming out and the casey being inflated. Once that’s done the dubbin’s taken down from the shelf and rubbed in, and then some of the dubbin goes onto the boots as well. A quick check of the studs while we’re at it, do any new ones need to be nailed in?
After that comes a personal grooming check – is there enough brilliantine to make sure the short back and sides doesn’t get in the way during the game? It wouldn’t do to miss that crucial header because your quiff fell down.
Are we meeting Southampton at the right part of the season? Are they far enough up the league to be relaxed and not inclined to fight as hard as some more desperate clubs might? Will they be distracted by Wembley and not focused on their immediate game?
Somehow, I don’t think so. They’re a well-run, professional club and the manager knows what he’s doing. But, even so, we must have a chance.
However, today’s well informed guest, Alex Crook, doesn’t think we’ll win. He predicts a no-score draw.
What else does he think? Find out for yourself as he fills the hot seat on this week’s “Who Are You?”
It was towards the end of last season that Lars Knutsen last appeared on these pages. I’ll let him bring you up to date with his thoughts and memories, some good, some bitter-sweet. All I’ll say is,
John McCormick: We’re bottom but the gap’s closing
When I last reported in with the Salut Sunderland relegation watch we had had some recent wins but were still in the relegation zone, along with Swansea and Hull. (Swansea weren’t one of the clubs chosen in our start-of season poll but I included them in December on the grounds that some people did vote for “another club” and they had begun to fit that bill after a decline).
That was just before Christmas, not long before the transfer window opened, and just around the time struggling clubs might decide a new manager might help them take advantage of it. Now, with all that business done (free agents notwithstanding) it’s time to take stock before we head to the end of season crunch games, six pointers and desperation sackings that define the struggle for 39 points.
When Peter Lynn, young-at-heart but prematurely aged physically by watching Sunderland, began his exercise in calculating how the rest of the season would go, he concluded that 37 points would be enough for survival – and that we’d get them.
After enduring the atrocious displays at home to Stoke and then at West Brom, even forgetting the equally clueless cup exit at Burnley in between, you might have expected him to chuck in the towel.
Not so.
Pete predicted no points against Stoke, knew we’d be booted out of the FA Cup at Turf Moor, and bargained on only a draw at the Hawthorns. He was wrong in his expectation of a win against Spurs.
And he was wrong in his prediction against Crystal Palace. But weren’t we all?
John McCormick writes: When Alfie N’Diaye pops up with a goal for your relegation competitors you know the Gods of football can’t be happy with you. What, then, must they feel towards Sam Allardyce?
Not that anyone’s complaining, of course, apart from perhaps a few of the fans who left Selhurst Park early after our own midfield did what it has needed to do since August and not only snuffed out the opposition but also scored a game-changing goal.
And how do the Gods of football feel about Pete Sixsmith? Was he there watching Kone and Ndong and, of course, Jermaine Defoe? I think not because this report comes courtesy of Bob Chapman
Rob Hutchison recovered from the London Branch 50th birthday party and then found something else to celebrate. Here are his one-word ratings from the Palace match (or mismatch if you like).
They’re a bit better than those we’ve become accustomed to and doesn’t it feel good that they are so well merited?
John McCormick writes: I didn’t hear David Moyes in his pre-match interview. Apparently he sounded very relaxed and pleased with the players he’d brought in (or could it have been because of one he’d got out?).
And after the game? I still haven’t heard him but I did get a copy of his post-game message. Here it is:
Jake: catch Sixer’s instant seven-word verdicts throughout the season
John McCormick writes: What do you make of that?
Was it our new signings? Was it their poor full-back? I did expect the worst, just because we’re Sunderland and these things happen, but it didn’t. Some great defence led to our first clean sheet away and two excellent goals, then some great footwork from Defoe left them for dead.
I thought this left Pete Sixsmith asking a question in seven words, no more, no less, and that’s what I wrote when this post went live. It turns out it was his pal Bob Chapman who put the seven words to all our feelings, as Pete commented below.
In truth, Pete or Bob, who cares as long as we can ask:
John McCormick writes: The weekend starts today, with the bike pump coming out and the casey being inflated. Once that’s done the dubbin’s taken down from the shelf and rubbed in, and then some of the dubbin goes onto the boots as well. A quick check of the studs while we’re at it, do any new ones need to be nailed in?
