Sixer’s Sevens:SAFC v Fulham FA Cup (FA stands for frustrating afternoon)

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NEWsevens copy It may not have been a full house today for Jermain Defoe’s home debut but Pete Sixsmith was there as usual. Although Gus made three changes it was still a strong starting line up which is what we fans want to see in the F.A. Cup. It was also still 3-5-2 with Jones and van Aanholt in the wing back positions. A goal-less first forty five minutes left Sixer and Gary Bennett somewhat underwhelmed. In the second half Jack Rodwell did nothing to further the cause, receiving his second yellow and leaving the Lads a man short. Sunderland had chances but it was Fulham’s Rodallega who hit the woodwork. Pete was not a happy bunny.

Jake so glad he couldn't find an internet stream anywhere.
Jake so glad he couldn’t find an internet stream anywhere.

Jan 24 2015 SAFC (0) 0 Fulham (0) 0: Inept selection – awful from beginning to end.

Jan 17 2015 Tottenham Hotspur (1) 2 SAFC (1)1 *Useful Defoe debut ruined by familiar failings or, from Sixer: Other results make this defeat less damaging

Jan 10 2015 Sunderland (0) 0 Liverpool (1) 1 Selection and tactics raise questions about Poyet

Jan 04 2015 FA Cup 3rd Round: SAFC (1) 1 Leeds United (0) 0 Scraped through after a shocking second half

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Fulham Who are You?: ‘SAFC fans deserve better than constant relegation scraps’

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Jake has ways of making them talk
Jake has ways of making them talk

As a decent FA Cup run beckons for someone, we welcome back Russ Goldman*, a USA-based Fulham diehard adjusting to life without Premier League football and therefore without access to live televised games. Like SAFC, Fulham offer radio coverage – Barnes and Benno are a class act for us – but Russ admits it’s not the same (he should try wrestling with stop-start streams, which make Barnes and Benno an emphatically better option). He sees Sunderland advancing to the 5th round but not without a fight ….

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Hutch’s Patch: Sixer’s stand-in sees Sunderland frailties exposed at Tottenham

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Rob:
Rob:

No Pete Sixsmith at White Hart Lane. The early starts for the Durham branch bus, the cost of a pint in London and the limited prospects of seeing Sunderland raise their game have done for him and trips to most matches in the capital. Monsieur Salut – ticket for WHL burning a hole in his wallet after work intervened – has learned not to count on the excellent but lesser spotted Bob Chapman, which almost certainly means we’ll see a report from him, too, this time. A place awaits you, Bob! Step forward our one-word ratings man Rob Hutchison, who worried about the 3-5-2 system, feared the worst as Spurs gobbled up possession and peppered our goal with efforts and ended up disappointed we hadn’t taken gilt-edged chances that nevertheless came our way. But he’s happy with Jermain Defoe’s arrival…

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Hutch’s Patch: how SAFC fared at Tottenham, in one word apiece

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Jake: Rob's a man of few words
Jake: Rob’s a man of few words

Rob Hutchison declares:‘3-5-2 delivers the same result. Sort the system out and it sorts the season out.’ Then he delivers his one-word verdicts on the Lads, proving himself a much kinder judge of Danny Graham than was Keir Bradwell but using the same adjective for three of what would usually have been the back four and a slightly harsher one for the fourth. Rob omitted Will Buckley so M Salut has guessed at that one …

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Keir’s Sunderland Player Ratings: he wants Larsson made captain

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Jake: 'that's hard to take'
Jake: ‘that’s hard to take’

We are running a little to stand still here. But in an effort to catch up, here is a quick posting of Keir Bradwell‘s man-by-man SAFC ratings. Rob Hutchison‘s one-worders, and his more measured account of the game, will follow when we can get to them. Who would have been the Spurs man of the match: Danny Rose maybe. Monsieur Salut would have given the BBC Radio Newcastle commentator Nick Barnes eight out of 10 just for nearly referring to a Sunderland striker called Daniel Defoe – author of both Robinson Crusoe and The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders …

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Sixer’s Sevens: Tottenham Hotspur 2 SAFC 1. No fairytale for Defoe

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NEWsevens copy

Pete Sixsmith was for once missing from a Sunderland match, so missed a game that ought to have been saved but ended in cruel disappointment. So the seven-word verdict is supplied by a supersub, Monsieur Salut (the bonus word, making it eight, has been eliminated and a late offering from Sixer himself added). After all the excitement caused by Jermain Defoe’s signing, Sunderland made the worst possible start, a big John O’Shea deflection diverting Jan Vertonghen’s shot into the net with Pantilimon stranded after Sunderland failed to clear a free kick. Despite a great Seb Larsson equaliser, the ball was far too easily conceded late outside the Spurs penalty area to set up a lightning counter-attack that Eriksen converted in the 88th minuted And would you believe it: our two best chances of rescuing the the game and possibly even winning it fell to Danny Graham? He was twice denied by Hugo Lloris …

Jan 11 2015 Tottenham Hotspur (1) 2 SAFC (1)1 *Useful Defoe debut ruined by familiar failings or, from Sixer: Other results make this defeat less damaging

Jake: 'that's hard to take'
Jake: ‘that’s hard to take’

Jan 17 2015 Sunderland (0) 0 Liverpool (1) 1 Selection and tactics raise questions about Poyet

Jan 10 2015 FA Cup 3rd Round: SAFC (1) 1 Leeds United (0) 0 Scraped through after a shocking second half

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Defoe deal clinched: welcome to the greatest club on earth, Jermain

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Jake's own welcome to Jermain Defoe
Jake’s own welcome to Jermain Defoe


Well, there are those who might argue with that description of Sunderland AFC. But that what SAFC is to us.

And we are delighted to be able to pass on the official news that the deal bringing Jermain Defoe to the Stadium of Light has been sealed. He is now a Sunderland player, signed on a three-and-a-half year deal.

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