While Peter Sixsmith was ho-ho-hoing through parts of County Durham, Robert Chapman was stoically on an awayday to Anfield. Here, delayed a little by internet problems, is his report …
My first visit to Anfield was the last day of season 1980/1. A goal from Stan Cummins ensured a 1-0 win which kept us in the First Division. Since then I have seen a number of draws, more defeats, but no such repeat of that first visit.
Salut! Sunderland awaits two things: a photograph of Pete Sixsmith in his Father Christmas outfit – has any human being ever been more suited to the role? – and a stand-in Soapbox report, which our old friend Bob Chapman may well supply, of the match at Anfield.
Here, in the continued absence of young Keir Bradwell (family commitments), Rob Hutchison again casts a minimalist view over the man-by-man SAFC performances in the spirited draw at Anfield. Monsieur Salut agrees with most, not all …
Malcolm Dawson writes…..last Saturday afternoon, on my way to the Stadium of Light, I gazed out over Roker beach at …
Pete Sixsmith took a break from Sunderland-supporting duties and for once missed a game, though the beneficiaries were those children back in County Durham who caught his ho-ho-hoing as Santa. Meanwhile at Anfield, with Sixer keeping tabs on the sleigh radio, it was as if Man City never happened as the Lads carried on the good work of the game before, at home to Chelsea. Just another goalless draw but is was a decent game, with chances especially for Connor Wickham, and Sunderland were utterly deserving of the point …
Dec 6 Liverpool (0) 0 SAFC (0) 0 Ho ho ho: a well deserved point
Dec 3 SAFC (1) 1 Manchester City (2) 4 City’s hoodoo ended, aided by poor defending
In truth, being a softy when it comes to players I like who have moved on, I’d be happiest of all to see Simon Mignolet play a blinder and Jordan Henderson score to cap a fine all-round performance for Liverpool. But Mignolet’s saves would just keep the score down and Hendo’s late screamer would be a consolation. Three-one to the Lads, a win built on our own abilities and an exceptional team display.
But Wednesday has left a lot of us feeling a little flat, even if Liverpool are not quite Man City.
John McCormick writes: Tony Fay and I were colleagues once but our paths diverged a good few years ago and I didn’t know whether I’d be able to contact him or if he’d want to take part in the Who are You? series.
I’m glad to be able to report that I was and he did as Tony, with apologies to Blackadder, is redder than a red squirrel which fell into a bucket of red paint at a Simply Red concert. Here’s his view on all things Liverpool, and some things Sunderland:
The only way forward is to forget the most recent past. Let’s all regard SAFC 1-4 Manchester City as if it were another country, some minor detail of history (as Jean-Marie Le Pen once described the Holocaust). Just get out there at Anfield and rattle a few cages again.
Can we bounce back? Can we pressurise Simon Mignolet into making one or two of those unforced errors of his, or reduce Jordan to his ineffectual, own goal-scoring self of earlier in the season?
Malcolm Dawson writes….. Since the advent of advent, Peter Sixsmith has been distributing gifts to the not so poor and …
Rob Hutchison is a glass half-full kind of man. But he struggled to find much reason to applaud what he saw from the Sunderland side’s uneven contest with the aristos of Man City. Lee Cattermole got closest to a good rating but even his 6/10 reflects a display way short of what he’d produced against Chelsea …